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IB Design Technology HL Mock (Paper 1 and Paper 2): 10 Multiple-Choice and 5 Written Questions with Answers
TUTORZONE ORIGINAL MOCK PAPER · IB DESIGN TECHNOLOGY HL (FIRST ASSESSMENT 2027, INCLUDING HL STRANDS)
Written to the IBO design technology subject brief (first assessment 2027): at HL the course is assessed by Paper 1, multiple choice, 1 h 30 (25%) and Paper 2, short answer and extended response, 2 h 30 (45%), plus a 50-hour design project worth 30% — four hours of external assessment. HL adds structural, mechanical and electronic systems, life cycle analysis and production systems. This is a Paper 1 and Paper 2 mock (10 multiple-choice items plus five written items, 50 marks) with answers.
What is in IB design technology HL and how is it weighted?
Direct answer: the external assessment is 4 hours and 70% of the grade — Paper 1 multiple choice, 1 h 30 (25%), and Paper 2 short answer with extended response, 2 h 30 (45%) — plus the design project, 50 hours, 30%. HL adds structural, mechanical and electronic systems, life cycle analysis and production systems.
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (multiple choice) | Officially 1 h 30; 10 questions (20 marks) in this paper | 25% | 1 h 30 min |
| Paper 2 (short answer and extended response) | Officially 2 h 30; 5 questions (30 marks) in this paper | 45% | 2 h 30 min |
| Design project (internal assessment) | Individual design project, report up to 3,500 words (33 marks) | 30% | 50 h |
Both HL papers are longer: ten multiple-choice items in 1 h 30 (about four minutes each, with structural and electronic calculations), then Paper 2 with 60 minutes of short answer and 90 minutes of extended response. Life cycle answers must state their assumptions and the crossover point.
How this paper was built
This is a TutorZone original mock paper: the questions follow the shape of the IB design technology course first assessed in 2027 (Paper 1 multiple choice, Paper 2 short answer and extended response) and the answers are our own, not IB past papers or marking references.
The official subject brief publishes the time and weighting of each paper but not its question count or marks; the 10 multiple-choice items (20 marks) and five written items (30 marks) here are this paper’s own design, built to train the paper shape and the pacing.
The course is first assessed in May 2027 and no past papers exist yet. Every numerical answer (percentiles, density, cost, life cycle energy) was recomputed programmatically.
Pacing
| Section | Marks | Suggested time | What to do first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (multiple choice) | 25% | about 4 min per question, including the HL strands | structural, mechanical and electronic systems plus life cycle analysis |
| Paper 2 (short answer and extended response) | 45% | 60 min short answer, 90 min extended response | calculations and case judgement on the HL strands |
| Design project (internal assessment) | 30% | staged over two years; lower weighting, same criteria | same five criteria at both levels; only the weighting differs |
What does each part of this mock test?
Direct answer: Paper 1 (10 items, 20 marks) covers support reactions, bending moments, gear ratio and torque, Ohm’s law with series and parallel resistors, life cycle totals, unit cost, part-count and energy reductions; Paper 2 (5 items, 30 marks) covers structural section choice, gear train efficiency, current limiting, life cycle comparison and production strategy for manufacture.
Paper 1: multiple choice (10 questions, 20 marks, including HL strands)
Each question is worth 2 marks, 20 in total. All are compulsory and there is no penalty for a wrong answer. Several items need a calculation: take those first, then return to the concept questions.
Question 1
A 2.4 m simply supported beam carries a 480 N point load 0.9 m from the left support. Give the left reaction in N.
A. 180B. 320C. 240D. 300
Question 2
A cantilever carries a 250 N downward force 0.8 m from the fixed end. Give the bending moment at the fixed end in N m.
A. 250B. 200C. 125D. 312.5
Question 3
A 12-tooth driver turns at 60 rpm and drives a 36-tooth gear. Give the output speed in rpm.
A. 60B. 20C. 180D. 30
Question 4
A 15 N force is applied perpendicular to a 0.25 m spanner. Give the torque in N m.
A. 0.6B. 6.0C. 60D. 3.75
Question 5
A 9 V supply is connected across a 220 ohm resistor. Give the current in mA to three significant figures.
A. 40.9B. 244C. 4.09D. 24.4
Question 6
Two 470 ohm resistors in parallel are placed in series with a 100 ohm resistor. Give the total resistance in ohms.
A. 235B. 335C. 570D. 1040
Question 7
A product costs 120 MJ to produce and uses 0.35 kWh over each of 300 uses (1 kWh = 3.6 MJ). Give the whole life cycle energy in MJ.
A. 498B. 1050C. 618D. 378
Question 8
A batch of 5,000 units carries $240,000 of fixed cost and $18 of variable cost each. Give the full unit cost in dollars.
