At a glance
- Session
- Late April to 18 May 2027
- Sciences
- Physics 28 to 29 Apr; Chemistry 5 to 6 May; Biology 10 to 11 May
- Mathematics
- 13 and 14 May 2027
- English A
- 6 and 7 May 2027
- Who confirms
- Your school's IB coordinator
May 2027 IB exam dates for the main subjects
Dates below appear in schools' published copies of the official IB schedule. Sessions are local morning or afternoon; Higher Level and Standard Level papers in the same subject usually share a day.
| Subject | Paper 1 | Paper 2 | Other papers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Management | Tue 27 April, afternoon | Wed 28 April, morning | HL Paper 3: Tue 27 April, afternoon |
| Physics | Wed 28 April, afternoon | Thu 29 April, morning | |
| Psychology | Thu 29 April, afternoon | Thu 29 April, afternoon | |
| Environmental Systems and Societies | Fri 30 April, afternoon | Mon 3 May, morning | |
| History | Mon 3 May | Mon 3 May | HL Paper 3: Tue 4 May, morning |
| Chemistry | Wed 5 May, afternoon | Thu 6 May, morning | |
| English A (Literature, and Language and Literature) | Thu 6 May, afternoon | Fri 7 May, morning | |
| Biology | Mon 10 May, afternoon | Tue 11 May, morning | |
| Spanish B and Spanish ab initio | Wed 12 May, afternoon | Thu 13 May, morning (listening) | |
| Mathematics (AA and AI) | Thu 13 May, afternoon | Fri 14 May, morning | HL Paper 3 later in the session |
| French B and French ab initio | Mon 17 May, afternoon | Tue 18 May, morning (listening) |
Sources: school copies of the IB May 2027 schedule published by Luther College, Beacon Academy and AST, checked October 2026. Subjects not listed, including Economics, Geography, Computer Science and Arabic, also sit in this window; ask your coordinator.
Why the IB schedule comes from your school
The IB issues its examination schedule to schools and coordinators. Schools then publish their own version for the subjects they offer, with local start times. Times differ by timezone zone, so a Gulf school's morning session will not start at the same clock time as a school in the Americas. Use the dates above for planning, and use your school's version for the exact time and room.
Coursework deadlines come earlier. The Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge essay and internal assessments are set by each school well before the exams, often in the first months of the year, so the IB can receive them on time. If your child's school calendar has a mock exam week in January or February, that is the real start of the exam season.
How May 2027 fits around the Gulf calendar
Ramadan 1448 is expected to run from about 8 February to 8 March 2027, and Eid al-Fitr falls around 9 March, so the main revision period after Eid is roughly seven weeks long. Eid al-Adha is expected around 16 May, during the last week of exams. In Saudi Arabia many schools are on the Eid al-Adha break from 6 May, but IB exams go ahead on the IB's dates regardless of local holidays.
The UAE spring break, 5 to 12 April 2027, is the last full week without lessons before the session starts, and it is worth treating as a revision week.
A revision plan for the last ten weeks
- Early March: finish all internal assessments and the Extended Essay so nothing competes with revision.
- March: one timed past paper a week per subject, starting with the papers that come first in the schedule (Business, Physics, Psychology, History).
- April: full mock days that copy the real order, and mark scheme review for every paper attempted.
- Exam weeks: short, targeted review of the next day's paper only. Sleep beats a late night with a textbook.
How an IB tutor helps before May
IB marks are lost on command terms and structure as much as on content: an answer that describes when the question says evaluate, or a maths solution with no working. A tutor who teaches the subject marks past papers against IB markbands, works through the papers in the order your child will sit them, and keeps the plan realistic around Ramadan. Lessons are one to one, online and 60 minutes, and tutors who teach the IB can be matched for each subject.
Common questions
When do IB exams start in May 2027?
A few language and school-based syllabus papers start in the last week of April, and most mainstream subjects start from 27 April, with Business Management and Physics among the first. The session ends on 18 May 2027.
When is IB Maths in May 2027?
Paper 1 is on Thursday 13 May (afternoon) and Paper 2 on Friday 14 May (morning) for both Analysis and Approaches and Applications and Interpretation. HL Paper 3 comes later in the session; check your coordinator's timetable.
Where can I find the official IB exam timetable?
The IB sends the schedule to schools. Your child's IB Diploma coordinator has the official version with local start times; many schools post it on their website or parent portal.
Do IB exams move for Eid in the Gulf?
No. IB exam dates are set globally and do not change for local holidays. Eid al-Adha is expected around 16 May 2027, so some families will have exams during the holiday.
How much do IB tutoring lessons cost?
$15 per 60-minute one-to-one lesson, on a weekly plan of 1 to 5 lessons billed monthly. The first lesson is a free trial, and you can switch tutor and keep paid lessons.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.