Every paper and piece of coursework for Music, with its time, marks and share of the grade at each level, then the grade boundaries the IB set for recent sessions.
2 exams, internal assessment 30% of the grade. The weight is each part’s share of your final grade.
| Component | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
Exploring music in context – · 24 marks A portfolio of up to 2,400 words of written work, one creating exercise (up to 32 bars or 1 minute) and one performed adaptation (up to 2 minutes). | – | 24 | 30% |
Experimenting with musicInternal Coursework · 28 marks An experimentation report of up to 1,500 words with three related creating excerpts and three related performing excerpts (up to 5 minutes each set). | Coursework | 28 | 30% |
Presenting music – · 38 marks Programme notes of up to 600 words, compositions or improvisations up to 6 minutes, and solo or ensemble performances up to 12 minutes. | – | 38 | 40% |
Experimenting with music, 30% of the grade, marked out of 28. An experimentation report of up to 1,500 words with three related creating excerpts and three related performing excerpts (up to 5 minutes each set). Your teacher marks it, and the IB checks a sample of marks from your school.
The lowest overall percentage for each grade. The IB sets them after every session, so treat them as a guide to the standard, not a promise.
| Grade | May 2025 | November 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 78–100% | 78–100% |
| 6 | 65–77% | 65–77% |
| 5 | 52–64% | 52–64% |
| 4 | 39–51% | 39–51% |
| 3 | 21–38% | 21–38% |
| 2 | 11–20% | 11–20% |
| 1 | 0–10% | 0–10% |
2 exams, internal assessment 50% of the grade. The weight is each part’s share of your final grade.
| Component | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
Exploring music in context – · 24 marks A portfolio of up to 2,400 words of written work, one creating exercise (up to 32 bars or 1 minute) and one performed adaptation (up to 2 minutes). | – | 24 | 20% |
Experimenting with musicInternal Coursework · 28 marks An experimentation report of up to 1,500 words with three related creating excerpts and three related performing excerpts (up to 5 minutes each set). | Coursework | 28 | 20% |
Presenting music – · 38 marks Programme notes of up to 600 words, compositions or improvisations up to 6 minutes, and solo or ensemble performances up to 12 minutes. | – | 38 | 30% |
The contemporary music makerInternal Coursework · 32 marks A continuous multimedia presentation of up to 15 minutes showing your collaborative project’s proposal, process, evaluation and result. | Coursework | 32 | 30% |
Experimenting with music, 20% of the grade, marked out of 28. An experimentation report of up to 1,500 words with three related creating excerpts and three related performing excerpts (up to 5 minutes each set). Your teacher marks it, and the IB checks a sample of marks from your school.
The contemporary music maker, 30% of the grade, marked out of 32. A continuous multimedia presentation of up to 15 minutes showing your collaborative project’s proposal, process, evaluation and result. Your teacher marks it, and the IB checks a sample of marks from your school.
The lowest overall percentage for each grade. The IB sets them after every session, so treat them as a guide to the standard, not a promise.
| Grade | May 2025 | November 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 81–100% | 81–100% |
| 6 | 67–80% | 67–80% |
| 5 | 53–66% | 53–66% |
| 4 | 39–52% | 39–52% |
| 3 | 22–38% | 22–38% |
| 2 | 11–21% | 11–21% |
| 1 | 0–10% | 0–10% |
Each paper rewards practice under its own conditions: its length, its calculator rule, the kind of answer it wants. Read the paper descriptions above, then practice with the clock running, using the past papers your school gives you.
Augment has nothing to practice for Music yet. The syllabus on the subject page is the list of what the exams can ask about.
A free account keeps your six subjects and levels in one place.