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IB Sports, Exercise and Health Science Paper 1 Drill Guide: Two Rhythms for Multiple Choice and Data
Two rhythms: 1A multiple choice, then 1B data
Paper 1 runs in two parts: 1A multiple choice and 1B data and experimental questions, together thirty-six per cent; ninety minutes at SL and a hundred and five at HL, with the rest of the marks in Papers 2 and 3. 1A tests concept discrimination, 1B tests reading data and writing conclusions. Clear the non-calculation items first, hold the formula questions for a second pass, and always write the formula before substituting, keeping unit conversion on the same line.
How is IB Sports, Exercise and Health Science Paper 1 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1 (1A MCQ + 1B data): 1A multiple choice (SL 30 / HL 40, one mark each) + 1B data and experi (36%); Paper 2 (Short answer + extended): Short-answer and extended-response questions (40%); Scientific investigation (IA): Individual written report, max 3,200 words, 10 hours (24%)
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.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (1A MCQ + 1B data) | core concepts + data and experimental analysis | Substitution before the formula, and the unit conversion fails. |
| Paper 2 (Short answer + extended) | data analysis + physiology extended answers | The energy system is matched to the wrong duration. |
| Scientific investigation (IA) | open-ended investigation + data handling | 1B reports figures with no conclusion or limitation. |
What is each IB Sports, Exercise and Health Science Paper 1 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1 (1A MCQ + 1B data): core concepts + data and experimental analysis; Paper 2 (Short answer + extended): data analysis + physiology extended answers; Scientific investigation (IA): open-ended investigation + data handling
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: 1A by topic, circling the limiting words in each stem and naming the concept that was conflated. Weeks 4-6: 1B only, copying the table headings and units first, then a one-sentence conclusion, then the inference. Weeks 7-9: full papers at each level’s time, practising the first-pass skip of formula items. Weeks 10-12: unseen data contexts only, with the formula sheet written out from memory and units checked.
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 (1A MCQ + 1B data) | SL 1 h 30 / HL 1 h 45 | about 45 min on 1A, 45 min on 1B (SL) |
| Paper 2 (Short answer + extended) | SL 1 h 30 / HL 2 h 30 | short answers first, keep 40% of the time for extended answers |
| Scientific investigation (IA) | 10 hours (school-scheduled) | start the investigation early – do not leave data collection to the last two months |
How should the time be split inside each IB Sports, Exercise and Health Science Paper 1 paper?
Paper 1 (1A MCQ + 1B data): about 45 min on 1A, 45 min on 1B (SL); Paper 2 (Short answer + extended): short answers first, keep 40% of the time for extended answers; Scientific investigation (IA): start the investigation early – do not leave data collection to the last two months
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | 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 |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: question number and which part; whether the loss was concept, calculation or expression; the repair, naming the threshold or formula to memorise. A concept failed twice means writing five questions of your own on it the next week.
How many years should you drill?
The revised SEHS course was first assessed in 2026, so both shape and weighting are new and official questions are few. Work from the guide’s specimens and original mocks, and use older multiple-choice items for concept discrimination only.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The revised SEHS course was first assessed in 2026, so both shape and weighting are new and official questions are few. Work from the guide’s specimens and original mocks, and use older multiple-choice items for concept discrimination only.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB Sports, Exercise and Health Science 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 Sports, Exercise and Health Science 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 1B answers contain?
Usually three sentences: what the data show with figures and units, what concept that supports, and the limitation of the method. The first sentence alone earns part marks.
Are formulas given?
Some data are supplied; the formulas are not. Know cardiac output, power, mechanical advantage and Karvonen by heart, with the unit of every symbol.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| 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
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
After drilling, the hard part is telling a conceptual error from a writing error. Tell us the year group, the school and your available times, and TutorZone will match you with a tutor who knows the HKEAA assessment requirements.
Demand for tutors in this subject is steady, and those who can explain the marking scheme and where marks are won are especially sought after. Register free; you pay only when a match succeeds.