IB Digital Society Paper 1 Drill Guide: Choosing, Pacing, Counter-Claims

The choice of question decides the marks

Paper 1 asks for two of four questions, and choosing is the first scoring move: pick the one where you hold a real example that carries all three parts, not the one that merely looks familiar. Part c carries most of the marks and needs two sides, a criterion and a judgement, with the concepts, content and context named explicitly. HL adds an extended response that must address counter-claims; a one-sided argument stays low. An example named only is worthless without a sentence or two tying it to the question.

Drilling technique: write every part c in three moves – both sides, explicit criteria, conclusion – and always name the concept, content and context given in the question (marked in the answers). Never give an example as a name only: add one or two sentences explaining how it relates to the question. HL Section B explicitly requires counter-claims, so a one-sided answer cannot reach the top bands.

Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Weeks 1-3: choosing only, eight minutes to read all four questions and write which real example you hold for each, before comparing with what you actually answered. Weeks 4-6: part c only, in a fixed three-move shape of one side, the other side with a criterion, then a judgement, three sentences each. Weeks 7-9: timed papers at 12, 12 and 16 minutes, logging which part overruns. Weeks 10-12: HL extended responses only, writing the strongest counter-claim before answering it.

Three columns: the question and the part (a, b, c, HL extended); whether the loss was a thin example, a one-sided argument, a missing concept term, an unused context, or bad pacing; the repair, naming the example to swap or the counter-claim to add. Three losses of one kind takes the next week.

First assessment for this course was in 2024, so the number of sessions is limited and past papers cannot carry a year-by-year plan. Work from the official guide’s specimen questions and original mocks instead: rewriting the same question with new examples and contexts beats chasing years.

Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB Digital Society Paper 1 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 Digital Society Paper 1 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.

Is SL answered the same way as HL?
Same structure, but HL adds a 12-mark extended response and 45 more minutes. SL needs dense structured answers; HL must reserve time for counter-claims. Neither rewards even time splits.

Can prepared examples be reused?
Yes, if they genuinely fit the question’s concept and context. One example meets three questions in three different ways, so what needs practice is the sentence that joins example to question.

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