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IB Geography Drilling Guide (SL and HL): Papers 1-3, Calculations and a 12-Week Plan
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · IB GEOGRAPHY (CURRENT COURSE)
Built on the current IB Geography course: Paper 1 optional themes (35% at both levels; SL two questions for 40 marks, HL three for 60), Paper 2 core global change (40% SL / 25% HL, 1 h 15 for 50 marks), Paper 3 HL extension (20%, 1 h). Method only – drill order, a 12-week plan, pacing including calculation working, and the error log.
How is IB Geography assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1 (Themes): SL two questions/40 marks; HL three/60 marks (SL 35% / HL 35%); Paper 2 (Core: Global Change): Section A three questions 30 marks, Section B infographic 10, Section (SL 40% / HL 25%); Paper 3 (HL only): HL extension: global interactions, 28 marks (a 12 + b 16) (HL 20%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Themes) | SL two questions/40 marks; HL three/60 marks | SL 35% / HL 35% | SL 1 h 30 min / HL 2 h 15 min |
| Paper 2 (Core: Global Change) | Section A three questions 30 marks, Section B infographic 10, Section C essay 10 (same paper at SL and HL) | SL 40% / HL 25% | 1 h 15 min |
| Paper 3 (HL only) | HL extension: global interactions, 28 marks (a 12 + b 16) | HL 20% | 1 h |
IB Geography Paper 2 technique: about 10-12 minutes per Section A question (10 marks means roughly ten points, and calculations must show the working and the units); in Section B read the title, units and legend first and answer evaluation questions as usefulness, limits, then judgement; the 10-mark Section C essay needs a definition, both sides, a named case study and an explicit conclusion. Inside 1 h 15 min: 35 minutes on A, 15 on B, 25 on C.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Themes) | optional themes (two of seven at SL) | Drilling only two or three familiar optional themes, so named cases and figures never appear in answers |
| Paper 2 (Core: Global Change) | core: population, climate, resources | Calculations give the answer without working, units or significant figures, losing method marks on population and climate data |
| Paper 3 (HL only) | HL extension: power, places and networks | Section B describes the infographic without usefulness, limitations and a judgement; the Section C essay has no definition and no named case |
What is each IB Geography paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1 (Themes): optional themes (two of seven at SL); Paper 2 (Core: Global Change): core: population, climate, resources; Paper 3 (HL only): HL extension: power, places and networks
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: Geography starts by locking the optional themes: weeks 1-2 choose two at SL or three at HL and list each theme’s named cases and data; weeks 3-6 drill Paper 1 theme by theme (one theme a week, 10-12 min a question); weeks 7-9 take the three Paper 2 sections one a week (calculations, infographic, 10-mark essay); weeks 10-11 are timed papers; the last week is Paper 3 (HL) and plugging holes.
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 (Themes) | SL 1 h 30 min / HL 2 h 15 min | about 45 min per question |
| Paper 2 (Core: Global Change) | 1 h 15 min | Section A 35 min, B 10-15 min, C 20-25 min |
| Paper 3 (HL only) | 1 h | both parts inside 1 h |
How should the time be split inside each IB Geography paper?
Paper 1 (Themes): about 45 min per question; Paper 2 (Core: Global Change): Section A 35 min, B 10-15 min, C 20-25 min; Paper 3 (HL only): both parts inside 1 h
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formulas without numbers | Quoting the footprint formula | Loses both method and answer marks | show the working, the substitution and the units |
| Answers without units | Writing 14,400 alone | Marked as incomplete | give 14,400 people, 6.0 per 1,000, 174 million gha |
| Section B describes only | Copying the percentages | Only 1-2 of the 4 evaluation marks | usefulness, then limits, then a judgement |
| Essays with no named case | Generic theory only | Caps the top-band marks | one named case with data per argument |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: units (density, per capita, percentages), working (are all steps written), case (named, with a year). Half of the marks lost in Geography go to calculation presentation rather than concepts, so log the first two columns per question and the third once a week.
How many years should you drill?
Recent official papers are usable for the current IB Geography course, but only for the years that match it: confirm the session belongs to the current guide before drilling it by year. Paper 2 Section A is the most stable shape and is the best place to build rhythm; Paper 3 (HL extension) varies more, so original mock papers fill the gaps.
How many years of past papers is enough?
Recent official papers are usable for the current IB Geography course, but only for the years that match it: confirm the session belongs to the current guide before drilling it by year. Paper 2 Section A is the most stable shape and is the best place to build rhythm; Paper 3 (HL extension) varies more, so original mock papers fill the gaps.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB Geography 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 Geography 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.
How many optional themes should I drill?
SL answers two of seven and HL three. Prepare at least one more theme than you must answer, or one unfamiliar question can cost the whole paper.
How do I score on the 10-mark essay?
Define the key term, use two named cases with years and figures, argue both sides, then conclude. Inside a 1 h 15 paper only 20-25 minutes are left for Section C, so the structure has to be fixed in practice.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| IB Geography subject page (IBO) | Confirm the times, marks and weightings for Papers 1-3 |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-ib-geography-paper-1-mock-2027/ | IB Geography Paper 1 drilling mock (optional themes) |
Related: practice area · IB Geography Paper 3 drilling mock (HL) · IB Geography Paper 1 drilling mock · IB History Paper 1 mock · IB Geography drilling guide
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.
