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IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Paper 1: Two Readings, Concept Notes and the Big Question
Read the material twice: sequence first, concepts second
Anthropology Paper 1 Section A supplies unseen material: questions 1 and 2 are compulsory (4 and 6 marks), 3 or 4 is chosen (10 marks), and question 5 is one of the six big questions (10 marks), in ninety minutes at SL and two hours at HL. Read the material twice: first for sequence, who did what and when, then mark it with concept abbreviations. Question 5 is an essay and needs a position in its first line.
How is IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Paper 1 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1 Section A: unseen text and a big question: Questions 1 and 2 are compulsory (4 and 6 marks); answer question 3 or (SL 40% / HL 30% (30 marks)); Paper 1 Section B: anthropological ethics: One ethics question (10 marks) answered with reference to one of two s (HL only (10 marks within the 30%)); Paper 2: engaging with ethnography: Section A one compulsory question (15 marks) connecting a key concept, (SL 40% / HL 45% (SL 30 marks / HL 45 marks)); Internal assessment: fieldwork: SL four compulsory activities (450 / 300 / 400 / 850 words), criteria (SL 20% / HL 25%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 Section A: unseen text and a big question | Questions 1 and 2 are compulsory (4 and 6 marks); answer question 3 or 4 (10 marks); question 5 is one of the six big anthropological questions (10 marks) | SL 40% / HL 30% (30 marks) | SL 1 h 30 min (whole paper) |
| Paper 1 Section B: anthropological ethics | One ethics question (10 marks) answered with reference to one of two stimuli (written and visual) | HL only (10 marks within the 30%) | HL 2 h (whole paper) |
| Paper 2: engaging with ethnography | Section A one compulsory question (15 marks) connecting a key concept, an area of inquiry and a real-world issue; Section B offers two questions in each of the nine areas of inquiry (15 marks each), SL answers one and HL two, from areas other than the Section A area | SL 40% / HL 45% (SL 30 marks / HL 45 marks) | SL 1 h 30 min / HL 2 h 30 min |
| Internal assessment: fieldwork | SL four compulsory activities (450 / 300 / 400 / 850 words), criteria A 4 + B 6 + C 4 + D 12 = 26 marks; HL fieldwork proposal, an 800-word critical reflection and a 1,600-word research report, criteria A-E | SL 20% / HL 25% | SL 30 hours / HL 60 hours |
Drilling technique: read Material A twice – the first time for sequence only (who did what, when), the second time writing concept abbreviations in the margin (power, materiality, social relations, symbolism, change). Question 5 is an essay, not a reflection: open with your position, then set out each ethnography with its author, the people studied and the period. For every answer, say who gains and who loses from the arrangement described.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 Section A: unseen text and a big question | Annotate the events and people in the material, name them with key concepts, then judge | The material is read once, so answers cannot point to its details. |
| Paper 1 Section B: anthropological ethics | consent, confidentiality, inducement, power asymmetry, honesty | The HL ethics answer names principles without applying them to the stimulus. |
| Paper 2: engaging with ethnography | Use ethnography you have actually studied; never invent research material | Paper 2 restates the ethnography without linking it to an inquiry area. |
| Internal assessment: fieldwork | research question, choice of methods, ethics, use of concepts | The fieldwork write-up spends its words on description and squeezes the analysis. |
What is each IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Paper 1 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1 Section A: unseen text and a big question: Annotate the events and people in the material, name them with key concepts, then judge; Paper 1 Section B: anthropological ethics: consent, confidentiality, inducement, power asymmetry, honesty; Paper 2: engaging with ethnography: Use ethnography you have actually studied; never invent research material; Internal assessment: fieldwork: research question, choice of methods, ethics, use of concepts
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: reading drills only — a five-minute sequence table then ten minutes of concept marks, no answers. Weeks 4-6: questions 1 and 2, every sentence naming a concept or a detail from the material. Weeks 7-9: the ten-mark structure for questions 3 and 4 in four moves — describe, conceptualise, analyse, limit. Weeks 10-12: the big question in thirty-five minutes inside a full timed paper, with HL ethics practice on two stimulus pieces in the last fortnight.
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 Section A: unseen text and a big question | SL 1 h 30 min (whole paper) | about 15 min on questions 1 and 2; about 35 min on question 3 or 4; about 35 min on question 5; keep 5 min to check |
| Paper 1 Section B: anthropological ethics | HL 2 h (whole paper) | about 30 min: list the ethical principles, check each against the stimulus, then state who carries the consequences |
| Paper 2: engaging with ethnography | SL 1 h 30 min / HL 2 h 30 min | about 15 min per question: 2 min defining the concept, 3 min setting out the ethnography, 8 min arguing, 2 min concluding |
| Internal assessment: fieldwork | SL 30 hours / HL 60 hours | The observation report needs sensory detail; the reflection must handle your own position and the limits of your methods |
How should the time be split inside each IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Paper 1 paper?
Paper 1 Section A: unseen text and a big question: about 15 min on questions 1 and 2; about 35 min on question 3 or 4; about 35 min on question 5; keep 5 min to check; Paper 1 Section B: anthropological ethics: about 30 min: list the ethical principles, check each against the stimulus, then state who carries the consequences; Paper 2: engaging with ethnography: about 15 min per question: 2 min defining the concept, 3 min setting out the ethnography, 8 min arguing, 2 min concluding; Internal assessment: fieldwork: The observation report needs sensory detail; the reflection must handle your own position and the limits of your methods
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Describing instead of analysing | Retelling the events of Material A | Questions 3-5 fall into the 1-3 band | Every paragraph needs one concept and one judgement |
| Ethnography named but unused | Stopping at ‘for example a study of X’ | Question 5 requires author, people and period | Author + people studied + period + which claim it supports |
| Treating the big question as a reflection | Writing personal feelings about society | Essay questions credit argument, not opinion | State a position, then support it with material and concepts |
| Listing ethical principles | Naming consent, confidentiality and so on | No marks for principles not checked against the stimulus | Say where each principle is broken in the material |
| Over-long definitions | Half a page on the history of a concept | Too little time left for the argument | One sentence to define, then compare and evaluate |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: the question and the concept tested; whether the loss was over-description, a mismatched concept, analysis detached from the material or an essay without a position; the next material type to drill. Two misses on one concept make a concept card.
How many years should you drill?
The Section A structure and mark split are stable enough that five years covers the question types, but the revised course changed the inquiry areas and criteria, so older papers serve as reading practice.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The Section A structure and mark split are stable enough that five years covers the question types, but the revised course changed the inquiry areas and criteria, so older papers serve as reading practice.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB Social and Cultural Anthropology 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 Social and Cultural Anthropology 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.
Can the big question be answered as a personal reflection?
No. It is an essay and needs a position, applied concepts and evidence from the material; reflection alone earns nothing for analysis.
Does the HL ethics section need separate preparation?
Yes. Section B is HL only, one ten-mark question on one of two stimulus pieces, and it rewards applying ethical principles to a concrete research situation.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| IB social and cultural anthropology subject page (IBO) | Confirm the Paper 1 and Paper 2 times, weightings and HL requirements |
| IB Philosophy Paper 1 drilling mock | Another stimulus-plus-essay paper to drill |
| IB Digital Society Paper 1 drilling mock | The a/b/c structured-question demands |
| IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Paper 2 drilling mock | Engaging with ethnography: answer with material you have studied |
Related: practice area · IB Anthropology Paper 2 drilling mock · IB Philosophy Paper 1 drilling mock · IB World Religions Paper 1 drilling mock
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