IB Biology Exam Breakdown
A breakdown of the IB Biology exams. The exams account for most of your final IB Biology grade. Use this page to understand the paper structure and pacing before you sit your exams in IB Biology.
Paper 1: Multiple Choice & Data Analysis
Weighting: SL 36% | HL 36%
This IB Biology exam paper tests all of your core syllabus knowledge through multiple choice & data analysis questions.
Section A: Multiple choice questions, where each question has 4 answer options (A/B/C/D). Questions can take any form including diagrams, images and tables.
Section B: Data-based questions related to experimental work and the syllabus.
| Level | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
SL | 55 marks: Section A: 30 marks
Section B: 25 marks
| 90 minutes:
|
HL | 75 marks: Section A: 40 marks
Section B: 35 marks
| 120 minutes:
|
Paper 2: Extended Response & Data Analysis
Weighting: SL 44% | HL 44%
This IB Biology exam paper tests all of your core syllabus knowledge through extended response & data analysis questions.
Section A: One data-based question, including multiple parts (i/ii/iii). This is followed by several short-answer questions on syllabus content.
Section B: A choice of extended response sets, where each set is made of 3 longer questions (often 2,6,8 marks). Candidates choose sets to answer.
| Level | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
SL | 50 marks: Section A: 34 marks
Section B: 16 marks
| 90 minutes:
|
HL | 80 marks: Section A: 48 marks
Section B: 32 marks
| 150 minutes:
|
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IB biology syllabus points
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