中文（繁體）
中文（简体）
English
IB Physics HL Paper 1A Drilling Guide: Elimination, 72-Second Pace and a 12-Week Plan
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · IB PHYSICS HL PAPER 1A
Built on the IB Physics HL assessment: Paper 1 is 60 marks in 2 hours at 36% (1A is 40 multiple choice, 1B is 20 marks of data analysis); Paper 2 is 90 marks in 2 h 30 at 44%; the investigation is 24 marks at 20%. Method only – elimination order, 72 seconds a question, the usual losses.
How is IB Physics HL assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1A (Multiple Choice): 40 questions, SL + AHL content (40 (Paper 1 = 60, 36%)); Paper 1B (Data-based): 20 marks of data analysis (20 (Paper 1 = 60, 36%)); Paper 2 (Short answer and extended response): SL + AHL, 90 marks (90 (44%)); Internal assessment (scientific investigation): one investigation, 24 marks (24 (20%))
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1A (Multiple Choice) | 40 questions, SL + AHL content | 40 (Paper 1 = 60, 36%) | 2 h for Paper 1 |
| Paper 1B (Data-based) | 20 marks of data analysis | 20 (Paper 1 = 60, 36%) | 2 h for Paper 1 |
| Paper 2 (Short answer and extended response) | SL + AHL, 90 marks | 90 (44%) | 2 h 30 min |
| Internal assessment (scientific investigation) | one investigation, 24 marks | 24 (20%) | 10 hours of class time |
Split the two hours of Paper 1 in two: 48 minutes for the 40 Paper 1A items (72 seconds each, flag and move on when unsure), then 72 minutes for the Paper 1B data questions. Half of the multiple-choice marks come from unit and order-of-magnitude sense, so read the units first and two options often fall away.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1A (Multiple Choice) | concepts, graphs, units and orders of magnitude | Answering off the diagram without reading the units in the options, so 30 becomes 30 cm |
| Paper 1B (Data-based) | gradients, intercepts, uncertainties and conclusions | Recalling the formula in the wrong form (v/r instead of v²/r), which corrupts every later step |
| Paper 2 (Short answer and extended response) | derivations, graph interpretation and extended responses | Ignoring the conditions in the stem (negligible air resistance, constant mass) and calculating an extra layer |
| Internal assessment (scientific investigation) | design, data processing, evaluation and extension | Data questions answered with a number and a conclusion, with no gradient, intercept or uncertainty stated |
What is each IB Physics HL paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1A (Multiple Choice): concepts, graphs, units and orders of magnitude; Paper 1B (Data-based): gradients, intercepts, uncertainties and conclusions; Paper 2 (Short answer and extended response): derivations, graph interpretation and extended responses; Internal assessment (scientific investigation): design, data processing, evaluation and extension
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: Twelve weeks keep 1A and 1B apart: weeks 1-3 are three 40-question sets a week (48 minutes each, drilling unit-first elimination), weeks 4-6 move to 1B data questions (gradient, intercept, uncertainty and a conclusion sentence each), weeks 7-10 are Paper 2 long answers by topic, weeks 11-12 timed whole papers. The investigation data must be collected by week 8 or the last fortnight disappears into data processing.
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 1A (Multiple Choice) | 2 h for Paper 1 | 48 min recommended (72 s per item), delete the impossible options first |
| Paper 1B (Data-based) | 2 h for Paper 1 | 72 min recommended, graphs and uncertainties first |
| Paper 2 (Short answer and extended response) | 2 h 30 min | about 1 min 40 s per mark, extended response in the last 30 min |
| Internal assessment (scientific investigation) | 10 hours of class time | fix the research question and variables before collecting data |
How should the time be split inside each IB Physics HL paper?
Paper 1A (Multiple Choice): 48 min recommended (72 s per item), delete the impossible options first; Paper 1B (Data-based): 72 min recommended, graphs and uncertainties first; Paper 2 (Short answer and extended response): about 1 min 40 s per mark, extended response in the last 30 min; Internal assessment (scientific investigation): fix the research question and variables before collecting data
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answering from the picture, not the units | Writing 30 because 30 looks right | The options are in cm or km, a factor of 100 out | Write the required unit first, then convert |
| Reciting the formula in the wrong form | a = v/r instead of v²/r | The whole calculation is wrong downstream | Write the formula in the margin before substituting |
| Ignoring stated conditions | Adding drag or mass that the stem excluded | One layer too many, the answer drifts | Circle every condition in the stem |
| No units or uncertainty in Paper 1B | Just a number and a conclusion sentence | The data-question marks sit in units, gradients and errors | A unit in every cell, uncertainty at the end |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: conditions (were the stem conditions circled), formula (written in the right form with units before substituting), magnitude (is the answer in the same order as the estimate). Nearly every multiple-choice loss sits in one of these, and three repeats in a cell means reread the chapter.
How many years should you drill?
The current IB Physics course was first assessed in 2025, so only the 2025 and 2026 sessions use the 1A/1B split and by-year drilling is not available. Work the official specimen and original mocks properly, use older Paper 1 multiple choice for concept volume (the content still covers SL and AHL), but keep data questions to the current format – the old papers had none.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The current IB Physics course was first assessed in 2025, so only the 2025 and 2026 sessions use the 1A/1B split and by-year drilling is not available. Work the official specimen and original mocks properly, use older Paper 1 multiple choice for concept volume (the content still covers SL and AHL), but keep data questions to the current format – the old papers had none.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB Physics 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 Physics 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.
Do I need to memorise constants for Paper 1A?
Not the numbers – they sit on the data page. What must be automatic is the order of magnitude: estimate first, then read the options, and anything two powers of ten away can be struck at once.
How much uncertainty working does a data question need?
Every measurement needs a value with a ± and a unit; gradients and intercepts keep the precision read off the graph; the conclusion states which way the error runs. Those cells carry the marks – “error is small” earns none.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| IB Physics subject page (IBO) | Confirm the weighting of Paper 1, Paper 2 and the IA |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-ap-physics-1-mock-2027/ | AP Physics 1 drilling mock (same mechanics topics) |
Related: practice area · IB Physics HL Paper 1A mock · A-Level Physics 9702 guide
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
After drilling, the hard part is telling a conceptual error from a unit or formula error. Tell us your year, school and available times and TutorZone will match you with a tutor who knows the IB assessment requirements – trial lesson first, decide afterwards.
IB Physics tutors are in steady demand, especially those who can teach Paper 1B data handling and uncertainties clearly. Register free; fees only apply once a match is made.
