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IB Economics Past Paper Drilling Guide (SL and HL): Papers 1-3 and a 12-Week Plan
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · IB ECONOMICS
IB Economics is 70% external at SL and 80% at HL, with three commentaries making up the internal portfolio. SL sits two papers (extended response 30%, data response 40%); HL sits three (20%, 30%, 30%). Drilling is not about memorising theory but about completing the trio – diagram, terminology, real-world example.
How many papers does IB Economics have?
Direct answer: at SL, Paper 1 extended response is 30% (1 h 15 min), Paper 2 data response is 40% (1 h 45 min) and the internal portfolio of three commentaries is 30%. At HL, Paper 1 is 20% (1 h 15 min), Paper 2 is 30% (1 h 45 min), Paper 3 policy paper is 30% (1 h 45 min) and the portfolio is 20%. Paper 3 is taken by HL students only.
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 · extended response | 1 h 15 min; 30% at SL, 20% at HL; set on all units of the syllabus | SL 30% / HL 20% | 1 h 15 min |
| Paper 2 · data response | 1 h 45 min; 40% at SL, 30% at HL; uses the data and news extracts supplied in the paper | SL 40% / HL 30% | 1 h 45 min |
| Paper 3 · policy paper (HL only) | 1 h 45 min, 30% of the HL; set on all units of the syllabus | HL 30% | 1 h 45 min |
| Internal · portfolio (three commentaries) | Three commentaries based on published news extracts from different units, analysed using different key concepts; 30% at SL, 20% at HL | SL 30% / HL 20% | 20 hours recommended |
External assessment is 70% at SL (two papers) and 80% at HL (three papers). Match your time to the weightings: SL Paper 2 at 40% deserves the most work, while HL Paper 3 is 30% and HL-only, so it is where the differences appear.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 · extended response | Train the three-part essay: definition and diagram, explanation with a real example, then evaluation including limitations | No diagram; vague examples; evaluation reduced to ‘there are pros and cons’ |
| Paper 2 · data response | Four steps: read the data trend, explain with terminology, support with a diagram, evaluate the policy or outcome | Describing the data without explaining it; never quoting the supplied data |
| Paper 3 · policy paper (HL only) | Recommend, justify, evaluate: propose the policy, explain the mechanism, name the limitations and an alternative | Describing the situation without a recommendation, or one unconnected to the data |
| Internal · portfolio (three commentaries) | Start early, with each commentary on a different unit and a different key concept | All three from one unit or concept; starting in the final month |
What makes a high-scoring IB Economics essay?
Direct answer: the trio: (1) a diagram with labelled axes, curves and the direction of change – the most neglected and most directly rewarded element; (2) terminology and mechanism, using the course’s key concepts to explain how the change happens; (3) a real example and evaluation, naming a specific country or market and stating the limitations. Theory without diagrams and examples stalls in the middle band.
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 |
How should Paper 2 data be used?
Direct answer: four steps: (1) describe the trend – overall direction, turning points and magnitude rather than reading numbers one by one; (2) explain the cause using terminology; (3) support the explanation with a diagram; (4) evaluate the policy or outcome, quoting the supplied data. Marking looks for reference to the data, so your answer should contain specific figures or percentages.
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: Make a diagram list the spine: one list of must-draw diagrams per unit, one timed paper a week checked for complete diagrams, and one portfolio commentary a month.
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 · extended response | 1 小時 15 分鐘 | About 20-25 min per question; 5 min checking |
| Paper 2 · data response | 1 小時 45 分鐘 | About 25 min per question; 5 min checking |
| Paper 3 · policy paper (HL only) | 1 小時 45 分鐘 | About 45 min per question; 10 min checking |
| Internal · portfolio (three commentaries) | 建議 20 小時 | One a month, with revision time for the last |
How should the Paper 3 policy paper be organised?
Direct answer: recommend, justify, evaluate: (1) propose one specific policy; (2) explain its mechanism with a diagram; (3) name the limitations, side effects and an alternative, tied to the data supplied. HL candidates most often describe the situation without recommending anything, or recommend something unconnected to the data.
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| No diagrams | Explaining in words only | Diagrams are the most directly rewarded element | Draw one in every essay, with the direction of change |
| Vague examples | ‘Some countries’ or ‘a market’ | IB requires real examples and vague ones score poorly | Keep two or three specific countries or markets ready |
| Portfolio left to the end | Three commentaries in the last month | The IA is 20-30% and rushed work lands mid-band | One a month, each on a different unit and concept |
| HL ignoring Paper 3 | Drilling Papers 1 and 2 only | Paper 3 is 30% of the grade | Drill Paper 3 separately, at least three past papers |
The error log and the mark scheme
File the log by diagram: axes, direction of change and the question types it answers. Economics repeats itself heavily, and a twenty-diagram list covers most of the paper.
How many years should you drill?
First assessed in 2022, so all past papers fit the current syllabus; sit the latest five years fully timed, sorted by unit, and include Paper 3 if you are HL.
How many years of past papers should you drill?
Direct answer: no official figure. Economics was first assessed in 2022, so every past paper matches the current syllabus: sit the latest five years fully timed and sort the questions by unit (micro, macro, global) and by question type. HL candidates must include Paper 3, which is 30% of their grade.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paper 3 only for HL?
Yes. The Paper 3 policy paper is HL only, 1 h 45 min, worth 30% of the HL grade.
How many commentaries are required?
Three, based on published news extracts and analysed with different key concepts (30% at SL, 20% at HL).
May I use examples beyond the textbook?
Yes, and you should: recent real cases with a named country or market usually earn better evaluation marks.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| IBO Economics subject brief (SL, first assessment 2022) | Confirm the SL paper weightings and the 30% IA |
| https://www.ibo.org/globalassets/new-structure/programmes/dp/pdfs/hl-economics-en.pdf | IBO Economics subject brief (HL): Paper 3 at 30% and the 20% portfolio |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-ib-economics-mock-paper/ | IB Economics mock paper |
Related: IB practice area · IB Maths AA drilling guide · subject guides
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