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IB Business and Management Exam + Assessment

Wojtek

By Wojtek

•

04 Jul 2025

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Curious about how your final IB Business Management grade is determined? You're in the right place. In this guide, we'll walk you through all of the key assessment components of the IB Business Management course.

 

 

IB Business Management Exam + Assessment

 

 

Paper 1

 

  • For SL, Paper 1 contributes 35% to the overall subject grade, while for HL, it accounts for 25%.  
  • Both SL and HL students have 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete Paper 1. 
  • Paper 1 is based on a pre-released statement that specifies the context and background for the unseen case study. 
  • This pre-released statement is issued by the IB before each exam session (May/November). 
  • It describes a fictional business organization and outlines key background information, stakeholders, and challenges. 
  • The questions are the same for both SL and HL students. Students must use business theories, tools, and models to answer questions about the fictional organization.  
  • Click here for more information and sample Paper 1 questions.  

 

 

Paper 2

 

  • Paper 2 is based on unseen stimulus material with a quantitative focus. 
  • For SL, Paper 2 contributes 35% to the overall subject grade, while for HL, it accounts for 30%. 
  • SL students have 1 hour 30 minutes, while HL students are given 1 hour 45 minutes to complete Paper 2. 
  • A calculator is required for this exam. 
  • Paper 2 is made up of two sections  – Section A and Section B. 
  • Section A 
    • Section A is made up of medium-length questions  
    • There is a quantitative focus in these questions. 
    • Students answer questions with reference and analysis of the provided information  
  • Section B
    • In this section, students choose to answer one out of two questions 
    • The questions in Section B, in structure, are very similar to those in Section A. 
    • The Section B questions however are longer and require deeper analysis. 
  • Click here for more information and sample Paper 2 questions.  

 

 

Paper 3 (HL only)

 

  • Paper 3 is only for HL students.  
  • Paper 3 contributes 25% to the overall subject grade. 
  • Students have 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete Paper 3. 
  • It is based on an unseen stimulus material about a social enterprise. 
  • Paper 3 requires students to identify and describe a human need and the potential organizational challenges facing the social entrepreneur wanting to meet this need.  
  • Students are then required to recommend a plan of action as a strategic way forward for the business. 
  • Paper 3 focuses on HL-only topics such as organizational planning tools, budgets, international marketing, etc. However, content from other areas shared with the SL syllabus may also be tested, so students should make sure to study all topics thoroughly, not just the HL-only ones.  
  • Click here for more information and sample Paper 3 questions.  

 

 

Internal Assessment (IA)

 

  • At SL, the IA is worth 30% of the final grade while at HL it accounts for 20% of the final grade.  
  • The IA is an individual written commentary that allows you to apply business management tools, techniques, and theories to a real-world business issue or decision. 
  • It is assessed internally by your teacher and externally moderated by the IB, meaning a sample of your class’s work will be reviewed by IB examiners. 
  • For the Internal Assessment, students choose a real business organization and develop a focused research question that investigates a their strategy from a business perspective. 
  • They then gather supporting evidence through research, apply relevant business theories and tools, analyze their findings, and present a well-reasoned recommendation or conclusion. 
  • The IA should demonstrate a strong grasp of business concepts, independent thinking, and clear, structured communication. 
  • The Business Management IA is marked out of 25 using seven assessment criteria: Integration of a key concept, Supporting documents, Selection and application of tools and theories, Analysis and evaluation, Conclusions, Structure, Presentation. Click here for examiner-reviewed exemplars to better understand expectations and what a high-scoring IA looks like. 

 

 

 

We hope you found this post helpful. For more useful materials associated with the IB check out the wide variety of IA, EE and TOK exemplars available at Clastify and other guides available on our blog.