Where Published Tables Differ
Students copy grade tables into real applications, and the same table is not always published the same way twice. We checked the ones our calculators implement against the body that issues them. Where a live page shows something different, both versions are below with the issuer's own document, checked 2026-09-18. We are telling you which one we follow and why, not refereeing anyone.
The IB core points matrix: three published versions
The official matrix is published by the IB itself on its DP passing criteria page (last updated 19 February 2026 at the time of checking). Rows are the Extended Essay grade, columns Theory of Knowledge:
| EE \ TOK | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Failing condition |
| B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Failing condition |
| C | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Failing condition |
| D | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Failing condition |
| E | Failing condition - an E in either component means no diploma | ||||
The IB's own worked example on that page: TOK B with EE C earns 2 core points.
num8ers.com (guides/ee-tok-matrix, loaded in a real browser) publishes, under the heading "Official EE/TOK Matrix", a grid that matches no IB matrix ever published: it shows A+B as 2 (official: 3), B+B as 1 (official: 2), A+C as 0 (official: 2), B+C as 0 (official: 2), C+C as 0 (official: 1), and its own prose says "any combination with C or below = 0 points". Worst, it treats an E as merely zero bonus points ("E+A=0") - officially an E in either component is a failing condition: no diploma at all, whatever your subject total. The page claims "These are the official IBO guidelines used for all diploma candidates worldwide." They are not. The same page also describes TOK assessment as essay 50% + presentation 50%; the presentation was replaced by the TOK exhibition years ago.
lanterna.com ("IB Core Points Matrix Explained 2026") matches the IB grid on 14 of 16 combinations, which is what makes the other two easy to copy without noticing: it shows A+D as 1 where the IB grid gives 2, and C+D as 1 where the IB gives 0. One difference costs a student a point and the other hands them one, which is why we follow the IB's own grid.
Our IB points calculator implements the official matrix above, with every failing condition checked and named.
The UCAS tariff: two sets of values in circulation
The current UCAS tariff - in force for every admissions cycle since 2017 - values A levels at A* 56, A 48, B 40, C 32, D 24, E 16, per UCAS's own tariff tables (page 10 of the PDF, extracted as text, not summarised).
dmu.ac.uk - De Montfort University, a UK university - serves an undated reference PDF in its live entry-and-admissions section ("UCAS Tariff Points, A level and BTEC equivalents") listing A* 140, A 120, B 100, C 80, D 60, E 40, plus a BTEC table on the same dead scale. Those are the pre-2017 values, retired nine admissions cycles ago, and the sheet carries no date to say so. We follow the current workbook, because a student comparing offers needs the tariff universities are actually using.
Our UCAS points calculator carries the current values only.
How to check any table yourself
The method is boring and it works: find whoever owns the rule (the IB, UCAS, a ministry, a university registrar), open their own published table, and compare it cell by cell. Not through a tool that summarises, because summarising is how a row gets invented. Every calculator on this site links the primary source it implements, so the check takes minutes. If you find one of our tables disagreeing with its source, the contact page reaches a human who will fix it and credit you.
Checked 2026-09-18. The named pages may have changed since. If one has, tell us and this page gets updated, because the point is to show you the difference, not to keep a scoreboard.