IB Physics notes, past papers and revision materials, collated/written by experienced Physics teacher/examiner, to help IB students succeed in physics!
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Links to helpful IB Physics resources
IB Physics overview and assessment
Higher level (240 hours)
- Internal assessment (individual investigation): 20%
- External assessment: 80%
Standard level (150 hours)
- Internal assessment (individual investigation): 20%
- External assessment: 80%
Key features of the curriculum and assessment models
- Available at standard (SL) and higher levels (HL)
- The minimum prescribed number of hours is 150 for SL and 240 for HL
- Students are assessed both externally and internally
- Physics students at SL and HL undertake a common core syllabus and a common internal assessment (IA) scheme.
- While there are core skills and activities common to both SL and HL, students at HL are required to study some topics in greater depth, to study additional topics and to study extension material of a more demanding nature in the options. The distinction between SL and HL is one of breadth and depth.
- A practical approach to the course delivery is emphasised through the interdisciplinary group 4 project and a mixture of both short-term and long-term experiments and investigations.
- Internal assessment accounts for 20% of the final assessment and this is assessed through a single individual investigation. This investigation may involve a hands-on approach, use of data-bases, modelling, simulation or a hybrid. Student work is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB.
The external assessment of physics consists of three written papers. In paper 1 there are 30 (at SL) or 40 (at HL) multiple-choice questions. Paper 2 contains short-answer and extended-response questions on the core (and Additional Higher Level (AHL) material at HL). Paper 3 has two sections; Section A contains one data-based question and several short-answer questions on experimental work on the core (and AHL material at HL). Section B contains short-answer and extended-response questions from each of the four options.
