中文（繁體）
中文（简体）
English
IB Sports Science Drilling Guide: Three Papers, Data Questions and a 12-Week Plan
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · IB SPORTS SCIENCE
Written to the current IB Sports, Exercise and Health Science course: Paper 2 at SL is 1 h 15 min, 50 marks, 35% – a Section A data question plus a Section B extended response (one from three); HL is 2 h 15 min and 90 marks. Paper 1 at SL is 45 min, 30 questions, 20%; Paper 3 at SL is 1 h, 40 marks, 25% and tests the options only. Method only here: drill order across the three papers, data-question technique, equations, a 12-week plan and the error log.
How is IB Sports Science assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 2 (short + extended): SL 50 marks (HL 90) (35%); Paper 1 (multiple choice): SL 30 questions (HL 40) (20%); Paper 3 (options): SL 40 marks (25%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 2 (short + extended) | SL 50 marks (HL 90) | 35% | SL 1 h 15 min / HL 2 h 15 min |
| Paper 1 (multiple choice) | SL 30 questions (HL 40) | 20% | SL 45 min / HL 1 h |
| Paper 3 (options) | SL 40 marks | 25% | SL 1 h |
IB Sports Science Paper 2 drilling technique: data questions must quote figures, state the trend and compare magnitudes, using overlapping standard deviations to judge significance; p < 0.05 means rejecting the null hypothesis; physiology answers should quote the equation and substitute (cardiac output = HR x SV); extended responses need both sides, specific factors and why they affect validity. Bring a calculator.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 2 (short + extended) | data analysis + physiology essays | The data question says “it increased” without quoting figures, comparing the size of the change or checking whether the standard deviations overlap; the extended response argues one side only and never writes out the cardiac output equation |
| Paper 1 (multiple choice) | core topics + HL extension | Multiple choice answered from impression, errors filed by paper rather than by topic so the same topic recurs, and every graph or calculation item skipped – which is why Paper 1 sits at the pass line |
| Paper 3 (options) | option-topic short answers and application | Reading only one option: a cross-option question leaves nothing to write, and the answer never hits that option’s marking points |
What is each IB Sports Science paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 2 (short + extended): data analysis + physiology essays; Paper 1 (multiple choice): core topics + HL extension; Paper 3 (options): option-topic short answers and application
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 three tracks. Paper 2: weeks 1-4 take one data question a week at 25 minutes, writing the four sentences – trend, figures, magnitude, standard deviation; weeks 5-8 are extended responses, two a week at 22 minutes each, equations first then both sides plus named factors; weeks 9-12 are whole papers at 1 h 15 min, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring error types. Paper 1: 30 questions in 45 minutes every week, errors grouped by topic. Paper 3: one option topic of short answers a week from week 5, then mixed cross-option sets in the final 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 2 (short + extended) | SL 1 h 15 min / HL 2 h 15 min | about 25 min Section A, 45 min Section B |
| Paper 1 (multiple choice) | SL 45 min / HL 1 h | about 1.5 min per question |
| Paper 3 (options) | SL 1 h | split by option, keep 5 min to check |
How should the time be split inside each IB Sports Science paper?
Paper 2 (short + extended): about 25 min Section A, 45 min Section B; Paper 1 (multiple choice): about 1.5 min per question; Paper 3 (options): split by option, keep 5 min to check
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data question without figures | It increased | Quote means and standard deviations | cite figures |
| Ignoring SD overlap | Declaring significance at once | Overlap means it may not be significant | check overlap |
| Physiology without equations | Heart rate rises only | Quote Q = HR x SV and substitute | equation plus substitution |
| One-sided extended response | Strengths only | Both sides plus factors | both sides plus reasons |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: data (means and standard deviations quoted, magnitudes compared), equations (cardiac output = heart rate x stroke volume written out and substituted), structure (both sides plus named factors in the extended response). The equation column is the one most often blank and the cheapest to fix – one formula serves both the data question and the essay.
How many years should you drill?
The Paper 2 shape – a Section A data question plus one extended response from three – has held across several sessions, so four to five sessions of papers cover the question types and the marking. Paper 1 spreads multiple choice across the core topics, so three or four sessions suffice; Paper 3 only examines the options, so filter by the options your school teaches instead of doing every paper. Topic names on older papers may differ from the current guide – check before you use them.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The Paper 2 shape – a Section A data question plus one extended response from three – has held across several sessions, so four to five sessions of papers cover the question types and the marking. Paper 1 spreads multiple choice across the core topics, so three or four sessions suffice; Paper 3 only examines the options, so filter by the options your school teaches instead of doing every paper. Topic names on older papers may differ from the current guide – check before you use them.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB Sports Science 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 Science 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.
Paper 3 only tests the options – should the core topics still be drilled?
Yes, but later. Papers 1 and 2 carry 55% between them and both are core-topic papers; Paper 3 carries 25%. Get the Paper 2 data question and extended response right first, then use Paper 3 for depth on the options. Starting with Paper 3 spends most of the time on memorising and pays back least.
How should the 75 minutes of Paper 2 be split?
About 25 minutes on the Section A data question, 45 on the Section B extended response, and five minutes left to check units and significant figures. Speed in the data question is not the same as accuracy: quoting the figures and comparing the magnitudes are the two steps the marks sit on.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| IB SEHS subject page (IBO) | Confirm the Paper 1-3 marks and times |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-ib-english-a-paper-1-mock-2027/ | IB English A Paper 1 drilling mock |
Related: practice area · IB Sports Science Paper 2 original mock with answers
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.
