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IB Business Management Drilling Guide (SL and HL): Papers 1-3 and a 12-Week Plan
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · IB BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (SL AND HL)
Built on the IBO Business Management guide (first assessed 2024): Paper 1 case study (1 h 30, 30 marks, 35% SL / 25% HL), Paper 2 quantitative (40 marks SL / 50 HL, 35%/30%), Paper 3 social enterprise (HL only, 25 marks, 25%), plus the 1,800-word research project (30%/20%). Method only – drill order, a 12-week plan, calculation working and the error log.
How is IB Business Management assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1 (case study, common to SL and HL): Pre-released context plus an unseen case read for the first time in th (30 marks | SL 35% / HL 25%); Paper 2 (quantitative, separate papers): Unseen stimulus with a quantitative focus; SL Section A 20 + Section B (SL 40 / HL 50 marks | SL 35% / HL 30%); Paper 3 (social enterprise, HL only): Unseen stimulus on a social enterprise, one compulsory question ending (25 marks | HL 25%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (case study, common to SL and HL) | Pre-released context plus an unseen case read for the first time in the exam; Section A 20 marks, Section B one of two extended answers 10 marks | 30 marks | SL 35% / HL 25% | 1 h 30 min |
| Paper 2 (quantitative, separate papers) | Unseen stimulus with a quantitative focus; SL Section A 20 + Section B 20 marks, HL Section A 30 + Section B 20 marks | SL 40 / HL 50 marks | SL 35% / HL 30% | SL 1 h 30 min / HL 1 h 45 min |
| Paper 3 (social enterprise, HL only) | Unseen stimulus on a social enterprise, one compulsory question ending in a recommendation | 25 marks | HL 25% | 1 h 15 min |
| Internal assessment: business research project | A research project on a real organisation’s business issue, maximum 1,800 words | 25 marks | SL 30% / HL 20% | done in school (about 20 hours) |
For Paper 1, read the questions before the case, annotate data and stakeholders beside the text, and quote the case in every Section B paragraph. In Paper 2 show the formula and the substitution before the comment, and in Section B weigh both sides before a conditional conclusion.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (case study, common to SL and HL) | Read the questions first, then annotate data and stakeholders | Reading the case before the questions, then running out of time; Section B never quotes the case data |
| Paper 2 (quantitative, separate papers) | Formula, substitution, unit, then the evaluation | Calculations give a number with no formula or substitution; ratios, contribution and cash-flow figures carry the wrong units or period |
| Paper 3 (social enterprise, HL only) | Use every source and state the trade-offs | The Paper 3 recommendation ignores part of the stimulus and never states the trade-off between cost and social benefit |
| Internal assessment: business research project | Handled by your school; this page trains Papers 1 and 2 | Writing the background before the question is framed; a third of the 1,800 words describe the firm, leaving too little for analysis and recommendations |
What is each IB Business Management paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1 (case study, common to SL and HL): Read the questions first, then annotate data and stakeholders; Paper 2 (quantitative, separate papers): Formula, substitution, unit, then the evaluation; Paper 3 (social enterprise, HL only): Use every source and state the trade-offs; Internal assessment: business research project: Handled by your school; this page trains Papers 1 and 2
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
Should drilling go by topic first or by year?
By topic first, then whole papers by year, then the mark scheme. The first third of the time goes topic by topic (8-10 years of the same topic back to back), the middle switches to timed whole papers, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring errors from your log.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Twelve weeks move case to quantitative to decision: weeks 1-4 take a real organisation each week, annotating data and stakeholders and pairing every topic (finance, marketing, operations, HR) with a case; weeks 5-8 drill Paper 2 calculations (ratios, investment appraisal, cash flow) until five a day are automatic; weeks 9-10 write Section B extended answers and the Paper 3 recommendation (HL); the last fortnight is timed papers. Fix the 1,800-word project question before week 6.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (case study, common to SL and HL) | 1 h 30 min | about 60 min on Section A, 25 on Section B |
| Paper 2 (quantitative, separate papers) | SL 1 h 30 min / HL 1 h 45 min | about 2 min per mark on calculations, last 20 min on Section B |
| Paper 3 (social enterprise, HL only) | 1 h 15 min | about 15 min reading, 60 min writing |
| Internal assessment: business research project | done in school (about 20 hours) | not covered here |
How should the time be split inside each IB Business Management paper?
Paper 1 (case study, common to SL and HL): about 60 min on Section A, 25 on Section B; Paper 2 (quantitative, separate papers): about 2 min per mark on calculations, last 20 min on Section B; Paper 3 (social enterprise, HL only): about 15 min reading, 60 min writing; Internal assessment: business research project: not covered here
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conclusions with no working | Writing ‘the margin is 9.6%’ | Paper 2 marks the formula and the substitution separately | Formula, then substitution, then the answer with its unit |
| No case evidence in the case questions | Answering with general theory | Application marks require the firm’s name, figures and context | Quote one case figure per paragraph, such as the 320-box daily capacity |
| One-sided extended answers | Listing only the arguments for | Evaluation marks require both sides plus a conclusion | Two points each way, then a conditional conclusion |
| SL and HL depth mixed up | One depth for both | HL Paper 2 has an extra Section A question with extension content | Decide whether you sit SL or HL before you start |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: quoting (does the answer use the case data), working (formula, substitution, units, period), trade-off (is there a conditional conclusion weighing cost against benefit). The third column separates the bands: a recommendation with no trade-off cannot reach the top band in Section B or Paper 3.
How many years should you drill?
Business Management changed to the current course with first assessment in 2024, so only a few sessions match, and the Paper 2 quantitative style differs sharply from the old course. Confirm a session belongs to the current guide before drilling it; older case studies are readable but their figures and question shapes are not.
How many years of past papers is enough?
Business Management changed to the current course with first assessment in 2024, so only a few sessions match, and the Paper 2 quantitative style differs sharply from the old course. Confirm a session belongs to the current guide before drilling it; older case studies are readable but their figures and question shapes are not.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB Business Management drilling guide: assessment structure, drill order, a 12-week timetable, pacing, common mark losses and the error-log method. For questions with answers, use the IB Business Management mock papers linked under Related.
By topic or by year first?
By topic. Eight to ten years of the same topic back to back is what exposes repeating errors; going straight to whole papers just repeats the same batch under time pressure.
How should the error log be written?
Do not copy out questions. Per error record four things: question reference, which step failed (concept, wording, calculation), what the mark scheme requires, and the correct action next time.
What is the difference between SL and HL?
SL sits Paper 1 (35%) and Paper 2 (35%) plus a 30% project; HL sits Paper 1 (25%), Paper 2 (30%) and Paper 3 (25%) plus a 20% project – one more paper, with a lower weight each.
Do I have to memorise the case?
No. The skill is reading the questions first, annotating the data and stakeholders beside the case, then quoting one of them in every paragraph. The exam case is unseen, so memorising another one does not help.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/curriculum/individuals-and-societies/business-management/ | IBO DP business management page: course guide and assessment data (first assessment 2024) |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/ib-business-management-hl/ | IB Business Management HL guide: the five units, the toolkit and how the papers are assessed |
Related: practice area · · IB Business Management drilling guideIB Economics drilling guide · IB Maths AA SL mock
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