IB Exam Review: Paper 1 and Paper 2

Paper 1

Test Day Specifics Paper 1 is worth 40% of your total IB Grade. Paper 1 is 1 ½ hours long Paper 1 is divided into Section A and B. Section A: worth 45/60 marks Section B: worth 15/60 marks

Section A Tips answer ALL short-answer questions about the four core themes Populations in Transition Disparities in Wealth and Development Patterns in Environmental Quality and Sustainability Patterns in Resource Consumption 45 marks, approximately 17 minutes per section Use the space they give you and only that space

Section B Tips Students are required to answer one extended response question from a choice of three.

Section B Tips The questions require a broad treatment of the content and may integrate multiple topics across the core: Populations in Transition Disparities in Wealth and Development Patterns in Environmental Quality and Sustainability Patterns in Resource Consumption

Section B Tips The questions require knowledge and understanding, application and analysis, and synthesis and evaluation. The command terms used in each question indicate the depth required. Review all Case Studies Approx. 23 minutes

Paper 2

What’s in it? Paper 2 is worth 35% of your total IB Grade in Geography You have 1 hour and 20 minutes to take the exam (40 minutes per question) Paper 2 examines the optional themes you have studied this year. The Geography of Food and Health Urban Environments

How does it look? Two Optional Theme Questions. For each optional theme there is a choice of two questions.

How does it look? Each question is made up of 3-4 sub-questions.

How does it look? The first two or three parts add up to 10 marks, and the final part is a 10 mark extended response or essay-style question.

How does it look? The final part may not be related to the first 2 or 3 parts of the question.

How does it look? The command term indicates the depth of the response that is required.

How does it look? At least 1 of the 2 questions in each theme uses stimulus material

How does it look? The maximum mark for each question is 20.

Strategy When making the decision between which of the 2 questions in each theme to choose, look at the last extended response question. This is worth 10/20 pts, so it is in your best interest to answer the question where you know the extended response question the best.