中文（繁體）
中文（简体）
English
IB Economics Paper 1: Definition, Diagram, Explanation, Evaluation
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · IB ECONOMICS PAPER 1: THE FOUR-LAYER ESSAY
IB Economics Paper 1 is essays only, and nearly all of the spread comes from whether the four layers are all present: definition, diagram, explanation, evaluation. Part (a) wants definitions and a diagram, part (b) wants a real-world example behind the judgement plus the limitations. This page covers the ten-minute plan, drill order, a 12-week timetable, the error log and the usual mark losses.
How is IB Economics Paper 1 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1 (SL and HL extended response): one of three, (a) 10 + (b) 15 (SL 30% / HL 20%); Paper 2 (SL and HL data response): 40 marks, parts (a)-(g) (SL 40% / HL 30%); Paper 3 (HL only policy paper): 60 marks, two compulsory questions of 30 (HL 30%); Internal assessment (IA): three commentaries, 800 words each, 45 marks (SL 30% / HL 20%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (SL and HL extended response) | one of three, (a) 10 + (b) 15 | SL 30% / HL 20% | 1 h 15 min |
| Paper 2 (SL and HL data response) | 40 marks, parts (a)-(g) | SL 40% / HL 30% | 1 h 45 min |
| Paper 3 (HL only policy paper) | 60 marks, two compulsory questions of 30 | HL 30% | 1 h 45 min |
| Internal assessment (IA) | three commentaries, 800 words each, 45 marks | SL 30% / HL 20% | 20 teaching hours |
IB Economics drilling technique: a Paper 1 essay needs four layers – definition, diagram, explanation and evaluation – and part (b) must carry a real-world example to support the judgement. In calculations (multiplier, elasticity, deadweight loss) write the formula first, then substitute, and state the units.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (SL and HL extended response) | definition, diagram, evaluation, real example | Definitions and a diagram appear, but no evaluation and not one limitation or assumption. |
| Paper 2 (SL and HL data response) | read the data, quote it, quantify | Part (b) carries no real-world example, so the judgement is pure theory. |
| Paper 3 (HL only policy paper) | policy advice with data and limits | The diagram is unlabelled, and a movement along a curve is confused with a shift. |
| Internal assessment (IA) | real article, diagram, evaluation | Calculation parts show no formula and no unit, so only the answer mark is available. |
What is each IB Economics Paper 1 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1 (SL and HL extended response): definition, diagram, evaluation, real example; Paper 2 (SL and HL data response): read the data, quote it, quantify; Paper 3 (HL only policy paper): policy advice with data and limits; Internal assessment (IA): real article, diagram, evaluation
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: Weeks 1-3: separate the four layers. Write the same question four times – definition only, diagram only, explanation only, evaluation only – marking each against the scheme so the thinnest layer is obvious.\nWeeks 4-6: full essays on the 10 / 20 / 40 minute rhythm. The plan holds three things only: the key definitions, which two curves to draw, and which real example to use.\nWeeks 7-9: build the example bank. Two citable real stories per unit, each with a date, a place, a number and the policy move; an example without a number is not an example in part (b).\nWeeks 10-12: redo only the layer that keeps failing, add three full essays, and give Paper 2 data response and Paper 3 policy questions a slot each so the course is not drilled through one paper.
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 (SL and HL extended response) | 1 h 15 min | 10 min plan, 20 min (a), 40 min (b) |
| Paper 2 (SL and HL data response) | 1 h 45 min | time by marks, formula first in calculations |
| Paper 3 (HL only policy paper) | 1 h 45 min | 50 min a question, 5 min to check |
| Internal assessment (IA) | 20 teaching hours | one unit and one key concept per commentary |
How should the time be split inside each IB Economics Paper 1 paper?
Paper 1 (SL and HL extended response): 10 min plan, 20 min (a), 40 min (b); Paper 2 (SL and HL data response): time by marks, formula first in calculations; Paper 3 (HL only policy paper): 50 min a question, 5 min to check; Internal assessment (IA): one unit and one key concept per commentary
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definitions without a diagram | A text-only essay with no supply-and-demand or AD/AS diagram | Part (a) rarely passes half marks | At least one diagram per essay with the shift marked |
| No real-world example in (b) | Abstract theory only, no country or industry | The evaluation band is capped | One real example per part (b) |
| Wrong multiplier or elasticity formula | Written as 1/MPC or %dP / %dQ | The calculation and the explanation after it both fail | Multiplier = 1 / (1 – MPC); PED = %dQ / %dP |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns, one unit per page: (1) the question and its command term, and which concept was being tested; (2) the failing action, whether evaluation was missing, a diagram was unlabelled, or the example carried no number; (3) the sentence to reuse, for example “the policy works only if…, and the effect is offset when…”. Three hits in the same column means it goes on the pre-exam card.
How many years should you drill?
The IB Economics syllabus and its weightings have been revised, so years cannot be copied across. Confirm each paper against the current guide and its specimen questions, then use older papers for the four-layer structure and the diagrams, always pacing to the current weightings rather than to an old paper.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The IB Economics syllabus and its weightings have been revised, so years cannot be copied across. Confirm each paper against the current guide and its specimen questions, then use older papers for the four-layer structure and the diagrams, always pacing to the current weightings rather than to an old paper.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB Economics 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 Economics 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.
Does writing too much in part (a) hurt part (b)?
Yes, because the time is shared. Close part (a) after the definitions, the diagram and one explanatory paragraph, and spend the rest on the evaluation in part (b); drill with a hard timer so (a) gives up one sentence rather than (b) losing its judgement.
Can an example be invented if I have not followed the news for that unit?
No. An invented example earns nothing for evaluation and costs credibility. Keep two real examples per unit with two or three numbers attached, and reframe an unfamiliar question around one of them.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| IB Economics subject page (first assessment 2022) | Confirm the marks, times and weightings of Papers 1-3 and the IA |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-alevel-economics-9708-paper-2-mock-2027/ | A-Level Economics 9708 Paper 2 drilling mock |
Original mock: IB Economics Paper 1 mock paper with answers; more practice in the practice area.
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
After drilling, the hard part is telling a conceptual error from a writing error. Tell us the year group, the school and your available times, and TutorZone will match you with a tutor who knows the HKEAA assessment requirements.
Demand for tutors in this subject is steady, and those who can explain the marking scheme and where marks are won are especially sought after. Register free; you pay only when a match succeeds.
