IB Diploma Programme
IB exam schedule May 2027.
23 April to 18 May 2027. 146 papers across 18 examination days. The dates are the same worldwide; only the start times differ by exam zone.
Exams start in 177 days
Friday 23 April
Morning
No exams
Afternoon
- School-based syllabus SL paper 1
- Language & culture SL paper 11h 30m
Monday 26 April
Morning
- School-based syllabus SL paper 2
- Language & culture SL paper 21h 30m
Afternoon
- Language A Literature HL paper 1 (except English, French & Spanish)2h 15m
- Language A Literature SL paper 1 (except English, French & Spanish)1h 15m
- Language A Language & Literature HL paper 1 (except English, French & Spanish)2h 15m
- Language A Language & Literature SL paper 1 (except English, French & Spanish)1h 15m
Tuesday 27 April
Morning
- Language A Literature HL/SL paper 2 (except English, French & Spanish)1h 45m
- Language A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 2 (except English, French & Spanish)1h 45m
Afternoon
- Business management HL/SL paper 11h 30m
- Business management HL paper 31h 15m
Wednesday 28 April
Morning
- Business management HL paper 21h 45m
- Business management SL paper 21h 30m
Afternoon
- 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
Thursday 29 April
Morning
- Physics HL paper 22h 30m
- Physics SL paper 21h 30m
- Sports, exercise & health science HL paper 22h 30m
- Sports, exercise & health science SL paper 21h 30m
Afternoon
- Psychology HL/SL paper 11h 30m
- Psychology HL/SL paper 21h 30m
Friday 30 April
Morning
- Psychology HL paper 31h 45m
Afternoon
- Computer science HL paper 12h
- Computer science SL paper 11h 15m
- Environmental systems & societies HL paper 12h
- Environmental systems & societies SL paper 11h
Monday 3 May
Morning
- Computer science HL paper 22h
- Computer science SL paper 21h 15m
- Environmental systems & societies HL paper 22h 30m
- Environmental systems & societies SL paper 22h
Afternoon
- History HL/SL paper 11h
- History HL/SL paper 21h 30m
Tuesday 4 May
Morning
- History HL paper 32h 30m
Afternoon
- Language B HL paper 1 (except English, French & Spanish)1h 30m
- Language B HL paper 2: Reading comprehension (except English, French & Spanish)1h
- Language B SL paper 1 (except English, French & Spanish)1h 15m
- Language B SL paper 2: Reading comprehension (except English, French & Spanish)1h
- Language ab initio SL paper 1 (except English, French & Spanish)1h
- Language ab initio SL paper 2: Reading comprehension (except English, French & Spanish)1h
- Latin HL paper 12h
- Latin SL paper 11h 30m
Wednesday 5 May
Morning
- Language B HL paper 2: Listening comprehension (except English, French & Spanish)1h
- Language B SL paper 2: Listening comprehension (except English, French & Spanish)45m
- Language ab initio SL paper 2: Listening comprehension (except English, French & Spanish)45m
- Latin HL paper 21h 30m
- Latin SL paper 21h 30m
Afternoon
- Chemistry HL paper 1 (1a and 1b)2h
- Chemistry SL paper 1 (1a and 1b)1h 30m
- Design technology HL paper 11h 30m
- Design technology SL paper 11h
Thursday 6 May
Morning
- Chemistry HL paper 22h 30m
- Chemistry SL paper 21h 30m
- Design technology HL paper 22h 30m
- Design technology SL paper 21h 30m
Afternoon
- English A Literature HL paper 12h 15m
- English A Literature SL paper 11h 15m
- English A Language & Literature HL paper 12h 15m
- English A Language & Literature SL paper 11h 15m
- English B HL paper 11h 30m
- English B HL paper 2: Reading comprehension1h
- English B SL paper 11h 15m
- English B SL paper 2: Reading comprehension1h
- English ab initio SL paper 11h
- English ab initio SL paper 2: Reading comprehension1h
Friday 7 May
Morning
- English A Literature HL/SL paper 21h 45m
- English A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 21h 45m
- English B HL paper 2: Listening comprehension1h
- English B SL paper 2: Listening comprehension45m
- English ab initio SL paper 2: Listening comprehension45m
- Literature & performance SL paper 11h 45m
Afternoon
- Geography HL paper 12h 15m
- Geography SL paper 11h 30m
- Philosophy HL paper 12h 30m
- Philosophy SL paper 11h 45m
- Social & cultural anthropology HL paper 12h
- Social & cultural anthropology SL paper 11h 30m
Monday 10 May
Morning
- Geography HL/SL paper 21h 15m
- Geography HL paper 31h
- Philosophy HL/SL paper 21h
- Philosophy HL paper 31h 15m
- Social & cultural anthropology HL paper 22h 30m
- Social & cultural anthropology SL paper 21h 30m
Afternoon
- Biology HL paper 1 (1a and 1b)2h
