IB Exam Schedule May 2026

All exam zones

The schedule for the May 2026 Diploma Programme (DP) examination session is presented below.

P.S. If you need help with your IB exam preparation, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

WEEK 0

Friday 24 April

Morning Session

  • No examination

Afternoon Session

  • School-based syllabus SL paper 1

  • Language & culture SL paper 1 - 1h 30m

WEEK 1

Monday 27 April

Morning Session

  • School-based syllabus SL paper 2

  • Language & culture SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

Afternoon Session

  • Language A Literature HL paper 1 - 2h 15m

  • Language A Literature SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • Language A Language & Literature HL paper 1 - 2h 15m

  • Language A Language & Literature SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • * Except: English, French & Spanish

Tuesday 28 April

Morning Session

  • Language A Literature HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 45m

  • Language A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 45m

  • * Except: English, French & Spanish

Afternoon Session

  • Physics HL paper 1 (1a and 1b) - 2h

  • Physics SL paper 1 (1a and 1b) - 1h 30m

  • Sports, exercise & health science HL paper 1 (1a and 1b) - 1h 45m

  • Sports, exercise & health science SL paper 1 (1a and 1b) - 1h 30m

Wednesday 29 April

Morning Session

  • Physics HL paper 2 - 2h 30m

  • Physics SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

  • Sports, exercise & health science HL paper 2 - 2h 30m

  • Sports, exercise & health science SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

Afternoon Session

  • Business management HL/SL paper 1 - 1h 30m

  • Business management HL paper 3 - 1h 15m

Thursday 30 April

Morning Session

  • Business management HL paper 2 - 1h 45m

  • Business management SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

Afternoon Session

  • Computer science HL paper 1 - 2h 10m

  • Computer science SL paper 1 - 1h 30m

  • Environmental systems & societies HL paper 1 - 2h

  • Environmental systems & societies SL paper 1 - 1h

Friday 1 May

Morning Session

  • No examination

Afternoon Session

  • No examination

WEEK 2

Monday 4 May

Morning Session

  • Computer science HL paper 2 - 1h 20m

  • Computer science HL paper 3 - 1h

  • Computer science SL paper 2 - 1h

  • Environmental systems & societies HL paper 2 - 2h 30m

  • Environmental systems & societies SL paper 2 - 2h

Afternoon Session

  • History HL/SL paper 1 - 1h

  • History HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

Tuesday 5 May

Morning Session

  • History HL paper 3 - 2h 30m

Afternoon Session

  • Language B HL paper 1 - 1h 30m

  • Language B HL paper 2:

    • Reading comprehension - 1h

  • Language B SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • Language B SL paper 2:

    • Reading comprehension - 1h

  • Language ab initio SL paper 1 - 1h

  • Language ab initio SL paper 2:

    • Reading comprehension - 1h

  • * Except: English, French & Spanish

  • Latin HL paper 1 - 2h

  • Latin SL paper 1 - 1h 30m

Wednesday 6 May

Morning Session

  • Language B HL paper 2:

    • Listening comprehension - 1h

  • Language B SL paper 2:

    • Listening comprehension - 45m

  • Language ab initio SL paper 2:

    • Listening comprehension - 45m

  • * Except: English, French & Spanish

  • Latin HL paper 2 - 1h 30m

  • Latin SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

Afternoon Session

  • Psychology HL paper 1 - 2h

  • Psychology SL paper 1 - 2h

Thursday 7 May

Morning Session

  • Psychology HL paper 2 - 2h

  • Psychology HL paper 3 - 1h

  • Psychology SL paper 2 - 1h

Afternoon Session

  • English A Literature HL paper 1 - 2h 15m

  • English A Literature SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • English A Language & Literature HL paper 1 - 2h 15m

  • English A Language & Literature SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • English B HL paper 1 - 1h 30m

  • English B HL paper 2:

    • Reading comprehension - 1h

  • English B SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • English B SL paper 2:

    • Reading comprehension - 1h

  • English ab initio SL paper 1 - 1h

  • English ab initio SL paper 2:

    • Reading comprehension - 1h

Friday 8 May

Morning Session

  • English A Literature HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 45m

  • English A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 45m

  • English B HL paper 2

    • Listening comprehension - 1h

  • English B SL paper 2

    • Listening comprehension - 45m

  • English ab initio SL paper 2

    • Listening comprehension - 45m

  • Literature & performance SL paper 1 - 1h 45m

Afternoon Session

  • Geography HL paper 1 - 2h 15m

  • Geography SL paper 1 - 1h 30m

  • Philosophy HL paper 1 - 2h 30m

  • Philosophy SL paper 1 - 1h 45m

  • Social & cultural anthropology HL paper 1 - 2h

  • Social & cultural anthropology SL paper 1 - 1h 30m

WEEK 3

Monday 11 May

Morning Session

  • Geography HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 15m

  • Geography HL paper 3 - 1h

  • Philosophy HL/SL paper 2 - 1h

  • Philosophy HL paper 3 - 1h 15m

  • Social & cultural anthropology HL paper 2 - 2h 30m

  • Social & cultural anthropology SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

Afternoon Session

  • Biology HL paper 1 (1a and 1b) - 2h

  • Biology SL paper 1 (1a and 1b) - 1h 30m

Tuesday 12 May

Morning Session

  • Biology HL paper 2 - 2h 30m

  • Biology SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

Afternoon Session

  • Economics HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 45m

  • World religions SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

Wednesday 13 May

Morning Session

  • Economics HL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • Economics HL paper 3 - 1h 45m

