3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 12, 2026 02:16 PM IST
The number of students appearing for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) and Career-related Programme (CP) examinations from India has continued to rise, according to data shared by the International Baccalaureate, for the May 2026 examination session. A total of 6,265 students from India received their DP and CP results this year, up from 6,083 in last year, and 5,672 in the previous year. The figures show a steady increase in participation over the past three years, even as the average DP score for students in India has remained consistently higher than the global average.
Globally, 209,607 students received their DP and CP results in the May 2026 session, compared with 202,102 in last year, and 192,866 in prior to that. The IB said the number of students receiving results in India increased by 3 per cent over the previous year.
Unlike most Indian school boards, which rely largely on year-end examinations, IB Diploma Programme (DP) combines written examinations with internal assessments, coursework and extended research. The DP is generally considered equivalent to Class 12 in the Indian school system. The IB’s Middle Years Programme (MYP), broadly corresponding to the secondary school stage or Class 10, is assessed separately, with results for the May 2026 session scheduled to be announced on August 1.
The data released by the IB also shows that students in India have maintained a higher average DP score than the global average across the last three examination cycles. In 2026, the average DP score in India stood at 32.78 points, while the global average was 30.88 points. A similar pattern was seen in 2025, when Indian students averaged 32.75 points against the global average of 30.62, and in 2024, when India’s average was 32.51 compared with the global average of 30.32. This places India’s average at around two points above the worldwide average in each of the last three years.
| May examination session | IB candidates from India | IB candidates worldwide | India average DP points | Global average DP points |
| 2024 | 5,672 | 192,866 | 32.51 | 30.32 |
| 2025 | 6,083 | 202,102 | 32.75 | 30.62 |
| 2026 | 6,265 | 209,607 | 32.78 | 30.88 |
The figures indicate that participation has grown both in India and globally over the three-year period. While the number of Indian candidates has increased by nearly 600 students since 2024, worldwide participation has risen by more than 16,700 candidates over the same period.
Under IB’s curriculum, students typically study six subjects across different disciplines over two years, along with core components such as the ‘Extended Essay’, ‘Theory of Knowledge and Creativity’, ‘Activity and Service’.