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The IB Physics course can feel intimidating when you’re not entirely sure what it includes. This guide is designed to walk you through the course in a clear and approachable way. We’ll break down the major components of both the internal and external assessments, and also share helpful advice for tackling a Physics Extended Essay if you decide to pursue one.
IB Physics Guide
General Overview
Syllabus – IB Physics helps students understand the fundamental laws that govern the physical world. The course connects theoretical concepts with hands-on experimentation, encouraging students to apply physics principles in practical settings. Students learn about topics such as mechanics, electricity and magnetism, waves, thermal physics, and modern physics, while also strengthening key skills in data analysis and scientific communication. For a full overview of the IB Physics syllabus and a breakdown of the topics in each unit, check out this post.
Textbooks – To ensure success in IB Physics, students need to have a thorough understanding of course concepts. A good textbook is essential to improving your understanding of IB Physics, as it can clearly explain physics theory and provide practice questions to help you develop your skills. Our recommended list of IB textbooks can be found here.
Grade boundaries – Although the IB Physics grade boundaries change from session to session, it is important that you are familiar with what the approximate range of values can be. This can help you, especially when practicing past papers, as it can show you what grade category you fall into depending on the number of marks you obtain. The latest IB grade boundaries can be found here.
General difficulty – IB Physics is considered one of the most challenging science courses, as the theory and calculations are more complicated to grasp than those in IB Chemistry or IB Biology. For a more in-depth view into how hard IB Physics is, check out this guide.
Getting the maximum score – The ultimate goal of any IB student is to get the highest score possible. To ensure your success in IB Physics, we have compiled some tips to help you get a 7. You can read our suggestions in this post.
Assessment overview – The IB Physics course consists of both external exams and internal assessments, which will be outlined in more depth in the section below. For a summary of the IB Physics assessment and the IB Physics paper weighting, click the link in blue.
External Assessments - Exams
Paper 1 – This paper is split into 2 parts. Part A consists of multiple-choice questions, while Part B consists of data-based questions. More information about the structure, time limit, weighting, and differences between SL and HL for Paper 1 can be found here.
Paper 2 – This paper consists of short-answer and extended response questions. More information about the structure, time limit, weighting, and differences between SL and HL for Paper 2 can be found here.
Command terms – To succeed in the exams, you must understand what each question type is asking you to do. Command terms such as "Analyze", "Describe", "Calculate", and "Evaluate" all have different meanings and require you to structure your answer in a certain way. Browse through our list of command terms to understand what each one means.
Study tips – When studying for exams, you should effectively manage your time, practice past papers, and understand the requirements outlined in the past paper mark schemes. To read some of our top tips on how to study for IB Physics exams, read this post here.
Internal Assessment (IA)
Topic ideas – The Physics IA allows you to explore a certain research question in depth. A Physics IA involves conducting your own experiments and writing a formal lab report. Many topics can be explored in the Physics IA. For a detailed list of topic ideas and examples, read our post here.
Criteria – The Physics IA is scored against 4 main criteria, such as research design, data analysis, conclusion, and evaluation. For a detailed list of the IB Physics IA criteria and a checklist of what to include to maximize your chances of a 7, check out our guide here.
Format and word count – Physics IAs should include sections such as an introduction, background information, results, conclusion, and evaluation, etc. For a full guide to the format and structure of a Physics IA, including what each section should contain, see this guide. The Physics IA should be a maximum of 3000 words. For a guide on how many words each section should approximately be, read this post here.
Mistakes – Common errors such as incomplete background information, poor data analysis, or limited conclusions can prevent you from getting full marks. Check out our guide to the top 10 mistakes students make in the Physics IA so you can avoid making the same errors in your work.
Extended Essay (EE)
Topic ideas – The EE is a 4000-word investigation that allows you to explore a certain research question in depth. Most often, a Physics EE involves conducting your own experiments and writing a formal lab report. There is a wide variety of topics you can choose to investigate for your Physics EE. For a detailed list of topic ideas and associated examples, read our post here.
Criteria – The EE is scored against 5 criteria that target different aspects of your investigation, such as critical thinking, presentation and engagement. For a detailed list of the IB Physics EE criteria and a checklist of what to include to maximize your chances of an A in the EE, check out our guide here.
Format – A well-presented EE can drastically improve your score. Physics EEs should include sections such as an introduction, background information, results, evaluation, and conclusion, etc. For a full guide to the format and structure of a Physics EE, including what each section should contain, see this guide.
Comparison to Other Science Subjects
Chemistry – IB Physics and Chemistry are two of the more math-heavy sciences. However, the math in IB Physics is more difficult to understand than that in IB Chemistry. IB Chemistry is more application-based, while IB Physics is more theoretical. For a detailed overview of IB Physics and IB Chemistry, including a comparison of course content, who should take these courses, and applicable university majors, read this guide.
Biology – IB Biology is considered more memorization-based and much less math-heavy than IB Physics. IB Biology is often considered one of the easiest sciences, while IB Physics is one of the most difficult. IB Biology focuses more on wet labs, while the labs in IB Physics can be more practical (e.g. ball rolling down a ramp, dropping a parachute, etc.). For a detailed overview of IB Physics and IB Biology, including a comparison of course content, who should take these courses, and applicable university majors, read this guide.
We hope this post has helped you learn more about IB Physics. 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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