IB to UCAS points — convert your grades to the Tariff
Enter your six IB subjects with their levels, plus your TOK and EE letters, and get your UCAS Tariff total. The UK tariffs the IB per component, not from your score out of 45.
Free to use · No sign-up · Published UCAS Tariff values for IB components
Convert your IB profile to UCAS points
Each HL subject, SL subject, and core component is tariffed separately — the total updates as you go.
Your UCAS Tariff points
The sum of all ten components — six subjects plus TOK and EE. Most UK offers to IB students are still phrased in diploma points and HL conditions.
Uses the published UCAS Tariff values for IB components. A planning aid, not an official UCAS service — check your course page for the requirements that actually apply.
UCAS points for every IB component
Each HL subject, each SL subject, and your TOK and EE grades carry their own Tariff points. Your UCAS total is the sum of all ten components.
Higher Level subject grade
- 7
- 56 points
- 6
- 48 points
- 5
- 32 points
- 4
- 24 points
- 3
- 12 points
- 2
- 0 points
- 1
- 0 points
Standard Level subject grade
- 7
- 28 points
- 6
- 24 points
- 5
- 16 points
- 4
- 12 points
- 3
- 6 points
- 2
- 0 points
- 1
- 0 points
TOK and EE grade (each)
- A
- 12 points
- B
- 10 points
- C
- 8 points
- D
- 6 points
- E
- 4 points
The UK does not tariff your 45 — it tariffs the pieces
The single most misunderstood thing about applying to the UK with the IB: UCAS Tariff points are not computed from your diploma total. Each component is tariffed separately — an HL 7 is worth 56 points, exactly the same as an A* at A level, an SL 7 is worth 28, and even your TOK and Extended Essay letters carry points of their own, from 12 at A down to 4 at E. Two students with the same 38-point diploma can therefore hold different UCAS totals, because it matters where the grades sit. This converter adds up the components the way UCAS does.
HL is where the points live
The tariff is steeply weighted toward Higher Level. An HL 6 carries 48 points — double an SL 7 at 28 — and an HL 5 at 32 still outscores every SL grade. Grades of 2 or 1 carry nothing at either level. If you are choosing between pushing an HL from 5 to 6 or an SL from 6 to 7, the HL push is worth 16 Tariff points and the SL push 4. That asymmetry should quietly shape where your revision hours go in the final months.
Most UK offers to IB students are made in grades anyway
Selective courses usually phrase IB offers directly — "36 points with 6,6,6 at Higher Level" or "38 including HL Chemistry at 6" — rather than in Tariff points. The Tariff matters most in Clearing, at universities that advertise a points threshold, and on courses that accept a wide mix of qualifications. So treat your converted total as a filter for where you stand, then read the actual entry requirements on each course page, because an HL subject condition can matter more than twenty Tariff points.
TOK and the EE are free UCAS points — collect them
Because the core components are tariffed separately, an A in the Extended Essay is worth 12 UCAS points — the difference between an SL 5 and an SL 7 — for work that is finished months before final exams. IB students applying to the UK often overlook this: the core is the only part of your Tariff total you can effectively bank early. If your EE draft feedback suggests you are on a B/C boundary, the redraft is worth real points, not just pride.
Convert the number, then go earn it
Once you know the Tariff total your target courses imply, the question becomes which components can still move. That is revision, not arithmetic: turning two years of notes, readings, and past papers across six subjects into active recall before May. Scholarly does the conversion from material to practice — upload your own notes and get flashcards, quizzes, and study guides built from them, with citations back to the source.
Keep exploring
Tools for the IB-to-UK route
Work out where you stand, then turn your own materials into the grades the offer asks for.
IB points calculator
Your diploma score out of 45, with the TOK/EE matrix applied.
UCAS points calculator
Mixing qualifications? Add A levels, BTECs, and Highers to the same Tariff.
Revision timetable maker
A day-by-day revision plan built around your exam dates.
A-level revision
Technique and depth for UK sixth-form exams — much of it transfers to IB.
PDF to flashcards
Turn readings and class notes into flashcards you can drill.
Revision notes generator
Condense a chapter or slide deck into clean revision notes.
IB to UCAS questions
How many UCAS points is my IB diploma worth?
It depends on the profile, not the total. Add the published values per component: HL grades earn 56, 48, 32, 24, and 12 points for 7 down to 3; SL grades earn 28, 24, 16, 12, and 6; and TOK and the EE each earn 12 down to 4 for A to E. Grades of 2 and 1 carry no points.
How many UCAS points is an HL 7 worth?
56 points — identical to an A* at A level. An HL 6 is worth 48, the same as an A. This is why a strong HL profile converts so well onto the Tariff.
Do TOK and the Extended Essay give UCAS points?
Yes, each is tariffed separately: 12 points for an A, 10 for a B, 8 for a C, 6 for a D, and 4 for an E. The three core bonus points in your diploma total are not what UCAS counts — the letters are.
Is a 36-point IB the same as three A levels at A?
Not on the Tariff. Three A-level As are 144 points. A 36-point IB converts differently depending on where the grades sit — six subjects plus the core typically produce a substantially higher component sum. That is not a like-for-like comparison of difficulty, just how the published values add up.
Do UK universities use IB Tariff points in offers?
Usually not — most phrase IB offers in diploma points with HL conditions, like "36 with 6,6,5 at Higher Level". Tariff totals matter mainly in Clearing and at universities that advertise points-based entry. Always read the course page.
Does the IB Career-related Programme convert too?
The individual IB Diploma Programme courses within it carry the same per-component values listed here. For the career-related elements, check the UCAS Tariff tables directly — this converter covers the standard six-subject diploma profile.
My total seems high compared to A-level friends. Is that right?
Yes, that is a known feature of tariffing six subjects plus the core against three A levels. It is also why universities rarely compare the two cohorts by Tariff — they set separate IB and A-level requirements instead.
Is this converter official?
No. It uses the published UCAS Tariff values for IB components and is accurate for the standard diploma profile, but it is a planning aid. For anything decision-critical, use the official UCAS Tariff calculator and your target course's entry requirements.
The offer is in grades. Go get them.
Scholarly turns your own IB notes, readings, and past-paper practice into flashcards, quizzes, and study guides with citations back to your sources — all six subjects and the core in one workspace.
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