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IB Philosophy Paper 3 Drill Guide: The Unseen Text and Reflecting on Doing Philosophy
Part A reads the text, part B reads your practice
Paper 3 is HL only: one unseen text, part A worth ten marks and part B fifteen, twenty-five in total, twenty per cent of the course, in seventy-five minutes. Part A tests reading – cite paragraph numbers and short quotations, map the argument’s structure and hidden premises, and say which step holds. Part B tests your reflection on doing philosophy, tied to a specific class discussion, school activity or inquiry of your own, not a course summary. Split the time as fifteen minutes reading and annotating, twenty-five on part A, thirty-five on part B.
How is IB Philosophy Paper 3 (HL) assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1 (core theme + optional themes): Section A stimulus question 25 marks (one of two) + Section B essays 2 (SL 50% / HL 40%); Paper 2 (prescribed text): one of two questions, part A 10 marks + part B 15 marks = 25 marks; op (SL 25% / HL 20%); Paper 3 (HL extension: contemporary issues): HL only; one unseen text, part A 10 marks + part B 15 marks = 25 marks (HL 20%); Internal assessment (philosophical analysis): a 2,000-word philosophical analysis of a non-philosophical stimulus, 2 (SL 25% / HL 20%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (core theme + optional themes) | Section A stimulus question 25 marks (one of two) + Section B essays 25 marks each; SL 2 questions/50 marks, HL 3/75 | SL 50% / HL 40% | SL 1 h 45 min / HL 2 h 30 min |
| Paper 2 (prescribed text) | one of two questions, part A 10 marks + part B 15 marks = 25 marks; open book | SL 25% / HL 20% | 1 hour |
| Paper 3 (HL extension: contemporary issues) | HL only; one unseen text, part A 10 marks + part B 15 marks = 25 marks | HL 20% | 1 h 15 min |
| Internal assessment (philosophical analysis) | a 2,000-word philosophical analysis of a non-philosophical stimulus, 25 marks; done in school | SL 25% / HL 20% | 20 hours (in school) |
IB Philosophy Paper 3 drilling technique: split the 75 minutes – about 15 minutes reading and annotating, 25 on part A, 35 on part B; part A must refer to the text (paragraph numbers plus a short quotation are the fastest route), and part B must connect to your own experience of doing philosophy, not to a summary of the course.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (core theme + optional themes) | do the stimulus question first, then the essays | Part A retells the text without mapping its structure or hidden premises. |
| Paper 2 (prescribed text) | one clean, unannotated copy of the text | Paper 2 part B summarises the author instead of evaluating. |
| Paper 3 (HL extension: contemporary issues) | philosophy and technology or the environment | The internal assessment’s stimulus is too broad to get past description. |
| Internal assessment (philosophical analysis) | referencing and organisation carry marks | Part B becomes a course summary with no single concrete episode. |
What is each IB Philosophy Paper 3 (HL) paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1 (core theme + optional themes): do the stimulus question first, then the essays; Paper 2 (prescribed text): one clean, unannotated copy of the text; Paper 3 (HL extension: contemporary issues): philosophy and technology or the environment; Internal assessment (philosophical analysis): referencing and organisation carry marks
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: two short texts a week, annotation only – conclusion, premises, signpost words and hidden premises, fifteen minutes each. Weeks 4-6: part A alone, one quotation and one structural comment per paragraph until a hundred and fifty words takes ten minutes. Weeks 7-9: full papers at seventy-five minutes, part B forced onto one dated classroom episode where your own position moved. Weeks 10-12: three papers on unseen issues – AI, gene editing, animal standing – and a one-page bank of part B examples.
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 (core theme + optional themes) | SL 1 h 45 min / HL 2 h 30 min | about 50-55 min per question (SL two, HL three) |
| Paper 2 (prescribed text) | 1 hour | about 20 min for part A, 35 min for part B |
| Paper 3 (HL extension: contemporary issues) | 1 h 15 min | about 15 min reading, 25 min part A, 35 min part B |
| Internal assessment (philosophical analysis) | 20 hours (in school) | choose the stimulus, then sharpen the question |
How should the time be split inside each IB Philosophy Paper 3 (HL) paper?
Paper 1 (core theme + optional themes): about 50-55 min per question (SL two, HL three); Paper 2 (prescribed text): about 20 min for part A, 35 min for part B; Paper 3 (HL extension: contemporary issues): about 15 min reading, 25 min part A, 35 min part B; Internal assessment (philosophical analysis): choose the stimulus, then sharpen the question
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part A without textual reference | All “I think” | Part A requires reference to the text | paragraph numbers plus a short quotation |
| Part B as a course summary | Reciting definitions of philosophy | 13-15 needs personal reflection | connect it to what you actually did in class |
| Spending over 25 minutes reading | Translating word by word | Part B runs out of time | find the structural paragraphs, then annotate |
| Missing the meta level | Answering only about technology | Part B tests the nature and methods of philosophy | target paragraphs [8] and [9] |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: which part; whether the loss was reading, argument, reflection or time; the repair, naming the paragraph to cite or the example to swap. Three losses of the same kind means three papers on that part alone.
How many years should you drill?
The Philosophy course was first assessed in 2025 and Paper 3 in this form is new, so official samples are few. Work from the guide’s specimens and original mocks, and use Paper 1 and 2 essay questions for argument structure alone.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The Philosophy course was first assessed in 2025 and Paper 3 in this form is new, so official samples are few. Work from the guide’s specimens and original mocks, and use Paper 1 and 2 essay questions for argument structure alone.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB Philosophy Paper 3 (HL) 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 Philosophy Paper 3 (HL) 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.
Should SL students drill Paper 3?
No. Only HL counts it, and SL time belongs to Paper 1’s stimulus questions. Reading practice transfers, though, since part A tests the same skill as Paper 2.
May part B use a film or news story?
Yes, if it is framed as how that episode changed your philosophical reasoning rather than as a review. At least half the answer should trace your position, the objection and the revision.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| IB Philosophy subject page (IBO) | Confirm Paper 3 marks, time and the HL extension topic |
| IB Philosophy HL course guide | The HL extension topic and how it is assessed |
Related: practice area · IB Philosophy drilling guide · IB World Religions Paper 1 drilling mock · IB Philosophy Paper 1 drilling mock · IB Philosophy Paper 2 drilling mock · IB Global Politics drilling mock · IB Anthropology Paper 1 drilling mock
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