Global Statistics - 2023
IBDP Music within the Global Context
Twice a year, the IB released a range of statistics about the DP in the form of statistical bulletins. These documents contain assessment information more broadly as well as individual subjects. These pages offer you a summary of the statistics specifically in regards to music, namely the number of students who take the subject at both SL and HL, as well as the percentages awarded in each of the grade levels.
Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash
General Global Statistics in Music 2023
Some of the statistics for music are as follows:
(These figures have been extracted from the IB Statistical Bulletins for May 2023 and Nov 2023). If you wish to progress even further back, earlier statistical summaries are available to you as well. However, data produced before 2022 may be misleading as it relates to the previous course and not the latest curriculum that was first assessed (in a limited capacity) in May 2022.
May 2023 SL HL Total
Number of Students Taking IBDP Music: 1665 1401 3066
Nov 2023
Number of Students Taking IBDP Music: 132 232 364
Total for 2023: 3886
The overall number is up from the total for 2022 (3522) by over 9% with the biggest increase coming in the number of students choosing SL in the November period (19%).
Significantly, there was an 11% drop in the number of students taking HL in the May 2023 assessment period from May 2022.
The higher number of students electing for the SL over HL in May 2022 and the reverse in Nov 2022 (HL proving more popular than SL) continues to hold true for 2023.
Students are awarded a Grade on a scale of 1 to 7 for each of their subjects, based on their total percentages for their internal and external assessment (no examinations are required for Group 6 subjects).
There are changes to how the percentages are converted for each subject in each assessment period. In other words, for one cohort 79% in music, for example, may be enough to be awarded grade "7", but in other years, it may only be enough for a grade "6".
There is an overview of the grade boundaries since May 2022 in IBDP Music to be found HERE.Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash
In May 2023, the percentages of students receiving 0-3 points for the CORE (EE and TOK combined) are as follows:
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| M23 | 22.14% | 26.73% | 41.38% | 9.75% |
| M22 | 17.57% | 24.69% | 44.61% | 13.13% |
As can be seen, there is a significant drop in the number of candidates gaining 2 or 3 points and an over 4.5% increase in the number of candidates not receiving any points.
In Nov 2022, the percentages of students receiving 0-3 points for the CORE (EE and TOK combined) are as follows:
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| N23 | 19.5% | 27.1% | 42.8% | 10.6% |
| N22 | 17.12% | 25.63% | 43.76% | 13.49% |
Again, the same types of shifts have occurred when comparing Nov 23 with Nov 22: a drop in the number of candidates awarded 2 or 3 points, but an increase in the numbers awarded 1 or 0 points.
For an understanding of the CORE point matrix, see below, which indicates the bonus points awarded for the grades awarded in both TOK and the EE.
For more on this, you may visit Music & Theory of Knowledge (TOK).
Here is a summary of the number of students who selected the Arts for their Extended Essay in May 2023 compared with the May 2022 results, as well as totals globally for all subjects:
| Sessions | A | B | C | D | E | N | Total |
| M23: Arts | 884 | 1322 | 2212 | 1565 | 164 | 58 | 6205 |
| M22: Arts | 1157 | 1385 | 2107 | 1076 | 93 | 100 | 5918 |
| M23: Arts % | 14.2 | 21.3 | 35.6 | 25.2 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 100% |
| M22: Arts % | 19.6 | 23.4 | 35.6 | 18.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 100% |
| M23: Global Totals | 9305 | 22345 | 37256 | 20348 | 1208 | 685 | 91147 |
| M22: Global Totals | 12330 | 25219 | 34586 | 14867 | 571 | 978 | 88551 |
| M23: Global Totals % | 10.2 | 24.5 | 40.9 | 22.3 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 100% |
| M22: Global Totals % | 13.9 | 28.5 | 39.1 | 16.8 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 100% |
Whilst the number of As in the Arts in May 2022 far exceeded the Global Totals (almost 20% as opposed to almost 14%), this has been brought closer in May 2023 (14% to 10%).