- Biology SL paper 1 (1a and 1b)1h 30m
Tuesday 11 May
Morning
- Biology HL paper 22h 30m
- Biology SL paper 21h 30m
Afternoon
- Economics HL/SL paper 21h 45m
- World religions SL paper 11h 15m
Wednesday 12 May
Morning
- Economics HL paper 11h 15m
- Economics HL paper 31h 45m
- Economics SL paper 11h 15m
- World religions SL paper 21h 30m
Afternoon
- Classical Greek HL paper 12h
- Classical Greek SL paper 11h 30m
- Spanish A Literature HL paper 12h 15m
- Spanish A Literature SL paper 11h 15m
- Spanish A Language & Literature HL paper 12h 15m
- Spanish A Language & Literature SL paper 11h 15m
- Spanish B HL paper 11h 30m
- Spanish B HL paper 2: Reading comprehension1h
- Spanish B SL paper 11h 15m
- Spanish B SL paper 2: Reading comprehension1h
- Spanish ab initio SL paper 11h
- Spanish ab initio SL paper 2: Reading comprehension1h
Thursday 13 May
Morning
- Classical Greek HL paper 21h 30m
- Classical Greek SL paper 21h 30m
- Spanish A Literature HL/SL paper 21h 45m
- Spanish A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 21h 45m
- Spanish B HL paper 2: Listening comprehension1h
- Spanish B SL paper 2: Listening comprehension45m
- Spanish ab initio SL paper 2: Listening comprehension45m
Afternoon
- Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL paper 12h
- Mathematics: analysis and approaches SL paper 11h 30m
- Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL paper 12h
- Mathematics: applications and interpretation SL paper 11h 30m
Friday 14 May
Morning
- Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL paper 22h
- Mathematics: analysis and approaches SL paper 21h 30m
- Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL paper 22h
- Mathematics: applications and interpretation SL paper 21h 30m
Afternoon
- Digital Society HL paper 12h 15m
- Digital Society SL paper 11h 30m
- Global politics HL/SL paper 11h 15m
- Global politics HL/SL paper 21h 45m
Monday 17 May
Morning
- Digital Society HL/SL paper 21h 15m
- Digital Society HL paper 31h 15m
- Global politics HL paper 31h 30m
Afternoon
- French A Literature HL paper 12h 15m
- French A Literature SL paper 11h 15m
- French A Language & Literature HL paper 12h 15m
- French A Language & Literature SL paper 11h 15m
- French B HL paper 11h 30m
- French B HL paper 2: Reading comprehension1h
- French B SL paper 11h 15m
- French B SL paper 2: Reading comprehension1h
- French ab initio SL paper 11h
- French ab initio SL paper 2: Reading comprehension1h
Tuesday 18 May
Morning
- French A Literature HL/SL paper 21h 45m
- French A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 21h 45m
- French B HL paper 2: Listening comprehension1h
- French B SL paper 2: Listening comprehension45m
- French ab initio SL paper 2: Listening comprehension45m
Afternoon
- Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL paper 31h 15m
- Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL paper 31h 15m
Book a trial lesson
Sitting May 2027? A tutor who has marked these papers can build your revision around this timetable.
Start times by exam zone.
Every school sits a paper on the same date; the hour depends on the zone the IB assigned it, which does not change between sessions. These are the local times for May 2027, from the IB schedule itself.
| Exam zone | Morning session | Afternoon session |
|---|---|---|
| A 12 | 10:00 | 14:00 |
| A 11 | 10:00 | 14:00 |
| A 10 | 10:00 | 14:00 |
| A 9 | 10:00 | 14:00 |
| A 8 | 9:30 | 13:30 |
| A 7 | 9:00 | 13:00 |
| A 6 | 9:00 | 13:00 |
| A 5 | 9:00 | 13:00 |
| A 4 | 9:00 | 13:00 |
| A 3 | 9:00 | 13:00 |
| B 3 | 10:00 | 14:00 |
| B 2 | 9:30 | 13:30 |
| B 1 | 9:00 | 13:00 |
| B 0 | 9:00 | 13:00 |
| C -3 | 10:00 | 14:00 |
| C -4 | 9:30 | 13:30 |
| C -5 | 8:30 | 12:30 |
| C -6 | 8:30 | 12:30 |
| C -7 | 8:30 | 12:30 |
| C -8 | 8:30 | 12:30 |
| C -9 | 8:30 | 12:30 |
| C -10 | 8:30 | 12:30 |
Not sure which zone your school is in? Your coordinator knows, and our free tool shows your papers at the hour they start where you are.
How the timetable works
Every school sits a paper on the same date. What changes is the start time, which follows the school's exam zone: the IB assigns one and it stays the same from session to session. Your coordinator can tell you yours.
The start times for every zone are in the table above; our free tool applies yours to each of your papers.
Let's find your tutor.
Tell us the subject and the grade you are aiming for. A coordinator replies within 24 hours with a tutor matched to you, and your first lesson starts your plan.