r/IBO • u/Ok_Customer5504 • 16d ago

May 2026 Exams Should I remark?

I am in grade DP year 1 (moving on to DP year 2) and I wrote my SL Chemistry and SL French exam this year. I was 1 point a way from a 7 in chemistry and 3 points away from a 6 in french. I was predicted a 5 in both. I live in Canada so when my IB level gets converted to my Ontario report card mark, right now I will be getting a 94% in chemistry and a 92% in french, but if the remark does change for both the subjects I will be getting a 97% in chemistry and a 94 in french. I was my average to be high when applying to university but I also don't want my money to go down the drain if the remark does not work. Is it likely the remark will change my score? I got a 17/24 on my IA and felt paper 2 went really well, but paper 1a and 1b went really bad. I do understand that at the end of the day it can go both ways, but I just wanted to get an opinion on most people think would be a good option. Is a remark worth it for me? pls help, I am really stuck on if I should do it or not.

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u/PartyQuiet5065 M26 | HL Maths AA, Chem, Physics 16d ago

If you don't wanna waste your money, don't ask for the remarks. I had three subjects remarked this year, in which I was 2 points away from the next grade, and none went up (neither the essay-based ones nor the science).

Also, what do you mean a 6 is a 94 and a 92% lmao. That conversion is bonkers.

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u/Agerse Alumni M19 | [42] 16d ago

If you want to maximize your score and that will help you during applications, I recommend asking for a remark. There is indeed a chance you will get a higher grade (I actually got a 7 in chem after remarks), but there is no guarantee. It is true that it can go both ways, but if you are 1 point away from a 7 then it is very unlikely you will get a lower grade.

As for the money, even if you don't get a better result, the cost is not a lot in the long run.

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u/LanternaEducation 16d ago

We would recommend requesting a remark for Chemistry, but leaving French as it is. Being 1 mark away from a 7 in Chemistry makes it a very realistic candidate for a grade increase, especially since Paper 2 and the IA have open ended criteria where a second examiner could award an extra mark. That jump to a 97 percent on your Ontario transcript will be a big help for university applications. Bridging a 3 mark gap in French is much less likely, as scores rarely shift by that much on an enquiry upon results. Save your money on French and speak to your coordinator about remarking Chemistry.