You survived the IB! Regardless of the outcome, be proud of the many personal, academic, and likely pandemic-related challenges you overcame during your two-year journey. So, what now? Besides the celebrations that you are each owed, there are also other steps that you can take after receiving your IB results, particularly remarks and retakes.
After the release of results, a candidate or school can make an enquiry upon results (EUR) through their IB coordinator. There are four types of requests your IB coordinator can make, namely a:
Category 1 remark
The remark of a candidate’s externally assessed components for a subject. This is usually carried out by senior examiners who check the papers for errors in the previous marking. This request can result in your grade being raised or lowered and takes approximately 18 days to process.
Category 1 report
A report on a category 1 re-mark for an individual candidate. This is requested if information about how the marks in the remark were awarded is required. This will not result in a grade change and takes approximately 30 days to process.
Category 2A
The return of all candidates’ externally assessed materials by component. No grade change will result and the process takes approximately 10 days. These materials can only be seen by teachers/faculty at that IB school and the specific candidate. Candidates have the right to instruct their coordinator to not request their assessment materials.
Category 2B
The return of a candidate’s externally assessed materials by level/subject. No grade change will result and the process takes approximately 10 days. These materials can only be seen by teachers/faculty at that IB school and the specific candidate. Candidates have the right to instruct their coordinator to not request their assessment materials.
Category 3 re-moderation
The re-moderation of a school’s IAs by subject/level. This request can only be taken when the mean of the candidates’ moderated IA marks differs from the mean of the marks awarded by their teacher by at least 15% of the maximum mark for the component. This may result in the grade being raised but not lowered and this process can take approximately 30 days.
These requests must be submitted within about two months of the release of the results and cannot be submitted later than the 15th of September for May candidates, or the 15th of March for November candidates. Your school may also have their own internal deadline for you to make a request, so make sure to submit a request on time. The results of these enquiries will then be sent to your IB Coordinator. The IB also charges a standard fee for each EUR, however the cost may ultimately vary across schools due to administrative costs etc.
Note that if there is a grade change as a result of the category 1 remark, you will be refunded.
The Category 1 remark is likely the most relevant to students, and it is a decision that should be made after a discussion with your IB coordinator about whether it is a good option for you. It is also something you can consider if you are very close to the upper grade boundary, which was the case for me when I decided to request a remark. I was one mark away from the upper boundary of a Level 6 in SL Business Management and I was later notified that my mark increased by three, raising my grade to a Level 7. Your grade change will be updated on your candidate portal within a few days of your Coordinator receiving a response. While it is possible to go up a level, there is, of course, the likelihood of your grade remaining unchanged or even lowered. If you scroll down on the article in this link you can see a graph with the percentage of remarks that resulted in various mark changes.
Another option you could pursue is retaking all or certain parts of your IB DP which includes your TOK and EE. This may be a good idea if you need to increase your grades for certain university requirements. You can retake a particular subject up to three times. You can also choose whether you want to redo your IAs or you can just write the IB exams.
If you want to retake, you need to be registered at an IB World School so you should consult your IB Coordinator for the specific details relating to your school. In order to pay the low registration fees candidates need to be registered by the 29th of July for November exams, and the 29th of January for May exams.
Otherwise, the latest you can register is the 15th of October for November exams and the 15th of April for May exams, both of which will require that you pay the high registration fees. Your school will likely have an internal deadline for you to make this request so make sure you are not late. Should you choose to retake, make sure to get the additional support where you need through using the resources at your school or through external tutors or revision courses.
I hope this post has helped you become more informed about the options available to you and well done once again!