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Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Practice with real IB exam papers. Download past papers, mark schemes, and examiner reports for all subjects.

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Curated by Priya Anand Iyer · The Pattern Finder

Know What to Expect

Understand exactly how questions are formatted and what examiners ask.

Master Time Management

Practice pacing yourself so you never run out of time in the real exam.

Identify Weak Areas

Discover which topics need more work before the exam, not during it.

How to Use Past Papers Effectively

Past papers are the single most effective revision tool—but only if you use them right.

1

Start with recent papers

Begin with papers from the last 2-3 years as they reflect current syllabus and assessment styles.

2

Time yourself

Practice under exam conditions. Use the exact time allocation for each paper.

3

Mark your own work

Use the mark scheme to assess your answers. Be honest and identify gaps.

4

Read examiner reports

These reveal common mistakes and what examiners actually want to see.

Papers by Subject Group

Browse past papers organised by IB subject group. Each includes question papers, mark schemes, and examiner reports where available.

Group 1: Studies in Language & Literature

  • English A: Language & Literature12 papers
  • English A: Literature10 papers
  • Other Language A courses8 papers

Group 2: Language Acquisition

  • English B10 papers
  • French B8 papers
  • Spanish B8 papers
  • Other Language B courses6 papers

Group 3: Individuals & Societies

  • Economics14 papers
  • Business Management12 papers
  • Psychology10 papers
  • History12 papers
  • Geography10 papers

Group 4: Sciences

  • Physics16 papers
  • Chemistry16 papers
  • Biology16 papers
  • Computer Science10 papers
  • Environmental Systems & Societies8 papers

Group 6: The Arts

  • Visual Arts6 papers
  • Music6 papers
  • Theatre4 papers

Core Components

Theory of Knowledge

Past essay titles, exhibition prompts, and assessment criteria

8 resources available

Extended Essay

Exemplar essays, assessment criteria, and examiner comments

12 resources available

Don't Skip the Examiner Reports

Most students ignore these. That's a mistake. Examiner reports tell you exactly what markers are looking for—and the common errors that cost students marks every year.

  • See which questions students found difficult
  • Understand exactly how marks are awarded
  • Learn from mistakes without making them yourself

From a Recent Biology Examiner Report:

"Many candidates lost marks by not reading the command term carefully. 'Explain' requires a reason or mechanism, not just a description. Candidates who wrote 'because...' consistently scored higher."

This single insight could be worth 5+ marks across your biology papers.

Examiner Tips

How to Read a Mark Scheme

Mark schemes can be confusing. Here's how to decode them.

[1]

Single Mark Points

Each point in the mark scheme is worth 1 mark. You need to hit each point separately.

/

Alternative Answers

A slash means either answer is acceptable. You don't need both.

;

Separate Points

A semicolon separates distinct marking points. Each is worth a mark.

Expert Guidance

Need Help Understanding Past Papers?

Our tutors can walk you through past paper technique, help you understand mark schemes, and show you exactly how to pick up marks you're currently missing.

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