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IB Sports Science Paper 1 Past Papers & Drilling: Energy Systems, Mechanics, Skill
TUTORZONE ORIGINAL DRILLING MOCK · IB SPORTS, EXERCISE AND HEALTH SCIENCE PAPER 1
Written to the IB SEHS course: Paper 1 is multiple choice, SL 30 questions in 45 minutes, worth 36% of the final grade (SL 1 h 30, HL 1 h 45). This mock demonstrates 15 questions – half of the 30-question paper – one mark each, 15 marks in total, covering energy systems, cardiorespiratory response, levers and mechanics, muscle fibres and motor units, skill classification and feedback, nutrition and EPOC, with answers and technique.
What is in IB SEHS Paper 1?
Direct answer: Paper 1 = 1A multiple choice + 1B data/experimental, 36% of the final grade (SL 1 h 30, HL 1 h 45).
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (1A MCQ + 1B data) | 1A multiple choice (SL 30 / HL 40, one mark each) + 1B data and experimental work | 36% | SL 1 h 30 / HL 1 h 45 |
| Paper 2 (Short answer + extended) | Short-answer and extended-response questions | 40% | SL 1 h 30 / HL 2 h 30 |
| Scientific investigation (IA) | Individual written report, max 3,200 words, 10 hours | 24% | 10 hours (school-scheduled) |
Paper 1 drilling technique: take the concept questions that need no calculation first and leave the formula items (cardiac output, power, Karvonen, mechanical advantage) for the second pass, at about 1.5 min each; always write the equation before substituting so millilitres never become litres; circle not and least in the stem; skip anything uncertain and never leave a blank at the end.
How this paper was built
This is a TutorZone original drilling mock: the questions follow the IB SEHS Paper 1 format and the answers are our own, not IB past papers, marking references or IB publications.
Pacing
| Section | Marks | Suggested time | What to do first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (1A MCQ + 1B data) | 36% | about 45 min on 1A, 45 min on 1B (SL) | core concepts + data and experimental analysis |
| Paper 2 (Short answer + extended) | 40% | short answers first, keep 40% of the time for extended answers | data analysis + physiology extended answers |
| Scientific investigation (IA) | 24% | start the investigation early – do not leave data collection to the last two months | open-ended investigation + data handling |
Which calculations come up most in Paper 1?
Direct answer: cardiac output (HR x SV), power (work / time), mechanical advantage (effort arm / load arm), Karvonen target heart rate and relative VO2 max (mL / kg).
Paper 1 multiple choice (15 demonstrated, one mark each)
15 questions, 15 marks – half of the 30-question paper. Answers and the reason for each follow in the next section.
Question 1
An athlete exercising has a heart rate of 150 beats/min and a stroke volume of 100 mL. What is the cardiac output?
A. 150 L/minB. 1.5 L/minC. 1500 L/minD. 15 L/min
Question 2
A 70 kg athlete has an absolute VO2 max of 3.5 L/min. What is the relative VO2 max?
A. 5 mL/kg/minB. 20 mL/kg/minC. 350 mL/kg/minD. 50 mL/kg/min
Question 3
An athlete is 1.75 m tall and weighs 70 kg. What is the body mass index?
A. 20.0B. 24.5C. 40.0D. 22.9
Question 4
A lever has an effort arm of 0.30 m and a load arm of 0.10 m. What is its mechanical advantage?
A. 30.0B. 3.0C. 0.33D. 0.40
Question 5
An athlete pushes a piece of equipment 12 m with a force of 250 N in the same direction. How much work is done?
A. 1500 JB. 3000 JC. 30000 JD. 240 J
Question 6
Following on: the athlete does 3000 J of work in 20 s. What is the average power?
A. 600 WB. 60000 WC. 150 WD. 60 W
Question 7
A 30-year-old athlete has a maximum heart rate of 190 beats/min and a resting rate of 60. Using the Karvonen method, what is the target heart rate at 70% intensity?
A. 175 beats/minB. 151 beats/minC. 133 beats/minD. 163 beats/min
Question 8
For roughly how long can the ATP-PC system sustain maximal-intensity work?
