When explaining concepts in relation to your class practical you need to know key terms. The following advice is offered as a starting point for this exam question, not a final destination. The secret to success in Paper 2 is knowing your research terminology. After all, conceptual understanding is built on content knowledge and key terms are the building blocks of …
4 Example Answers on the Class PracticalsRAM-PAC in Paper 2, Question 1
After analysing the IB’s marked answers and writing my own, I created this acronym: RAM-PAC. Will it work? Let’s put it to the test. This four mark question tests your knowledge of research methods. Read on and you’ll find four example answers – one for each method. These are hypothetical practicals that I’ve chosen deliberately – you cannot use these answers in …
How to Answer Paper 2, Question 1Describing the Class Practical
There’s no excuse not to get top marks for this first question in Paper 2 – you know exactly what to expect. In this post, I explain the acronym that might help you write top-level answers for Question 1 in Paper 2. Paper 2 assesses your knowledge of research methods. You will write about one of your class practicals: Experiment Observation Questionnaire …
7 sentences for a 7?IB Example Answers - SAQs
Just how much do we need to write for the SAQs? This is a common question. Thankfully, the IB’s provided marked example answers to give us guidance. I was quite surprised to see that one such answer scored 3/4 (75%) with just 7 sentences. Let’s see how such a brief answer scored so well. The question: “Describe how one chemical …
How to Study for Paper One EssaysQuestion Wheels and Concept-Die
There are almost 40 different essay topics in the four contexts. Combine this with six different concepts and we have over 200 possible essay questions in Paper 1, Section C. How can you prepare for that? Here’s one idea. The Paper 1 essays combine one topic with one concept. The IB has said only the “Area of study” (i.e. topic …
How to write an ASAQApplied SAQs - Paper 1, Section B
The first SAQs in Section A are predictable. They’re designed to be “quick wins” that test your knowledge of the topics. The A-SAQs, on the other hand, are unpredictable. While they still test your knowledge they also test your ability to apply that knowledge to an unseen situation. In this post, I’ll outline some ideas on how to answer ASAQs and …
Sociocultural Approach SAQsExam Question Bank
This post explains what sociocultural approach SAQs to expect in Paper One. Jump to… IB’s Example SAQs Practice SAQs Revision Tips Some Examples Study Tips Teacher Tips The Topics The short answer questions (SAQs) in Paper 1, Section A are based on the three approaches. You will be asked two SAQs. One of these might be from the sociocultural approach. The possible …
Paper Three Overview (HL Only)IB Psychology (May 2027)
Let’s give a quick rundown of Paper 3. This is an HL-only exam, so if you’re studying SL you can skip this post. Paper Three tests your understanding of psychological research methods (just like Paper Two). You will be given a booklet with summaries of findings from several studies. These will be a combination of different graphs, tables and paragraph …
Improve your IB Exam ScoresSAQ Tips
The first step in getting a 7 in Paper 1 is to smash your SAQs. But every year the IB examiner reports that students are “too descriptive.” To score higher marks, students need more analysis and application. What does this mean? In this post, I’ll explain what it means and a simple way to improve your SAQs. For teachers, this …
FOUR Practicals, ONE TopicClass Practicals Made Easy
The IB’s recommended a different practical for each of the four contexts. However, they recently confirmed that this is only a suggestion. There’s nothing stopping us from running the four practicals on the same topic and context. In this blog post, I’ll outline one potential idea for running four practicals on one topic – technology and attention (Learning and Cognition). …
The SAQ Pitfall…...and how to avoid it.