A. 68.40B. 66.00C. 72.00D. 48.00
Question 9
A product is redesigned from 24 parts to 16. Give the reduction in part count in per cent.
A. 8.0B. 66.7C. 50.0D. 33.3
Question 10
A redesign cuts energy per use from 0.42 kWh to 0.35 kWh. Give the reduction in per cent.
A. 20.0B. 7.0C. 83.3D. 16.7
Paper 2: short answer and extended response (5 questions, 30 marks, with structural, mechanical and electronic items)
All compulsory, 30 marks in total. The short-answer items carry 6 marks each and the two extended-response items also carry 6 marks; the extended answers need a judgement and the reasoning behind it.
Question 1 (6 marks)
A 2.4 m simply supported beam carries a 480 N point load 0.9 m from the left support. Find both reactions and explain why increasing the section depth raises the bending capacity.
Question 2 (6 marks)
A gear train drives a 36-tooth wheel from a 12-tooth pinion at 60 rpm with 0.8 N m of input torque. Find the output speed and torque, taking the train as 90% efficient.
Question 3 (6 marks)
A 9 V supply drives a 220 ohm load. Find the current in mA and the power in W, then explain why an indicator circuit of this kind must include a current-limiting resistor.
Question 4 (6 marks)
Compare two designs. A costs 120 MJ to produce and uses 0.35 kWh over each of 300 uses; B costs 200 MJ and uses 0.22 kWh over the same 300 uses (1 kWh = 3.6 MJ). Work out both life cycle totals, say which figure drives the decision, and how to handle uncertain data.
Question 5 (6 marks)
A Bluetooth speaker casing goes from 24 parts to 16 and becomes a single-material, tool-free assembly. Explain the effect on assembly, stock and repair, then choose between just-in-time and just-in-case production with your reasoning.
How should this paper be worked through?
Direct answer: (1) Paper 1 in about 30 minutes, formulas written beside the four calculation items; (2) the short-answer items in 60 minutes; (3) the extended items in 90 minutes, stating assumptions and the crossover point in the life cycle question; (4) log the wrong steps, missing units and missing judgements.
Paper 1 answers and explanations
Question 1
Answer: D (300) Left reaction x 2.4 = 480 x 1.5, so it is 300 N; the right support takes 180 N and the two add to the load.
Question 2
Answer: B (200) Moment = force x distance = 250 x 0.8 = 200 N m, and the fixed end carries the worst of it.
Question 3
Answer: B (20) Speed ratio is inverse to tooth count: 60 x 12 / 36 = 20 rpm, with torque multiplied by three.
Question 4
Answer: D (3.75) Torque = 15 x 0.25 = 3.75 N m; if you need more, lengthen the lever rather than squeezing harder.
Question 5
Answer: A (40.9) I = V / R = 9 / 220 = 0.0409 A, that is 40.9 mA; multiplying by V gives 0.368 W.
Question 6
Answer: B (335) 470 / 2 = 235 ohm in parallel, plus 100 in series gives 335 ohm; a parallel pair is always below its smallest member.
Question 7
Answer: A (498) In use: 0.35 x 300 x 3.6 = 378 MJ, plus 120 MJ of production gives 498 MJ, of which use is 75.9%.
Question 8
Answer: B (66.00) (240000 + 18 x 5000) / 5000 = 330000 / 5000 = $66.00; halve the volume and the unit cost jumps.
Question 9
Answer: D (33.3) (24 – 16) / 24 = 0.333, so 33.3%; fewer parts means less assembly time and fewer stock lines.
Question 10
Answer: D (16.7) (0.42 – 0.35) / 0.42 = 0.167, so 16.7%; dividing 0.07 by the new value gives 20% and is the usual error.
