How IB registration works (DP & MYP 2027)

IB registration is school-based and not something you do yourself: your IB World School's DP or MYP coordinator registers you on IBIS for the May or November 2027 session, issues your candidate code, sets earlier internal deadlines aligned to the IB's, and is invoiced for the per-candidate and per-subject fees.

Who actually registers you for the IB?

• IB Diploma Programme (DP):your school's DP coordinator enters you on IBIS (the IB information system) for the May 2027 or November 2027 session, with your subjects, levels and the core.
• Middle Years Programme (MYP): the MYP coordinator registers year 5 candidates for optional on-screen eAssessment and the Personal Project moderation - only through an authorised IB World School.

What does the DP registration flow look like, step by step?

1. Confirm your subjects with the coordinator - six subjects across the six groups, three at HL and three at SL, plus TOK, the Extended Essay and CAS.
2. The coordinator registers you on IBIS - your name, subjects and levels must match school records exactly; you are issued a personal/candidate code.
3. Check your candidate details - verify name spelling, date of birth, subjects and levels with the coordinator before the IB's registration deadline closes.
4. The school is invoiced - the IB bills registration and per-subject fees to the school, which collects them from families per its own policy.
5. Meet internal deadlines - the school sets earlier internal cut-offs (subject changes, internal assessment, predicted grades) so it can submit on time to the IB.
6. Sit the session - May or November 2027 external exams, with internal assessment marked by teachers and moderated by the IB.

Ready to test where you stand? Take a free IB mock and see your indicative point total in one paper.

What you'll need from your side

• Enrolment at an IB World School - there is no public direct entry; registration is only through an authorised school.
• Legal-name & DOB details that match official documents, for the IB candidate record and certificate.
• Final subject & level choices (HL/SL, language options) confirmed before the school's internal deadline.
• Any access-arrangement requests raised early so the coordinator can apply to the IB on your behalf.

What does the indicative IB 2027 registration timeline look like?

Exact registration and late-registration deadlines are set by the IB each session and passed on by your school - treat the above as indicative and confirm the dates with your DP/MYP coordinator.

Ready to test where you stand? Take a free IB mock and see your indicative point total in one paper.

How is the May vs November session decided?

The session a candidate sits is decided by which school they attend, not by personal preference. Northern Hemisphere IB World Schools register their cohort for the May session (written exams across roughly the last week of April through the third week of May, results around 6 July) because the school year ends in June. Southern Hemisphere schools register for the November session (written exams across late October and into mid-November, results around early January of the following year) because their school year ends in November or December. A student transferring between hemispheres mid-DP normally aligns to the new school's session, which can shift a graduation timeline by six months.

A small number of candidates - typically retakers or candidates with specific extenuating circumstances - register for a session outside their school's default. This is the coordinator's call, made through the IB, and the candidate remains tied to the school for invigilation and internal-assessment moderation.

How and when are subject and level (HL/SL) choices locked in?

Subject and level choices are entered on IBIS by the coordinator and the IB's deadline for the May 2027 session is typically mid-November 2026 for the initial registration, with a late-amendment window into early 2027 for fee-incurring changes. November 2027 candidates work back from a deadline around mid-May 2027. Schools set their own earlier internal cut-off, often six to eight weeks before the IB's, so the coordinator has time to verify name spellings, dates of birth, subjects, levels, language pathway and any access arrangements before submitting.

After IBIS closes, level changes (HL to SL or vice versa) become harder because internal-assessment briefs are submitted at the registered level. Subject swaps after IBIS closes are usually limited to special cases approved by the IB. In practice the locked window opens at the IB's registration deadline and closes at the start of the final session - so DP2 students usually have very little flexibility in either dimension after autumn of DP2 in the May cycle.

What role do Predicted Grades play for university applications?

Predicted Grades are teacher-submitted forecasts of each subject's final grade, plus a predicted total points figure, used by universities to issue conditional offers before final IB results come out. They are not a coursework mark and they do not feed into the IB's own grading - they are a separate, application-only artefact. UCAS in the UK uses Predicted Grades directly; US universities use them through the school counsellor's recommendation and the school profile; Australian, Canadian, and many European universities accept them in the same way.

Predicted Grades are usually finalised in DP2, after the school's November or December trial exams have been marked. UCAS deadlines push UK-bound students to have Predicted Grades ready in autumn of DP2, while US Early Decision and Early Action deadlines also fall in this window. The Predicted Grade is built off a candidate's internal-assessment marks, trial-exam papers, classwork patterns and the teacher's calibration against the IB grade boundary - which is why mocks are a candidate's most direct leverage on the Predicted Grade.

How is the Extended Essay registered and tracked?

The Extended Essay is registered through the school: students select an EE subject (typically from one of the six DP groups), agree a research question with a supervising teacher, and have the EE subject recorded on IBIS as part of the candidate's registration. The EE itself is uploaded to the IB's e-Coursework system around February or March of the exam-session year, well ahead of the written papers. A candidate cannot change EE subject after the supervisor confirms the research question in the IB's required form - so subject choice for the EE is locked earlier than the rest of the registration package.

Three formal reflection sessions between candidate and supervisor are required during the EE process, all logged on the Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (the RPPF). The completed essay is around 4,000 words plus the RPPF. Together they are graded A-E by IB examiners and feed into the TOK/EE points matrix that produces up to 3 bonus points.

What CAS evidence does the IB actually want?

CAS is not graded but is gate-keeping: an unsatisfactory CAS portfolio blocks the award of the diploma regardless of point total. The IB expects evidence across the three strands (Creativity, Activity, Service) over the full two years of the DP, with a CAS Project of at least one month that brings two of the three strands together. A satisfactory CAS portfolio contains experiences logged through the school's CAS system, reflections at the start, midpoint and end of the programme, and three formal interviews with the school's CAS coordinator.

What does not count: passive participation, single-event experiences with no reflection, or strands that are missing altogether. What does count: ongoing experiences with documented learning outcomes addressed - particularly the seven IB-defined learning outcomes such as showing initiative, engaging with global issues, and considering ethical implications. The candidate's job is to drive the portfolio; the coordinator's job is to sign off completion.

What are the most common candidate-side mistakes around registration?

The pattern below covers most of the avoidable issues we see in the IB registration and submission flow. None of these are about cleverness - they are about catching administrative friction before it costs a session.

• Name / DOB mismatch with legal documents - this appears on your IB certificate, so fix it with the coordinator early.
• Late subject or level changes - HL/SL switches are limited once IBIS registration closes.
• Missing internal deadlines - the school's cut-offs are firm because it must submit to the IB on time.
• Assuming public registration exists - it doesn't; the IB is delivered only via authorised schools.
• Missing the EE supervisor sign-off: the Extended Essay subject and research question must be agreed with a supervising teacher before the school closes the EE subject choice on IBIS; candidates who delay this lose flexibility on EE topic.
• Treating CAS as optional: CAS is gate-keeping for the diploma. An incomplete CAS portfolio at the end of DP2 blocks the award even with strong subject points - the coordinator's sign-off is required.

Ready to test where you stand? Take a free IB mock and see your indicative point total in one paper.