IB exam dates & sessions: May & November (IB 2027)

The IB Diploma Programme runs two fixed exam sessions a year: May 2027 (Northern Hemisphere, indicatively 28 April-22 May 2027, results around 6 July 2027) and November 2027 (Southern Hemisphere, indicatively late October-mid November 2027, results around early January 2028). The MYP certificate is awarded once a year - back-plan subjects, IA and core from the written-exam window.

When are the IB May and November 2027 sessions?

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How do the May and November sessions actually work?

• May vs November: your school registers you for one session - May is the larger Northern Hemisphere session, November the Southern Hemisphere one. The syllabus and grading are the same; only the calendar differs.
• External plus internal: most of your grade comes from externally marked written exams, but IB-moderated internal assessment (orals, labs, essays) has deadlines spread across your final year.
• Core deadlines: the Extended Essay (~4,000 words), Theory of Knowledge and CAS run alongside subjects, with internal school deadlines well before the exam window.
• MYP eAssessment: Year 5 on-screen exams and ePortfolios sit in a single fixed window, with the MYP certificate issued once a year.

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What does the full May 2027 cycle calendar look like?

A May 2027 DP candidate is, by mid-2026, already inside the DP2 year of the cycle. The session calendar runs through the final year on tracks that overlap: classwork and internal-assessment marking, the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge submissions, the written-exam window, and the post-results window. The dates below are indicative; the IB publishes the binding examination timetable each session and the school's coordinator confirms the dates that apply to the individual candidate.

How is the November 2027 session different?

November 2027 is the Southern Hemisphere session - smaller in volume and shifted six months. The exam window sits indicatively from late October into mid-November 2027, with results released around early January 2028. The syllabus, grading and 24-point pass conditions are identical to May; only the calendar moves. Subject choice, IA deadlines and EE submission also shift back six months relative to a May candidate, which means a November 2027 DP1 cohort begins in early 2026, sits mocks in mid-2027, and writes the final session in late 2027.

Schools straddling the hemispheres - international schools in regions where the academic year does not match the local calendar - sometimes operate one session while their host country runs the other. The session is set by the school's IBIS registration, not by the country, so a candidate sits whichever session their school is registered for.

What are the exam day rules?

The IB sets exam-day conditions through the school invigilation team. Candidates are expected to arrive at least 30 minutes before each paper, with a school photo ID, in school uniform or the school's declared exam dress, and with permitted materials only. The IB does not allow phones, smart watches, or any networked device in the exam room - leaving these in a school-controlled bag area is standard.

• Calculators:Mathematics AA and AI papers, Sciences papers and some Economics papers permit IB-approved calculators. Graphing calculators are required for certain HL Mathematics papers, with the calculator's memory reset before the paper begins.
• Permitted stationery: black ink pens, pencils for diagrams, rulers, erasers, and water in a clear unlabelled bottle. Coloured ink, correction fluid, and rough paper outside the exam booklet are normally not permitted.
• Banned items: phones, smart watches, fitness trackers, earbuds, written notes of any kind, calculators that store text, dictionaries (unless specifically permitted for the language paper), and any reference printed on a calculator case.
• Breaks & back-to-back papers: many DP subjects have a Paper 1 and Paper 2 scheduled on the same morning or afternoon with a short scheduled break. A two-paper morning runs roughly three to three-and-a-half hours of writing time plus the break and reading time.
• Reading time: most DP papers begin with five minutes of reading time during which candidates may not write - use it to scan the paper, pick the order, and earmark the long-form questions.
• Misconduct: the IB takes unauthorised material extremely seriously. Investigation can lead to a subject grade being withheld or the diploma being refused.

What is Enquiry Upon Results (EUR) and when do you use it?

EUR is the IB's post-results review service, available through the school for a fee. It comes in three forms: a remark of an externally assessed component (typically a written paper), a return of components so the candidate and teacher can see the marked script, and a re-moderation of internally assessed work. Each form has a different cost and a different turnaround time, and the request must be made by the school - candidates cannot apply directly. A successful remark can increase or decrease the original grade, so EUR is a calibrated decision, not an automatic appeal.

The standard window for EUR runs from results day through to mid-September each session. For May 2027 candidates that means roughly 6 July 2027 to mid-September 2027. November candidates have an equivalent window the following January-March. Remarks typically take a few weeks; return of components is faster but is informational only and does not change the grade. Many universities accept a subject-by-subject remark request as grounds to hold an offer briefly, but the candidate should always confirm with the destination admissions office.

How do you back-plan IB 2027 prep from the session window?

Treat the May 2027 written exams as your hard deadline: complete each subject syllabus by early 2027, clear internal assessment drafts by the school deadlines, then run full-length, timed past-paper practice through the final months. November candidates shift the same plan back by about six months and target early-January results.

A useful month-by-month structure for a May 2027 candidate working from late 2026 looks like: October-December 2026 used to finish DP2 syllabus delivery in parallel with internal-assessment drafts; January-February 2027 used to push final IA marks to the school and submit the Extended Essay and TOK essay drafts; March-April 2027 used for full-length timed past papers on the published exam structure for each subject, mark-scheme review, and targeted re-attempts on weak topics; the final two to three weeks before the exam window used for fast review cycles and a tapered workload rather than new material. The plan inverts cleanly for November candidates - the same six-month structure ends in late October 2027.

One subtle calendar point: internal-assessment school deadlines are usually six to eight weeks earlier than the IB's upload deadline because the school needs time to mark and moderate before submitting. So a January 2027 IB deadline often means a November 2026 school deadline. Build the personal plan off the school's deadlines, not the IB's, and confirm both with the DP coordinator.

MYP year 5 candidates sitting eAssessment in the May 2027 window run a parallel but smaller calendar: on-screen exams in selected subject groups across a fixed window in May 2027, ePortfolio submissions for arts and physical education earlier in spring 2027, and the Personal Project moderated separately. Results for MYP eAssessment are released later in the year than DP results and feed into the IB MYP Certificate decision. The MYP and DP cycles run independently inside the same school, but the school's exam operations team usually handles both windows together.

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