Paper 2 model answers
Question 1
(1) Reactions: taking moments about the left support, right reaction x 2.4 = 480 x 0.9 gives 180 N, so the left reaction is 480 – 180 = 300 N (equivalently 480 x 1.5 / 2.4). Check: they add back to 480 N. (2) Section depth: bending capacity follows the section modulus, and for a rectangle Z = b d^2 / 6 — squared in the depth, only linear in the width. Taking the depth from 40 mm to 60 mm multiplies capacity by (60/40)^2 = 2.25 for 50% more material, which is exactly why an I-beam puts its material in the flanges. (6 marks)
Question 2
(1) Output speed = 60 x 12 / 36 = 20 rpm, a three-to-one reduction. (2) Ideal torque = 0.8 x 3 = 2.4 N m; at 90% efficiency that becomes 2.4 x 0.9 = 2.16 N m. (3) The missing 0.24 N m leaves as heat and noise, which is why a reduction box needs its mesh friction and lubrication managed. (6 marks)
Question 3
(1) Current: I = V / R = 9 / 220 = 0.0409 A, that is 40.9 mA. (2) Power: P = V^2 / R = 81 / 220 = 0.368 W (the same as 40.9 mA x 9 V). (3) Why the resistor: an LED has a very steep voltage-current curve, so a small rise above its forward voltage drives a large current; wired straight to 9 V it burns out. Size it with R = (supply – forward voltage) / target current, and check the resistor’s own power rating — 0.368 W needs a 1 W part or better. (6 marks)
Question 4
(1) A: 0.35 x 300 x 3.6 = 378 MJ in use, so 498 MJ in total. (2) B: 0.22 x 300 x 3.6 = 237.6 MJ, so 437.6 MJ. (3) B saves 60.4 MJ (about 12%) but spends 80 MJ more in production, so the crossover is use count: at 150 uses A is 309 MJ and B is 318.8 MJ and the answer flips. What drives the decision is service life and intensity, not the per-use figure. (4) Uncertain data: run a sensitivity check at 150, 300 and 600 uses, state where each assumption came from, and say which assumption the recommendation depends on; a single number with no assumptions behind it cannot carry a design decision. (6 marks)
Question 5
(1) Assembly: 33.3% fewer parts ((24-16)/24), which shortens assembly time and removes jigs and mis-build risk. (2) Stock: fewer part lines means less safety stock value and cheaper stocktaking, and a single material cuts sorting at end of life. (3) Repair: a tool-free joint lets worn parts be replaced on their own, extending service life — often a bigger life cycle win than trimming the wattage. (4) JIT against JIC: with few parts and steady demand, just-in-time is workable and frees working capital, but a supplier or shipping shock stops the line; just-in-case protects the delivery date at a cost. Recommendation: hold safety stock on the critical drive unit and run just-in-time on locally sourced casing parts, with an explicit reorder point — say three weeks of usage. (6 marks)
How is the time split in the real examination?
Direct answer: HL Paper 1 is 1 h 30 (about four minutes an item, with 12 minutes to check); Paper 2 is 2 h 30 (60 minutes short answer, 90 extended response); the design project is 50 hours across the two years.
Where these marks are usually lost
| Mistake | What it looks like | What it costs | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mixing up the SL and HL weightings | Quoting SL 20/40/40 as HL 25/45/30 | Study time is allocated to the wrong component and the design project is underweighted | Write your own level’s three numbers down first: SL 20/40/40, HL 25/45/30 |
| Terms memorised but not applied | Knowing what a life cycle analysis is, never having seen one run on real data | Paper 2 is built on a product; a bare definition earns nothing | Attach one real product and one set of numbers to every concept |
| Extended answers that only describe | Listing a product’s faults with no comparison, judgement or reason | The judgement marks in the extended items are all lost | Every paragraph needs a because and a closing conclusion |
| Calculations with no units or steps | Writing 40.9 with no mA, skipping the formula and substitution | Method and unit marks go together | Formula, substitution, units, then the answer |
How to use this paper
First sit: 20 minutes on the multiple choice and 90 minutes on the written section, timed, with nothing open beside you.
Mark it: check every calculation step and unit, and place your extended answers beside the model answers to find the missing judgements.
Second sit: redo after three to seven days; a third pass covers only the items in your error log.
What should I do after finishing this paper?
Direct answer: (1) Log the step and unit errors in the structural and electronic calculations; (2) redo the paper three to seven days later; (3) rerun the life cycle comparison at different use counts to find where the conclusion flips; (4) there are no past papers — the course is first assessed in 2027 — so use the official guide’s example questions and the original mocks here.
FAQ
Is this an official IB paper?
No. The course is first assessed in May 2027, so no past papers exist; the questions and answers here are TutorZone originals.
What does HL add over SL?
HL adds structural systems (support reactions and bending moments), mechanical systems (gear ratios and torque), electronic systems (current, power and current-limiting resistors), life cycle analysis, production systems (just-in-time against safety stock) and design for manufacture — and both papers run longer.
The design project is weighted lower at HL. Does that make it less important?
It is 30% against 40% at SL, but the requirements are identical: 50 hours, 33 marks, the same five criteria, a report of no more than 3,500 words. Do not defer it, because it shares its design knowledge with both papers.
Official references
| Resource | What to check |
|---|---|
| IBO design technology subject brief (first assessment 2027) | Check the paper times, weightings and the five design-project criteria |
| IB design technology course updates (IBO) | Confirm that Paper 3 is gone, that the criteria are common to SL and HL, and the word limit |
Related: IB Design Technology SL mock · IB Digital Society Paper 1 mock · practice area
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