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IB Psychology Drilling Guide: Papers 1-2, Command Terms and a 12-Week Plan
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · IB PSYCHOLOGY
Written to the current IB Psychology course: Paper 1, 49 marks, 2 hours – Section A has three short-answer questions (biological, cognitive, sociocultural), 9 marks each for 27; Section B is one extended-response essay from three, 22 marks. Worth 50% at SL and 40% at HL. Paper 2 drills the options: one essay at SL, two at HL, worth 25% and 20%. Method only here: drill order across both papers, command terms, a 12-week plan and the error log.
How is IB Psychology Paper 1 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1 (Core): 3 SAQs (9 each) + 1 ERQ (22), 49 marks (SL 50%／HL 40%); Paper 2 (Options): SL one ERQ / HL two ERQs (SL 25%／HL 20%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Core) | 3 SAQs (9 each) + 1 ERQ (22), 49 marks | SL 50%／HL 40% | 2 hours |
| Paper 2 (Options) | SL one ERQ / HL two ERQs | SL 25%／HL 20% | SL 1 h / HL 2 h |
IB Psychology Paper 1 drilling technique: SAQ command terms are only describe/outline (AO1) or explain (AO2) – give 3-4 points and do not write an essay; ERQ command terms are discuss/evaluate/to what extent (AO3) and require both sides, research evidence and a conclusion. Prepare at least two studies per approach (author + year + method + findings + evaluation).
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Core) | three approaches + command terms | Short answers written as essays: SAQs only ask describe, outline or explain, yet both sides get bolted on and the time is gone without extra marks; the essay then runs one-sided with studies named but not explained |
| Paper 2 (Options) | option topics (abnormal, health, relationships) | Options answered from common sense: the essay never uses studies from that option and stops at everyday examples; at HL the two essays are badly split, two thirds of the time on the first and only a skeleton left for the second |
What is each IB Psychology Paper 1 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1 (Core): three approaches + command terms; Paper 2 (Options): option topics (abnormal, health, relationships)
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 on two tracks. Paper 1 track: weeks 1-4 go approach by approach, one approach a week with eight sessions of SAQs on that approach, each timed at 12 minutes and checked against the command term; weeks 5-8 are essays, one 50-minute essay a week, first listing both sides, the study and the conclusion before reading a model answer; weeks 9-12 are whole timed papers, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring error types in your log. Paper 2 track: one option essay a week – 50 minutes at SL, two back to back at HL – drawn from the options you actually study.
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) | 2 hours | about 12 min per SAQ, 50 min for the ERQ |
| Paper 2 (Options) | SL 1 h / HL 2 h | about 50 min per essay |
How should the time be split inside each IB Psychology Paper 1 paper?
Paper 1 (Core): about 12 min per SAQ, 50 min for the ERQ; Paper 2 (Options): about 50 min per essay
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAQ written as an essay | Both sides in a SAQ | SAQs only describe/explain, 3-4 points | SAQ short, ERQ balanced |
| One-sided ERQ | Strengths only | Discuss needs both sides and a conclusion | both sides + conclusion |
| No research support | Theory only | Every point needs a study (author + year) | research support |
| Ignoring the command term | Discuss treated as Explain | Read the command term first | command term first |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: command term (did the answer hit the right level – describe written as evaluate, or evaluate with only strengths), study (author, year, method and findings all present), evaluation (does it name a methodological limitation rather than just saying the hypothesis was supported). The study column is the one most often left half-written and the cheapest to fix: one study with all four parts serves both the SAQ and the essay.
How many years should you drill?
The three-approach Paper 1 format has held steady under the current course, so four to five sessions of papers cover the command terms and the marking demands. Older papers are still readable, but Paper 1 once carried research methods, so check the question type against the current subject guide first; Paper 2 offers only a few option questions a session, so filter by the options your school teaches rather than doing every paper in full.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The three-approach Paper 1 format has held steady under the current course, so four to five sessions of papers cover the command terms and the marking demands. Older papers are still readable, but Paper 1 once carried research methods, so check the question type against the current subject guide first; Paper 2 offers only a few option questions a session, so filter by the options your school teaches rather than doing every paper in full.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB Psychology Paper 1 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 Psychology Paper 1 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 much should a short answer contain?
A 9-mark SAQ needs three or four points, each with one sentence of explanation, inside 12 minutes. Turning it into an essay is the classic loss: length does not earn AO2 or AO3 marks and it eats the essay time.
How does Paper 2 differ between SL and HL?
SL writes one essay in an hour; HL writes two in two hours, worth 25% and 20% of the total respectively. The HL difficulty is not the extra essay but the few minutes between them, so fix both option lines in advance instead of choosing on the day.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| IB Psychology subject page (IBO) | Confirm the Paper 1-3 marks and times |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-ib-economics-mock-paper/ | IB Economics drilling mock |
Related: practice area · IB Psychology Paper 1 original mock with answers
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
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