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IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Paper 2: Ethnography, Discussion and Evaluation
Thread issue, concept and ethnography into one line
Paper 2 is the essay paper: ninety minutes and thirty marks at SL, two and a half hours and forty-five at HL, worth 40 and 45 per cent. Answers rest on ethnographies you have actually read, and the paper supplies no background. Discuss means showing several readings; evaluate means judging against stated criteria. Listing issue, concept and ethnography side by side stalls mid-band, so thread them on one line of cause or tension.
How is IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Paper 2 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 2 Section A: one compulsory question: Connect one key concept, one area of inquiry and one real-world issue (SL 40% / HL 45% (15 marks)); Paper 2 Section B: chosen by area of inquiry: Two questions in each of the nine areas of inquiry (15 marks each); SL (SL 40% / HL 45% (SL 30 marks / HL 45 marks)); Paper 1: unseen text and a big question: Questions 1 and 2 compulsory, one of questions 3 and 4, and question 5 (SL 40% / HL 30% (30 / 40 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 2 Section A: one compulsory question | Connect one key concept, one area of inquiry and one real-world issue (15 marks) | SL 40% / HL 45% (15 marks) | SL 1 h 30 min (whole paper) |
| Paper 2 Section B: chosen by area of inquiry | 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 |
| Paper 1: unseen text and a big question | Questions 1 and 2 compulsory, one of questions 3 and 4, and question 5 from the six big anthropological questions; HL adds the ethics question | SL 40% / HL 30% (30 / 40 marks) | SL 1 h 30 min / HL 2 h |
| 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: every answer in Paper 2 has to rest on ethnography you have actually studied, and this paper never supplies invented field material; renaming a study, changing its figures or citing from memory counts as no evidence. The difference between ‘discuss’ and ‘evaluate’ is that discussion sets out several understandings while evaluation ends with a judgement and the criteria behind it.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 2 Section A: one compulsory question | One line through all three, not three blocks side by side | The ethnography is named but the details are vague. |
| Paper 2 Section B: chosen by area of inquiry | In ‘evaluate’ questions, state your criteria; do not write half the answer each way | Issue, concept and ethnography are listed side by side. |
| Paper 1: unseen text and a big question | Concept naming, evidence from the material, a position in the essay | Evaluation becomes two balanced halves with no judgement. |
| Internal assessment: fieldwork | Research question, methods, ethics, use of concepts | Counter-examples are ignored and only supporting material is used. |
What is each IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Paper 2 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 2 Section A: one compulsory question: One line through all three, not three blocks side by side; Paper 2 Section B: chosen by area of inquiry: In ‘evaluate’ questions, state your criteria; do not write half the answer each way; Paper 1: unseen text and a big question: Concept naming, evidence from the material, a position in the essay; Internal assessment: fieldwork: Research question, 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: three ethnographies, one card each, naming author, people, fieldwork period and the concept it supports. Weeks 4-6: two forty-five minute essays a week, drilling only the opening three sentences that link issue, concept and ethnography. Weeks 7-9: two full papers at each level’s time limit, with five lines reserved at the end for judgement and criteria. Weeks 10-12: unseen titles only, adding one counter-example per essay and explaining why it fails to overturn the claim.
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 2 Section A: one compulsory question | SL 1 h 30 min (whole paper) | about 18 min: 2 min defining the concept, 3 min setting out the ethnography and the source of the issue, 11 min arguing, 2 min concluding |
| Paper 2 Section B: chosen by area of inquiry | SL 1 h 30 min / HL 2 h 30 min | about 15 min per question: a judgement sentence first, then the ethnographic evidence, then the exception |
| Paper 1: unseen text and a big question | SL 1 h 30 min / HL 2 h | Read the unseen text twice before allocating time by marks |
| Internal assessment: fieldwork | SL 30 hours / HL 60 hours | Your Paper 2 ethnography list feeds straight into criteria A and C of the internal assessment |
How should the time be split inside each IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Paper 2 paper?
Paper 2 Section A: one compulsory question: about 18 min: 2 min defining the concept, 3 min setting out the ethnography and the source of the issue, 11 min arguing, 2 min concluding; Paper 2 Section B: chosen by area of inquiry: about 15 min per question: a judgement sentence first, then the ethnographic evidence, then the exception; Paper 1: unseen text and a big question: Read the unseen text twice before allocating time by marks; Internal assessment: fieldwork: Your Paper 2 ethnography list feeds straight into criteria A and C of the internal assessment
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citing ethnography from memory | Naming a study with vague or wrong detail | Counts as no evidence in marking | Cite only studies you have read and can give author, people and period for |
| Three blocks instead of one line | Section A: issue, then concept, then ethnography | Section A stalls in the middle bands | Run the three together through one causal or tension line |
| ‘Evaluate’ answered as two halves | Three paragraphs for, three against, then stop | No judgement or criteria, so no top band | State the criteria, then take a position in the conclusion |
| Inventing data or cases | Creating interview content or figures for colour | An academic-integrity problem the answer cannot sustain | Use real research, or label your inference as inference |
| Ignoring the exception | Only examples that fit the claim | Little depth or evaluation | Raise the counter-example and explain why it does not overturn the judgement |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: the title and the ethnography chosen; whether the loss was citation, argument or evaluation; the repair, naming the chapter to reread. Two failures from the same ethnography means changing the source.
How many years should you drill?
The essay format and the level descriptors have been stable, so five years of titles covers the main concepts; the prescribed concepts and suggested ethnographies are updated, so old papers are practice only and the current guide should be checked.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The essay format and the level descriptors have been stable, so five years of titles covers the main concepts; the prescribed concepts and suggested ethnographies are updated, so old papers are practice only and the current guide should be checked.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Paper 2 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 2 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.
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Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| IB social and cultural anthropology subject page (IBO) | Confirm the Paper 2 times, weightings and the nine areas of inquiry |
| IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Paper 1 drilling mock | Unseen-text questions and the big-question essay |
| IB Digital Society Paper 1 drilling mock | Also asks for concept, context and a real example |
| IB Philosophy Paper 1 drilling mock | A model of position and structure in essay answers |
Related: practice area · IB Anthropology Paper 1 drilling mock · IB Digital Society Paper 1 drilling mock · IB World Religions Paper 2 drilling mock
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
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