IB Marking Criteria: The MYP Criteria Grading Scale Explained
IB marking criteria in the MYP work in two steps: four criteria per subject are each scored 1–8, then the total is converted to a final 1–7 grade. A 1 or a 2 is a criterion level, not a final grade. Full level descriptions follow below.
Every MYP subject is assessed against four criteria. Each criterion is judged on a 1–8 achievement level that describes the quality of work against defined descriptors. These IB marking criteria follow the same idea in every subject group, even though the criterion names change from one subject to the next. Teachers read a student's work against the published descriptors and decide which level fits.
Assessment is criterion-related, not norm-referenced. That means achievement is measured against published descriptors, not against other students. Levels come from performance on summative tasks across the reporting period, not from averaging percentages. The four criterion scores are then added to give a criterion total, and that total is converted to the final 1–7 grade using the IB grade boundaries.
Four criteria are assessed in every MYP subject
Each criterion is scored on a 1–8 level
Levels are judged against descriptors, not other students
Summative tasks decide the levels, not averaged percentages
IB Criteria by Subject Group
Language and LiteratureLanguage AcquisitionIndividuals and SocietiesSciencesMathematicsThe ArtsLanguage and LiteratureLanguage AcquisitionIndividuals and SocietiesSciencesMathematicsThe Arts
The criteria have different names in each subject group, so the first job is matching the names on a report card to the right subject. Language and Literature uses Analysing, Organising, Producing text and Using language. Language Acquisition uses Comprehending spoken and visual text, Comprehending written and visual text, Communicating and Using language. Individuals and Societies uses Knowing and understanding, Investigating, Communicating and Thinking critically.
Sciences uses Knowing and understanding, Inquiring and designing, Processing and evaluating, and Reflecting on impacts of science. Mathematics uses Knowing and understanding, Investigating patterns, Communicating and Applying mathematics in real-world contexts. The Arts use Knowing and understanding, Developing skills, Thinking creatively and Responding. For any other subject group, check your school's subject guide for the criterion names.
What the 1–8 Levels Mean
What grade is MYP 1? A 1 is not a final grade. It is the lowest criterion level on the 1–8 scale, and it describes limited achievement with significant gaps. What grade is MYP 2? Also a criterion level, and it sits in the same band as level 1: limited achievement with significant gaps. Neither number becomes a final grade on its own, because the final 1–7 grade comes from the total of all four criteria.
The scale describes increasing depth of understanding and skill. Levels 3–4 indicate a basic grasp with inconsistencies. Levels 5–6 reflect solid, consistent performance. Levels 7–8 demonstrate thorough, nuanced command and the ability to transfer learning to unfamiliar situations. For each criterion, teachers use the published descriptors to decide which level is the closest match to the work in front of them.
Is MYP 1 a Year Level, a Criterion Level or a Final Grade?
The search "MYP 1 is which grade" is confusing because the number 1 can mean three different things in the programme. It can refer to a year level, since schools number the MYP years, in the same way that MYP5 refers to a later year. It can be a criterion level on the 1–8 scale. Or it can be a final grade on the 1–7 scale.
On a report, check where the number appears. If it sits beside a criterion name, it is a criterion level, the lowest on the 1–8 scale. If it appears as the overall subject grade, it is a final grade, which comes from adding the four criterion scores and applying the published boundaries. A single criterion level of 1 does not by itself decide the final grade. The next section explains the conversion step by step.
Year levelWhich year of the programme a student is in
Criterion levelA 1–8 score for one criterion
Final gradeThe 1–7 grade for the whole subject
From Criteria Scores to the 1–7 Grade
Once the four criterion levels are awarded, they are added together to make a criterion total. The IB publishes grade boundaries that map this total to the final 1–7 grade. This page does not list the boundary figures, so use the IB's published table or ask your school for the current version when you need exact conversions.
The boundaries are the same for all subjects and are applied at the end of the reporting period. A higher criterion total gives a higher final grade on the MYP certificate and on school report cards. Because the grade comes from four scores added together, one weaker criterion can often be understood in context: it is one part of the total, and the other three criteria also count.
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Add the four criterion scores into one total
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Apply the published IB grade boundaries to that total
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The same boundaries apply to every subject
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The final 1–7 grade appears on certificates and report cards
Quick Reference: What Each Low Level Means and What to Do Next
Level 1 and level 2
Use this quick reference when a report shows a 1 or a 2 on a criterion. Both levels describe limited achievement with significant gaps. That is a description of the work against the descriptor, not a judgement of the student.
