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Wondering about what assessments make up your final IB Chemistry grade? You've come to the right place! In this post we will break down each component of the IB Chemistry course.
IB Chemistry Exam + Assessment
Paper 1
- Accounts for 36% of the student's subject grade (SL & HL).
- SL students have 1 hour 30 minutes, while HL students are given 2 hours to complete Paper 1.
- Paper 1 is made up of two separate booklets – Paper 1A and Paper 1B.
- Both papers are however completed in one sitting.
- Paper 1A
- Paper 1A is solely made up of multiple-choice questions – students must select one answer from the four provided.
- Each question is worth 1 mark.
- The SL Paper 1A consists of 30 multiple choice-questions (30 marks total), while the HL Paper 1A consists of 40 multiple-choice questions (40 marks).
- Paper 1B
- Made up of data-based questions.
- Questions relate to experimental work.
- The SL Paper 1B consists of 25 marks while the HL paper is marked out of 35
- Click here for more information and sample Paper 1 questions.
Paper 2
- Accounts for 44% of the student's subject grade (SL & HL).
- SL students have 1 hour 30 minutes, while HL students are given 2 hours 30 minutes to complete Paper 2.
- Paper 2 is made up of short-answer and extended-response questions.
- Paper 2 may cover all topics of the syllabus.
- A calculator is required for this exam.
- Students will have access to an IB-issued formula booklet.
- Click here for more information and sample Paper 1 questions.
Internal Assessment (IA)
- For both SL and HL, the Internal Assessment (IA) contributes 20% to your overall IB Chemistry grade.
- The IA is an individual investigation that gives you the opportunity to explore a chemistry-related topic of personal interest through hands-on experimentation and data analysis.
- 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 to ensure consistent marking standards.
- As part of the IA, students formulate a focused research question, design and conduct experiments, collect and process data, and draw evidence-based conclusions to answer their question.
- Your investigation should demonstrate a solid understanding of chemical principles, personal engagement with the topic, and effective scientific communication.
- The Chemistry IA is marked out of 24 using four assessment criteria: Research Design, Data Analysis, Conclusion, and Evaluation. Click here for examiner-reviewed exemplars to better understand expectations and see what a high-quality 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.
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