IB Paper 2

Paper 2 SL and HL

Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes for SL and 2 hours for HL
Weighting: 35% for HL and SL
The purpose of this paper, which is common to SL and HL, is to assess students’ ability to demonstrate the following objectives in relation to the seven optional themes.

• Knowledge and understanding (assessment objective 1)
• Application and analysis (assessment objective 2)
• Synthesis and evaluation (assessment objective 3)
• The ability to use appropriate terminology, to use a variety of skills and produce well‑structured written material (assessment objective 4) in the last part of each structured question

For each of the seven optional themes there is a choice of two questions; all questions are structured and worth 20 marks. The first parts, of which there are at least two, add up to 10 marks but the marks for each part differ according to the demands of the question. The last part is always worth 10 marks. Earlier parts of the question are related and test knowledge and understanding, and application and analysis. The last part, which may or may not be directly related to earlier parts, draws on content learned from across the theme and tests synthesis and evaluation. It requires extended writing. The command terms used in each question indicate the depth required.
The layout of the paper matches the order of the seven optional themes set out in this syllabus. The title of each theme is given on the paper and the questions are numbered 1–14 (two questions on each theme). Questions on “Option C: Extreme environments” are labelled, for example, as Optional Theme C: Extreme environments, questions 5 and 6.

• SL students must answer one question from two optional themes; that is, they must produce two responses in total.
• HL students must answer one question from three optional themes; that is, they must produce three responses in total
• Students must choose one question from one theme and not answer two questions from the same theme.
• At least one of the two questions in each theme has stimulus material. This may include maps (including topographic maps), graphs, images, photographs, satellite images, diagrams or tables (but not cartoons or text extracts).
• Where appropriate, the stimulus material is presented in the resources booklet, which includes coloured material.
• The maximum for each question is 20 marks.
• Responses are assessed with an analytic markscheme specific to the question paper, which indicates the required responses and allocation of marks for the parts of each question. The last part of each question, worth 10 marks, is assessed both with an analytic markscheme that indicates the required response and with the paper 2 markbands.

Overall, the maximum for paper 2 for SL students is 40 marks and the maximum for HL students is 60 marks.