A. about 3 minB. about 60 sC. about 10 sD. about 2 s
Question 9
Which energy system dominates a 400 m sprint?
A. Lactate system (anaerobic glycolysis)B. ATP-PC systemC. Aerobic systemD. Fat oxidation
Question 10
A marathon runner’s gastrocnemius biopsy shows fibres with many mitochondria, high capillary density and slow contraction. Which fibre type is this?
A. Type IIb (fast glycolytic)B. Type IIa (fast oxidative glycolytic)C. Type I (slow twitch)D. Type IIx (fast glycolytic)
Question 11
According to the size principle, in what order are motor units recruited as force rises?
A. Small motor units first, then largeB. Only units aligned with the direction of movementC. Large motor units first, then smallD. All sizes recruited together
Question 12
Receiving a pass from a team-mate inside a crowded defensive circle is which type of skill?
A. Self-paced skillB. Closed skillC. Open skillD. Discrete skill
Question 13
A coach tells an athlete: your shot landed 10 cm to the left of the rim. Which type of feedback is this?
A. Concurrent feedbackB. Intrinsic feedbackC. Knowledge of performanceD. Knowledge of results
Question 14
Three hours before competition, which food is the best choice for steady blood glucose and sustained energy?
A. Glucose sports drinkB. Water with added sugarC. White bread with jam (high GI)D. Porridge oats with banana (low to medium GI)
Question 15
Oxygen uptake stays above resting level after exercise (EPOC). Which of the following is not a main cause of it?
A. Resaturating myoglobin with oxygenB. A rise in absolute muscle strengthC. Clearing lactate and maintaining body temperatureD. Restoring ATP-PC stores
How should the 45 minutes be split?
Direct answer: about 25 minutes on the concept questions that need no calculation, 15 on the formula items, and the last 5 rechecking flagged questions – roughly 1.5 minutes a question.
Answers and reasons
Question 1
Answer: D (15 L/min) Cardiac output = heart rate x stroke volume = 150 x 100 = 15000 mL/min, which is 15.0 L/min. Picking 1.5 reads millilitres as litres; 150 is the heart rate alone.
Question 2
Answer: D (50 mL/kg/min) Relative VO2 max = 3500 mL / 70 kg = 50 mL/kg/min. Comparing aerobic capacity across different body masses needs the relative value; absolute values favour heavier athletes.
Question 3
Answer: D (22.9) BMI = mass / height squared = 70 / 3.0625 = 22.9. BMI only describes the mass-to-height ratio and cannot separate fat from muscle, so it overstates obesity in muscular athletes.
Question 4
Answer: B (3.0) Mechanical advantage = effort arm / load arm = 0.30 / 0.10 = 3.0. Above 1 means force is saved (a second-class lever, such as a wheelbarrow); most levers in the body are third class, where effort sits between axis and load, giving an advantage below 1 – more force for more speed and range.
Question 5
Answer: B (3000 J) Work = force x distance = 250 x 12 = 3000 J. If the force is not parallel to the displacement, only the component along it does work.
Question 6
Answer: C (150 W) Power = work / time = 3000 / 20 = 150 W. Power is work per unit time, so performing the same movement faster raises power – the key idea behind explosive-strength questions.
Question 7
Answer: B (151 beats/min) Karvonen: target = resting + intensity x (maximum – resting) = 60 + 0.70 x (190 – 60) = 60 + 91 = 151 beats/min. Multiplying the maximum alone (190 x 0.7 = 133) is the usual error – it ignores the resting rate.
Question 8
Answer: C (about 10 s) The ATP-PC system regenerates ATP from creatine phosphate and is depleted in about 10 s; it powers the 100 m sprint and weightlifting. Stored ATP alone lasts about 2 s, while 60 s and 3 min belong to the lactate and aerobic systems.
Question 9
Answer: A (Lactate system (anaerobic glycolysis)) A 400 m takes about 45-60 s, past the roughly 10 s limit of the ATP-PC system, so anaerobic glycolysis (the lactate system) supplies most of the ATP and blood lactate peaks at the finish. The ATP-PC system covers the first 10 s; aerobic and fat oxidation dominate only in recovery.
