IB Exam Credit

INTERATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) EXAM CREDIT

College of Marin will grant credit for International Baccalaureate exams. A score of 5, 6, or 7 on a Higher-Level exam is required to grant credit for Cal-GETC, IGETC or CSU Breadth Certification. An acceptable IB score for Cal-GETC or IGETC equates to either 3-semester or 4-quarter units for certification purposes. 

Students who have earned credit from an IB exam should not take a comparable college course because transfer credit will not be granted for both. 

Please see a counselor about using IB exam scores and credits to meet graduation and/or transfer requirements.

To receive credit, students must:

  1. Have successfully completed 12 units of residency at College of Marin
  2. Submit a Student Petition to Enrollment Service
  3. Have an official copy of their test scores sent to Enrollment Services 

The following chart shows how IP Exams can be applied to the general education patterns at College of Marin in Fall 2025:

International Baccalaureate Exam (IB) Cal-GETC AREA COM Local GE
IB Biology HL 5B 5
IB Chemistry HL 5A 5
IB Economics HL 4 4
IB Geography HL 4 4
IB History (any region) HL 3B or 4 3 or 4

IB Language A: Literature HL

(Any language except English)

3B 3

IB Language A: Lang & Lit HL

(any language except English)

3B 3

IB Language A: Language & Literature HL

(any language)

3B 3
IB Language B (any language) HL N/A N/A
IB Mathematics: Analysis & Approaches HL 2 2
IB Mathematics: Applications & Interpret HL 2 (select UCs only) 2
IB Physics HL 5A 5
IB Psychology HL 4 4
IB Theatre HL 3A 3

For detailed information on Cal-GETC, review the Cal-GETC Standards 1.2 

Exam Credit Quick Guide 2025-2026 (PDF)

For students who started prior to Fall 2025 (and maintained catalog rights), the following chart shows how IB Exams can be applied to IGETC, CSU Breadth and the previous version of COM's local GE:

International Baccalaureate (IB)

IGETC AREA

CSU Breadth AREA

COM Local GE AREA

IB Biology HL

5B

B2

A

IB Chemistry HL

5A

B1

A

IB Economics HL

4

D

B

IB Geography HL

4

D

B

IB History (any region) HL

3B or 4

C2 or D

C or B

IB Language A: Literature (any language, except English) HL

3B and 6A

C2*

C*

IB Language A: Language and Literature (any language, except English) HL

3B and 6A

C2*

C*

IB Language A: Literature (any language) HL

3B

C2*

C*

IB Language A: Language and Literature (any language) HL

3B

C2*

C*

IB Language B (any language) HL

6A

N/A

N/A

IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL

2A

B4*

E*

IB Mathematics: Applications and Interpretations HL

2A (select UCs only)

B4*

E*

IB Physics HL

5A

B1

A

IB Psychology HL

4

D

B

IB Theatre HL

3A

C1*

C*

*Score of 4 is acceptable for CSU Breadth credit and COM’s local GE pattern

Additional Resources

The final responsibility for successfully achieving an educational goal lies with the student. Information found on these web pages is designed to be helpful; however, information is subject to frequent changes so students should always consult with a counselor to ensure successful transfer. You can make an appointment with a counselor through your MyCOM Portal or by calling (415) 485-9432