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Paper 1 is the first examination you'll face in your IB Sports, Exercise and Health Science (SEH) assessments. In this post, we’ll provide a thorough breakdown of IB SEH Paper 1, ensuring you are familiarised with the structure of the exam and know what type of questions to expect.
IB Sports, Exercise and Health Science Paper 1
- Accounts for 36% of the student's subject grade.
- SL students have 1 hour 30 minutes, while HL students are given 1 hour 45 minutes 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 is made up of multiple choice questions.
- Paper 1B consists of data-based questions and questions on experimental work.
Paper 1A
A typical SL Paper 1A question may look the following way:
Which is a principal structure of the ventilatory system? [1]
A. Pulmonary artery
B. Trachea
C. Pulmonary valve
D. Capillary
A typical HL Paper 1A question may look the following way:
What typically results from high and prolonged training loads? [1]
A) An increase in cortisol levels
B) A decrease in insulin levels
C) An increase in glucagon levels
D) A decrease in circulating hormone levels
Paper 1B
A typical SL Paper 1B question may look the following way:
A study recorded the upper limb injuries of Australian rugby players. The players were placed in one of three groups depending on their level of competition:
Group A – professional players
Group B – semi-professional players
Group C – amateur players
The table below shows the upper limb injury rates per 1000 playing hours for each group from 2004 to 2008.
| Injury Region | Group A | Group B | Group C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder | 3.57 | 6.61 | 7.14 |
| Upper arm | 0.18 | 0.05 | 0.00 |
| Elbow | 0.36 | 0.44 | 0.33 |
| Forearm | 0.54 | 0.41 | 0.27 |
| Wrist | 0.00 | 0.68 | 0.60 |
| Hand | 1.43 | 1.83 | 2.40 |
(a) State which group has the highest injury rate per 1000 playing hours for elbow injuries. [1]
(b) Calculate the injury rate per 1000 playing hours for all upper limb injuries for the amateur players. [2]
(c) Discuss the hypothesis that upper limb injury is related to the level of competition of the rugby players. [3]
A typical HL Paper 1B question may look the following way:
A study investigated the effect of plyometric exercise on sprint speed. (Plyometric exercise involves rapid and repeated stretching and contracting of the muscles.) The mean speed of each participant was measured during a 20m sprint as a baseline and then in a further five 20m sprints. During the first 75 seconds of the interval between sprints the participants carried out one of the following activities:
Plyometric: three sets of alternate leg bounds (running-like movement, jumping from one leg to the other consecutively)
Control: continuous walking. The graph shows the mean sprint speed and positive standard deviation value for both conditions.
The graph shows the mean sprint speed and positive standard deviation value for both conditions.
A paired t-test was conducted to compare mean sprint speed at 4 minutes with mean sprint speed at baseline. The results were:
Plyometric condition: p < 0.05
Control condition: p > 0.05
(a) Identify the time and condition with the highest mean sprint speed. [1]
(b) Calculate the difference in mean sprint speed, in m s-1, between baseline and at 4 minutes for the plyometric condition. [2]
(c) Using the data, discuss the hypothesis that plyometric exercise can improve sprint performance. [2]
(d) Explain the reason for using a control condition in this study design. [2]
(e) Comment on the meaning of the results from the t-test. [2]
How to succeed in SEH Paper 1?
Paper 1A
While multiple-choice questions may seem simple, many students find them unexpectedly tricky. The options are crafted to make more than one choice appear correct, even though only one is. Furthermore, with only 1 hour 30 minutes at SL and 1 hour 45 minutes at HL for the entire paper, given that you devote an equal amount of time for Paper 1A and 1B, you will have a little over a minute per question, which adds to the pressure. However, you can master Paper 1A by regularly practicing sample questions and timing yourself.
Paper 1B
The key to excelling in Paper 1B is your ability to critically assess the experiments and data presented, while integrating relevant syllabus knowledge. The SEH Paper 1B requires not just an understanding of theoretical concepts but also the ability to interpret experimental work accurately. Therefore a thorough understanding of experimental work and analytical skills are therefore essential for this section.
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