Question 10
Answer: C (Type I (slow twitch)) Type I fibres carry the most mitochondria, the densest capillary network and the greatest fatigue resistance, but contract slowly with little force – ideal for prolonged aerobic work. Type II fibres contract fast and produce more force but fatigue quickly, suiting sprints and explosive events.
Question 11
Answer: A (Small motor units first, then large) The size principle recruits motor units from small (slow, low threshold) to large (fast, high threshold), so light loads mainly use slow fibres. Recruiting fast fibres requires a heavier load or a faster movement – the reason power training must be heavy or fast.
Question 12
Answer: C (Open skill) An open skill is performed in an unpredictable environment controlled by external factors – opponents, team-mates and the pitch all change – so receiving a pass demands instant decisions. Closed skills run in a stable environment (a set-piece free kick), and self-paced skills let the performer start when ready (a golf putt).
Question 13
Answer: D (Knowledge of results) Knowledge of results describes the outcome of the movement (where the ball landed, the time recorded); knowledge of performance describes the process (release angle, elbow position). Landing 10 cm left is an outcome, so this is knowledge of results – and it is external, terminal feedback.
Question 14
Answer: D (Porridge oats with banana (low to medium GI)) Low-glycaemic-index foods digest slowly, raise blood glucose gently and supply energy steadily, reducing the reactive dip at the start of competition. High-GI foods (white bread, glucose drinks) absorb fast and suit during exercise or within 30 min of finishing; eaten alone three hours before, they spike then drop.
Question 15
Answer: B (A rise in absolute muscle strength) EPOC is the oxygen debt repaid after exercise: restoring ATP-PC stores, resaturating myoglobin and blood oxygen, clearing lactate, holding an elevated temperature and heart rate, and raised catecholamines. Absolute muscle strength is a long-term training adaptation, not something EPOC produces in the minutes after a session.
How many years of Paper 1 should I drill?
Direct answer: IB past papers circulate only through a school’s programme resource centre, so candidates usually hold only what their school issues and cannot build a by-year archive; fill the volume from the course guide, textbook questions and original mocks, aiming to get each topic right first time.
Where these marks are usually lost
| Mistake | What it looks like | What it costs | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substituting before writing the equation | 150 x 100 mL read as 150 L | The unit is wrong and the whole item falls | Write the equation, then convert units |
| Mixing up energy systems | Treating the 400 m as ATP-PC | The system does not match the duration | Learn the 10 s / 60 s / 3 min boundaries |
| Knowing the labels only | Skill classification as open or closed alone | Any new context breaks it | Attach one sporting example to every class |
| Confusing feedback types | Knowledge of results treated as performance | Outcome and process blur together | Outcome = where it landed; process = release angle |
How to use this paper
First drill: 15 questions in 22 minutes (45 min for 30 scaled down), books closed.
Mark it: check every reason, log the misses, and note whether the error was conceptual, a unit slip or a missed ‘not’.
Second drill: redo three to seven days later, aiming for 15 correct inside 20 minutes.
Is there a penalty for wrong answers in Paper 1?
Direct answer: no – there is no negative marking, so answer every question; even a pure guess should eliminate two options and pick from the rest.
FAQ
Is this an IB past paper?
No. The questions and answers are TutorZone originals, not IB past papers, marking references or IB publications.
What is in IB SEHS Paper 1?
Paper 1 splits into 1A multiple choice and 1B data/experimental questions, 36% in total (SL 1 h 30, HL 1 h 45). All are single-answer items on the core, one mark each.
Why only 15 questions?
This mock demonstrates half of the 30-question paper so you can rehearse pacing and question types; for full-length practice, combine it with the other mocks in this subject and school papers.
Official references
| Resource | What to check |
|---|---|
| IB SEHS subject page (IBO) | Confirm the question counts, times and weightings for Papers 1-3 |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-ib-sports-science-paper-2-mock-2027/ | Paper 2 short-answer and extended-response mock |
Related: IB Sports Science Paper 2 mock · practice area
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