Read the descriptor for that criterion
Find out which gaps the descriptor names and work on those first. Start with the criterion, not the whole subject.
Ask the teacher which gaps mattered most
Ask which part of the descriptor was missing.
Compare marked work with the level above
Look at a marked task alongside the rubric, then compare the next piece of work with the descriptor for the level above.
Pick one gap to fix in the next task
Choose one gap to address in the next summative task. Small, specific steps are easier to act on than a general plan to do better.
Personal Project and eAssessment Grading
The Personal Project is assessed against three criteria, which structure the project and the way it is judged against published descriptors. Because students often manage it alongside several subjects, it helps to read those descriptors early and keep the Product, the Report and the documentation in step with them. Ask your school for the Personal Project guide and its internal deadlines.
Where a school participates in MYP eAssessment, students may also prepare for ePortfolio requirements and on-screen examinations. Check the official IB guidance and your school's timeline for how those components are reported. Depending on the school, students may begin planning or drafting the Personal Project Report around the middle of MYP5, so early familiarity with the criteria and the checklist can make large tasks feel more manageable.
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The Personal Project has three assessment criteria
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Read the project descriptors before drafting begins
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Keep documentation and bibliography work up to date
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eAssessment applies only where the school participates
Common Misunderstandings About MYP Grading
One frequent confusion is that levels come from averaging percentages. They do not. Teachers assign levels from summative tasks by judging the work against the descriptors. Another is that MYP grading compares students with each other. It is criterion-related, so achievement is measured against published descriptors, not against classmates.
A third misunderstanding is treating one low criterion as the final grade. A 1 or 2 on one criterion is a single score out of four, and the final 1–7 grade comes from the total and the boundaries. Finally, a criterion level is not a permanent label. Levels come from the performance shown on the summative tasks in a reporting period, so the next period gives a new chance to show stronger work.
Getting Support with MYP Assessment
Some students understand the content but find it hard to see what a descriptor is asking for. Targeted tutoring can help a student read teacher feedback, connect it to the right criterion, and plan practice around the weakest one. IB Tutoring Academy offers online IB tutoring from experienced subject tutors, and sessions can focus on a single subject criterion or on a wider review.
Support can also cover the Personal Project and eAssessment preparation where it applies: breaking a large task into steps, checking work against the criteria, and keeping documentation organised. A tutor does not replace the teacher's judgement, which is based on the published descriptors. The aim is to help a student understand the criteria and apply that understanding in their own work.
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Interpret teacher feedback against the right criterion
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Plan practice around the weakest criterion
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Break the Personal Project into manageable steps
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Prepare for eAssessment where the school takes part
Frequently Asked Questions
What grade is MYP 1?
A 1 is usually a criterion level, not a final grade. It is the lowest level on the 1–8 scale and describes limited achievement with significant gaps. The final subject grade is on a 1–7 scale and comes from adding the four criterion scores and applying the published boundaries.
What grade is MYP 2?
A 2 is also a criterion level on the 1–8 scale. It sits in the same band as level 1 and describes limited achievement with significant gaps. It is one of four criterion scores that are added together and converted into the final 1–7 grade.
MYP 1 is which grade: a year level, a criterion level or a final grade?
It depends where you see it. MYP 1 can refer to a year of the programme, a criterion level on the 1–8 scale, or a final grade on the 1–7 scale. Beside a criterion name it is a criterion level. See the section on converting criteria scores to the 1–7 grade.
How do four criterion scores become one grade?
The four criterion levels are added to make a criterion total. The IB's published grade boundaries then map that total to the final 1–7 grade. The same boundaries apply to all subjects and are used at the end of the reporting period.
Are MYP levels based on percentages or on other students?
Neither. Teachers assign levels from summative tasks by judging the work against published descriptors. Assessment is criterion-related, so it measures achievement against those descriptors rather than against other students or an average of percentages.
What should we do after seeing a 1 or 2 on a criterion?
Read the descriptor for that criterion, then ask the teacher which gaps mattered most. Compare a marked task with the descriptor for the next level up and choose one gap to work on in the next summative task. Tutoring can help with this if extra support is wanted.
Talk through your MYP criteria feedback
IB Tutoring Academy offers online IB tutoring from experienced subject tutors. If a criterion level or the grade conversion is unclear, use the consultation form to get started.
