How do IB grades convert to A-Level grades?

Question

Priscilla Han · Accepted Answer

UK universities read the two side by side with a well-established equivalence. The standard mapping: A*A*A* ≈ 42–43 IB points (7,7,7 at Higher Level); A*A*A ≈ 40–41 (7,7,6 HL, Cambridge's typical offer); A*AA ≈ 38–39 (7,6,6 HL, Oxford's typical offer); AAA ≈ 36–37 (6,6,6 HL, the Imperial/UCL/LSE band); and AAB ≈ 34–35. The IB is scored out of 45, so a clean A*A*A* sits around 42–43 and the very top IB scores exceed the top A-Level offer. The single most misread part: UK offers hinge on your three Higher Level grades, not just the total out of 45. An Oxbridge offer written as '40 points with 7,7,6 at HL' is really two conditions at once — the overall score AND the Higher Level profile. A strong 41 total with the wrong HL grades in the subjects the course names can still miss a 40-point offer. The overall /45 also includes your three Standard Level subjects plus up to 3 bonus points from Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay. Treat the table as a guide, not a formula. Every university publishes its own IB offer per course, and many set subject-specific Higher Level requirements (for example, 7 in HL Mathematics for a maths or engineering degree). Always check the exact course's entry requirements rather than relying on the general band. UCAS tariff points exist too, but selective universities increasingly make offers in grades and points rather than tariff. This conversion answers how the two are read against each other — it does not answer which your child should take. That decision depends on their academic direction, target university system, and your family's constraints, not on the equivalence alone.