The top three most chosen subjects for the Extended Essay in May 2023 remain as they were for May 2022:
- English A
- History
- Psychology
Here is a summary of the number of students who selected the Arts for their Extended Essay in Nov 2023 and their results:
| Sessions | A | B | C | D | E | N | Total |
| N23 Arts | 192 | 270 | 325 | 112 | 4 | 10 | 913 |
| N22 Arts | 215 | 215 | 242 | 80 | 3 | 9 | 764 |
| N23 Arts % | 21.0 | 29.6 | 35.6 | 12.3 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 100% |
| N22 Arts % | 28.1 | 28.1 | 31.7 | 10.5 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 100% |
| N23 Global Totals | 1751 | 4297 | 5629 | 1845 | 63 | 90 | 13675 |
| N22 Global Totals | 1893 | 4141 | 4791 | 1271 | 19 | 95 | 12210 |
| N23 Global Totals % | 12.8 | 31.4 | 41.2 | 13.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 100% |
| N22 Global Totals % | 15.5 | 33.9 | 39.2 | 10.4 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 100% |
The number of As in the Arts in Nov 2022 again far exceeded the Global Totals (over 28% as opposed to 15.5%). This trend continues in Nov 2023 with a similar percentage difference: 21% as opposed to 12.8%.
The top three most chosen subjects for the Extended Essay in Nov 2023 remain as they were in Nov 2022:
- History
- Spanish A
- English A
In May 2023, TOK grade distribution and percentage were as follows:
| Sessions | A | B | C | D | E | N | Total |
| M23 Number | 7002 | 31447 | 42494 | 10097 | 190 | 631 | 91861 |
| M22 Number | 8116 | 31128 | 40094 | 8776 | 189 | 996 | 89299 |
| M23 % | 7.6 | 34.2 | 46.3 | 11.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 100% |
| M22 % | 9.1 | 34.9 | 44.9 | 9.8 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 100% |
In Nov 2023, TOK grade distribution and percentage were as follows:
| Sessions | A | B | C | D | E | N | Total |
| N23 Number | 995 | 4475 | 6336 | 1682 | 16 | 70 | 13574 |
| N22 Number | 946 | 4130 | 5338 | 1605 | 33 | 69 | 12121 |
| N23 % | 7.3 | 33.0 | 46.7 | 12.4 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 100% |
| N22 % | 7.8 | 34.1 | 44.0 | 13.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 100% |
The statistics throughout 2022 largely remained the same, but there is a higher percentage of As in both May 2022 and May 2023, but significantly more Ds in comparison to the previous sessions (Nov 2022 and Nov 2023). However, in 2023 this disparity has returned to a state of relative equilibrium elsewhere with all the other grade levels essentially being within 1 percentage point of each other.
A summary of the Music results for May 2023 is as follows, compared with the previous session (May 2022):
Whilst the mean grades for SL students for these two periods have remained more or less the same, there has been a significant drop in the HL in May 2023. Also, the number of 5-7s for the HL students in May 2023 has seen significant decreases.
Group 6 Statistics for Nov 2023
Whilst the mean grade averages have remained more or less the same for both of these sessions, in the Nov 2023 period, there has been a significant decrease in the percentage of 7s awarded for HL students and an increase in number of 3s. For SL students, the percentage of 7s has been essentially maintained.
Based on the information that appears above, here is a summary of the number of students who manage to achieve a level 7:
May 2023 - Number of 7s
Higher Level students: 65 (3.9% of 1665)
Standard Level students: 116 (8.3% of 1401)
May 2022 - Number of 7s
Higher Level students: 175 (11.1% of 1580)
Standard Level students: 97 (6% of 1615)
Nov 2023 - Number of 7s
Higher Level students: 49 (22.5% of 220)
Standard Level students: 6 (5.9% of 107)
Nov 2022 - Number of 7s
Higher Level students: 38 (16.4% of 232)
Standard Level students: 8 (6.1% of 132)
For a list of the other subject reports for music, click HERE.
The Music Guide (First Assessment 2022) and accompanying materials (Music Teacher Support Materials) can be found on the site MyIB (click HERE, remember that you require a login and password, ordinarily given by your Diploma Level Coordinator)
The IB produces these documents and should form the basis of your decision-making in designing your course.
You can gain additional support from Global Music Concepts and/or the IBDP Music Teachers Worldwide.
Statistics in Other Subjects
These summaries have been extracted from the materials on MyIB, for a complete summary of ALL subjects visit HERE.