  • Economics SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • World religions SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

Afternoon Session

  • Classical Greek HL paper 1 - 2h

  • Classical Greek SL paper 1 - 1h 30m

  • Spanish A Literature HL paper 1 - 2h 15m

  • Spanish A Literature SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • Spanish A Language & Literature HL paper 1 - 2h 15m

  • Spanish A Language & Literature SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • Spanish B HL paper 1 - 1h 30m

  • Spanish B HL paper 2

    • Reading comprehension - 1h

  • Spanish B SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • Spanish B SL paper 2

    • Reading comprehension - 1h

  • Spanish ab initio SL paper 1 - 1h

  • Spanish ab initio SL paper 2

    • Reading comprehension - 1h

Thursday 14 May

Morning Session

  • Classical Greek HL paper 2 - 1h 30m

  • Classical Greek SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

  • Spanish A Literature HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 45m

  • Spanish A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 45m

  • Spanish B HL paper 2

    • Listening comprehension - 1h

  • Spanish B SL paper 2

    • Listening comprehension - 45m

  • Spanish ab initio SL paper 2

    • Listening comprehension - 45m

Afternoon Session

  • Mathematics:

    • analysis and approaches HL paper 1 - 2h

    • analysis and approaches SL paper 1 - 1h 30m

  • Mathematics:

    • applications and interpretation HL paper 1 - 2h

    • applications and interpretation SL paper 1 - 1h 30m

Friday 15 May

Morning Session

  • Mathematics:

    • analysis and approaches HL paper 2 - 2h

    • analysis and approaches SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

  • Mathematics:

    • applications and interpretation HL paper 2 - 2h

    • applications and interpretation SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

Afternoon Session

  • Chemistry HL paper 1 (1a and 1b) - 2h

  • Chemistry SL paper 1 (1a and 1b) - 1h 30m

  • Design technology HL paper 1 - 1h

  • Design technology SL paper 1 - 45m

  • Design technology HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

WEEK 4

Monday 18 May

Morning Session

  • Chemistry HL paper 2 - 2h 30m

  • Chemistry SL paper 2 - 1h 30m

  • Design technology HL paper 3 - 1h 30m

Afternoon Session

  • Digital society HL paper 1 - 2h 15m

  • Digital society SL paper 1 - 1h 30m

  • Global politics HL/SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • Global politics HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 45m

Tuesday 19 May

Morning Session

  • Digital society HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 15m

  • Digital society HL paper 3 - 1h 15m

  • Global politics HL paper 3 - 1h 30m

Afternoon Session

  • French A Literature HL paper 1 - 2h 15m

  • French A Literature SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • French A Language & Literature HL paper 1 - 2h 15m

  • French A Language & Literature SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • French B HL paper 1 - 1h 30m

  • French B HL paper 2 - 1h

    • Reading comprehension

  • French B SL paper 1 - 1h 15m

  • French B SL paper 2

    • Reading comprehension - 1h

  • French ab initio SL paper 1 - 1h

  • French ab initio SL paper 2

    • Reading comprehension - 1h

Wednesday 20 May

Morning Session

  • French A Literature HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 45m

  • French A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 2 - 1h 45m

  • French B HL paper 2

    • Listening comprehension - 1h

  • French B SL paper 2

    • Listening comprehension - 45m

  • French ab initio SL paper 2

    • Listening comprehension - 45m

Afternoon Session

  • Mathematics:

    • analysis and approaches HL paper 3 - 1h 15m

  • Mathematics:

    • applications and interpretation HL paper 3 - 1h 15m

Local start times for the May 2026 examination session

  • Schools need to confirm their designated exam zone, which remains constant across different examination sessions.

  • The table below provides the specific local start times for all zones. Start times remain consistent within both morning and afternoon sessions.

  • The indicated local start times are aligned with the local time and do not require any adjustments for daylight saving. We describe below Morning and Afternoon sessions of each Exam zone.

EXAM ZONE A

  1. Exam Zone A 12 - 10.00, 14.00

  2. Exam Zone A 11 - 10.00, 14.00

  3. Exam Zone A 10 (includes 9.5) - 9.30, 13.30

  4. Exam Zone A 9 - 9.00, 13.00

  5. Exam Zone A 8 - 9.00, 13.00

  6. Exam Zone A 7 - 9.00, 13.00

  7. Exam Zone A 6 (includes 6.5) - 9.00, 13.00

  8. Exam Zone A 5 (includes 5.5 + 5.75) - 9.00, 13.00

  9. Exam Zone A 4 - 9.00, 13.00

  10. Exam Zone A 3 (includes 3.5) - 10.00, 14.00

EXAM ZONE B

  1. Exam Zone B 3 - 10.00, 14.00

  2. Exam Zone B 2 - 9.30, 13.30

  3. Exam Zone B 1 - 9.00, 13.00

  4. Exam Zone B 0 - 9.00, 13.00

EXAM ZONE C

  1. Exam Zone C -3 - 10.00, 14.00

  2. Exam Zone C -4 (includes -3.5) - 9.30, 13.30

  3. Exam Zone C -5 - 9.00, 13.00

  4. Exam Zone C -6 - 9.00, 13.00

  5. Exam Zone C -7 - 9.00, 13.00

  6. Exam Zone C -8 - 9.00, 13.00

  7. Exam Zone C -9 - 9.00, 13.00

  8. Exam Zone C -10 - 9.00, 13.00

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