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IB Physics HL Paper 1A Drill Guide: Relations, Units, Orders of Magnitude
The data booklet is open; judgement is what is tested
Paper 1A is the multiple-choice section and the data booklet comes with it, so memorising formulae is not the test – choosing which one applies, and whether units and orders of magnitude agree, is. Items wrap one relation in different contexts, switching simple harmonic motion between a spring and a pendulum, or setting electric and gravitational fields side by side. Write the conservation or defining relation first, substitute to check the order of magnitude, and strike any option off by a power of ten.
How is IB Physics HL Paper 1A 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 | The wrong relation is applied, such as a circular-motion acceleration on a pendulum. |
| Paper 1B (Data-based) | gradients, intercepts, uncertainties and conclusions | Units are left unconverted, so centimetres go into a metre relation. |
| Paper 2 (Short answer and extended response) | derivations, graph interpretation and extended responses | The order of magnitude is out by a power of ten. |
| Internal assessment (scientific investigation) | design, data processing, evaluation and extension | Time runs out before the final question. |
What is each IB Physics HL Paper 1A 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: Weeks 1-3: unit-by-unit items, writing the relation used and a unit check beside each. Weeks 4-6: set one relation’s contexts side by side (spring and pendulum, electric and gravitational field) and record only the differences. Weeks 7-9: three timed papers, logging time per item and how many were saved by magnitude alone. Weeks 10-12: unseen items only, until the relation is named as the stem ends.
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 1A 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: the item number and unit; whether the loss was a wrong relation, an unconverted unit, a wrong order of magnitude, a misread context, or arithmetic; the repair, naming the derivation or conversion set to redo. Three losses in one unit focuses the next week there.
How many years should you drill?
Paper 1A belongs to the current course structure, so the specimens from the change are the earliest usable material; older multiple-choice papers still work for concepts, but their data and contexts differ from the present guide.
How many years of past papers is enough?
Paper 1A belongs to the current course structure, so the specimens from the change are the earliest usable material; older multiple-choice papers still work for concepts, but their data and contexts differ from the present guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB Physics HL Paper 1A 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 Paper 1A 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.
The booklet is provided – is memorising still needed?
Enough to recognise them. The booklet is arranged by topic and searching costs time, so knowing form and conditions lets the stem match at once.
Does an order-of-magnitude check actually help?
Yes, and it is the cheapest filter. Options often differ by a power of ten, so one rough substitution removes two or three of them.
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 · A-Level Physics 9702 drill guide (same mechanics and fields)
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.
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