I’ve been writing a few SAQ revision resources lately and I’ve discovered a potential pitfall. In this post, I’ll explain the pitfall and one simple idea that might help. The Pitfall Every SAQ needs an explanation of the topic and a supporting example. I think some students might get caught in a trap – they’ll explain their example in the topic itself …
Cognitive Approach SAQsExam Question Bank
This post explains what to expect in Paper 1 Section A – the SAQs. We’ll focus on the Cognitive Approach. Jump to… IB’s Example SAQs Practice SAQs Revision Tips Some Examples Study Tips Teacher Tips The Topics The short answer questions (SAQs) in Paper 1, Section A are based on the three approaches. You will be asked two SAQs. One of these …
Three Types of SAQsCategorising the Approaches in IB Psychology
There are 27 SAQ topics from three approaches. Next to each topic in the IB Guide there’s a learning objective. If your confident in knowing what to study (or teach) for each topic, then skip this post. If you’d like another perspective on this then read on. In the SAQs in Paper One, “only the first column of each table …
Paper Two OverviewIB Psychology (May 2027)
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” The same goes for exams – if you don’t know what’s in the exams then you won’t know how to prepare. To be a successful IB Psychology student (or teacher), you’ll want to plan backwards from the assessment. With this in mind, this post outlines the contents …
Biological Approach SAQsExam Question Bank
This post explains what to expect in Paper 1 Section A – the SAQs. Jump to… IB’s Example SAQs 9 Practice SAQs Revision Questions Some Examples Deeper Analysis Study Tips Teacher Tips The Topics The short answer questions (SAQs) in Paper 1, Section A are based on the three approaches. You will be asked two SAQs. The possible topics from the biological …
Who’s better?A-SAQ Practice Questions
The applied SAQs (A-SAQs) in Paper 1, Section B are challenging. In this post, I’ve devised an example question and written my own answer. I also asked ChatGPT to write an answer as well. Can you tell whose is whose? Which one do you think would score better? The Question: Context: Human Development Prior research has shown differences in the …
Example Essay: Prevalence of Health Problems (Responsibility)IB Psychology Paper 1 Essays
IB’s made it deliberately impossible to memorise pre-written answers for the essay questions (thankfully). But that doesn’t make them impossible to prepare for. The following advice and examples in this post are designed to help both students and teachers gain confidence despite the uncertainties in Section C. The IB Psychology essays are tough. They require the ability to combine concepts with …
Example ASAQPaper 1 for IB Psychology (May 2027 curriculum)
The new Paper 1 ASAQs (pronounced A-sacks, as I like to call them) are simple in nature but difficult to predict. They combine one of the approach content topics (biological, cognitive or sociocultural), with one of the context’s “areas of study.” This post provides one example answer and some tips on how to answer these ASAQs. The rationale behind this …
Paper One Overview in IB PsychologyFor exams starting May 2027
This post outlines the contents and requirements of IB Psychology: Paper One. Each year I’ll update this with a sample of the exam questions asked in the May and November exams so a combination of IB Past Papers for IB Psychology can be accumulated. However, due to copyright reasons I can’t replicate them all. Jump To In This Post: Section …
Need ideas for HL Only Classes? Here’s a simple unit plan for Paper 3
By next year (2026) all the teacher support packs will be ready with complete lesson plans, workbooks, etc., but in the meantime you might be looking for a simple unit plan that requires little planning. The following ideas were devised in collaboration with Paul Wright. Paul and I were working through what to do with HL-only classes once a week. …
How to get 7s in Paper One?Build a course on content, not concepts.
If you’re struggling to build your course on concepts, this post will explain why. About 12 years ago I realised how irrelevant command terms were for IB Psych exams. I lamented over lost time and energy spent focusing on these, at the expense of better things, like content. Since then I’ve tried to show you all what I learned. I …
How to use real world examples in the new SAQsOne topic - two possible answers
In the new IB Psychology course (first exams 2027), the first two questions in Paper One are SAQs. These are 150-250 word answers that explain a topic and use an example. Previously, supporting examples always had to be studies. Now you have the choice – a study or a real world example. In this post, we’ll look at the same …
How to explain a psychological study
Whether it’s for an extended essay, a test or an exam, writing about psychological studies can be a challenging task. This post is designed to help you focus your attention and efforts so you can write the best explanations possible. We’ll begin by breaking down the studies and then look at some examples. The Short Answer 100-200 words Focus on …
#1 Best Study Tip for IB Psych: Write Things Down
Only 3% of IB Psychologists will get a 7. That means if your goal is a 7, you need to be working harder than 97% of all other IB Psychologists. Are you? If you’ve read the other 9 exam tips, you might be. Following this final tip could be the decider. In my experience, there seems to be one factor …
#2 Best Study Tip for IB Psych: Use Flashcards
Flashcards are the most effective way for remembering lots of information. That’s why it’s important to use them when studying for your exams. They’re great for things like key terms, studies and theories. You could use digital apps like Quizlet or make hard copies. If hard copy, you could use the Leitner System or the Three Pile System. How good …