IB SL GRADE Useful Information
A grade of 7 = excellent
A grade of 6 = very good
A grade of 5 = good
A grade of 4 = satisfactory
RELAX, remember the following...
(see below)
Paper 1 [40min] Paper 1 is weighted at 20% of the overall IB Grade award. This paper is 30 multiple
choice questions on the core. These questions will only be objectives 1 & 2 difficulty.
The sequence of topics is approximately as follows in this order
1 – 3 questions on measurement, graphing or vectors
5 – 7 questions on mechanics
3 – 5 questions on thermal concepts
3 – 5 questions on waves/SHM
5 – 7 questions on electrostatics and circuits
3 – 5 questions on atomic and nuclear physics
5 – 7 questions on energy power and climate change
STRATEGIES FOR PAPER ONE
 Do the problems you know first (you don’t want to run out of time and not have gotten to
problems that you may know), then go through the problems again and try to finish the harder
problems. If you run out of time, guess. Remember the exam is a criterion referenced exam,
and your trying to maximize points. Be sure to answer all the questions, even if you have to
guess at the end.
 Use process of elimination. Typically, there is at least one choice that is clearly wrong.
 You can write on the test, so work out the problems on the paper.
 Be sure to read all the choices for every problem.
PAPER 1 GRADE BOUNDARIES – Typically Paper 1 grade boundaries are (±2 or 3 pts). Paper 1 is
traditionally the hardest, so do what you can. Notice that about ≥ half the point is the target for
satisfactory of higher levels of achievement.
Paper 2 [1hr 15 min] Paper 2 is weighted at 32% of the overall IB Grade award. There are 2 parts, A and
B. Part A has 3 or 4 questions that you must answer including one data based question. Part B has 3
extended response, of which you must choose 1. Typically each part B question has 2 or even three
different core topics. For example, you might find that for a B question it may be about circuits and then
about the Doppler Effect. These questions will be half objectives 1 & 2 and half of objective 3 difficulty.
STRATEGIES FOR PAPER TWO
 You will be given a reading period prior to the start of the exam. Use this time to look at part B
and decide which 1 question is best for you.
 DO THE QUESTION IN PART B FIRST. You will be off to a better start if you do the questions
you have a choice on first. Besides, part B is weighted more.
 SHOW YOUR WORK, INCLUDING THE EQUATION, SUBSTITUTION OF VALUES, AND
UNITS.
 For part A, there are going to be questions that challenge you and make you think. Do the best
you can on every question. If you don’t know how to solve a question, but the next one
requires info from the previous question, make it up for partial credit. For example, If a
question asks you to use the velocity you should have calculated in the previous question and
you don’t know what the velocity is, say “Let the velocity be.....” and solve the problem anyway.
 Remember, errors are carried forward, so you will only be penalized for a mistake once, IF
you solve the later problems correctly with your “bad” numbers.
 Pace yourself. You get 1:15 hours for P2.
PAPER 2 GRADE BOUNDARIES –Typically Paper 2 grade boundaries are (±2 or 3 pts).
Paper 3 [1hr] Paper 3 is weighted at 24% of the overall IB Grade award. The paper has questions on the
OPTIONAL TOPICS that were studied. You must identify to the grader what TWO options you have
chosen and then answer all of the questions in that section. For each optional topic, there will be several
short answer questions. The questions are half objective 1 & 2 and half objective 3.
STRATEGIES FOR PAPER THREE
 START with the option that you are more comfortable with. If, for example, you liked
astrophysics more than the optics, do that section first.
 SHOW YOUR WORK, INCLUDING THE EQUATION, SUBSTITUTION OF VALUES, AND
UNITS.
 For some questions, there are going to be parts that challenge you and make you think. Do the
best you can on every question. If you don’t know how to solve a question, but the next
one requires info from the previous question, make it up for partial credit. For example, If
a question asks you to use the velocity you should have calculated in the previous question and
you don’t know what the velocity is, say “Let the velocity be.....” and solve the problem anyway.
 Remember, errors are carried forward, so you will only be penalized for a mistake once, IF
you solve the later problems correctly with your “bad” numbers.
 Pace yourself. You get 1:15 hours for P3. You should spend approx equal amounts of time on
both options.
PAPER 3 GRADE BOUNDARIES –Typically Paper 3 grade boundaries are (±2 or 3 pts).
Internal Assessment is the experimental work that you completed. The internal assessment is worth 24%
of the overall IB Grade award.
STRATEGIES FOR INTERNAL ASSESSMENT
 Complete all of the experimental work that was done this year. Satisfactory attendance is a
must.
 Give yourself time to complete the assignments. If you rush to complete the experiment and
you are not careful, why bother.
 REMEMBER, only the best two scores for each aspect of the write up will be submitted to IB to
generate your internal assessment grade.
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT GRADE BOUNDARIES –Typically IA grade boundaries are (±2 or 3 pts).
THE FINAL IB GRADE AWARD – Each component grade award earned by each student is then weighted
at the appropriate %. Then, the final IB grade award is determined with the overall grade boundaries.
OVERALL GRADE BOUNDARIES –Typically overall grade boundaries are (±2 or 3 pts).