How to Score a 7 for IB Chemistry?
Recently the IBO has made some significant changes to the IB Chemistry curriculum. This blog will break down important components of the new IB Chemistry curriculum so that you know what you are in for and how to best prepare for success.
- How is the Syllabus Structured?
- How is IB Chemistry Assessed?
- Study Tips
- FAQs
How is the Syllabus Structured?
The new syllabus highly focuses on two main themes in Chemistry: Structure and reactivity. The table below shows the topics covered in each of the themes:
All teaching and learning are based on these two themes to allow students to draw greater connections between every topic. Both Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL) students study both main themes, with higher level students studying additional content in each topic.
How is IB Chemistry Assessed?
In terms of assessment format, there will be internal assessments and external assessments for all Chemistry students.
- Internal assessments make up 20% of the total grade.
- Students will be required to work in groups of two or three to design and run their own experiments.
- Students will collect data and produce a report which will be internally assessed by the school's teacher and externally moderated by IBO examiners.
- This means the school's teacher will mark the work out of a score of 24 and the IBO examiners will review the work and moderate your teacher's given mark if necessary.
- External assessments make up 80% of the total grade.
- Both SL and HL students will be sitting two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2 during the final exam period.
- Paper 1 takes up 36%, and Paper 2 takes up 44% of your total grade respectively.
- Paper 1 is divided into Paper 1A and Paper 1B.
- Paper 1A is composed of multiple choice questions and Paper 1B is composed of short response data analysis questions on experimental techniques.
- The paper aims to examine a student's ability to analyse results through experimental data and their insight into the rationale of chemical experiments.
- The writing time for SL students will be 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours for HL students.
- Paper 2 is composed of short responses and extended response questions.
- Questions are primarily based on course content from the two main themes, reactivity and structure.
- This paper examines students’ understanding of the course content and their ability to communicate scientifically.
- Paper 1 is divided into Paper 1A and Paper 1B.
Study Tips
The first assessment of the new Chemistry curriculum is in 2025, which means we don’t have any official exam papers written by IBO for reference. Although the curriculum and assessment format has made some significant changes, in terms of the content covered it was quite similar so there are some strategies and tips that can be followed to better prepare for the final exam.
1. Identify the topic
- When you first read a question, you need to identify what topic the question is asking you about.
- This process will allow you to draw from everything that you have learnt about the topic so that you are fully prepared to answer the question with relevant knowledge points.
- Sometimes, the same question may test 2 topics together, and the process of identifying the specific topics will aid you to tackle the question with less distraction.
2. Use key words
- Use key terms. IB marking scheme tends to be very simple and they highlight the use of key terms in the answers.
- For example, the use of delocalised electrons is a keyword to use when answering questions about the features of benzene. The way that examiners give you marks in IB Chemistry is that if they see key terms in your answers that match the marking scheme, you will be awarded marks.
- So the trick here is to be precise with your answers; this will not only save you time but also help the marker to quickly identify key terms to give you marks.
3. Use the Data booklet
- The data booklet contains important and useful information that can help with your exam. The most important thing is to familiarise yourself with your data booklet so that you know what information will be useful to you when doing your question.
4. Clarify any Doubts
- If you are struggling to understand any concepts, clarify your doubts with your teacher immediately.
- A private tutor from KIS Academics can also help you achieve your academic goals.
Conclusion
IB Chemistry is a challenging subject but it is definitely a rewarding subject that will aid you in your further tertiary studies. If you feel you need extra support through your IB Chemistry journey sign up for a free 7-day trial to our online IB Chemistry High Performance Program.
FAQs
Should I pick Standard level or higher level Chemistry?
- You don’t have to pick standard or higher level until around the end of first year IB, so there’s time for you to explore which pathway would suit you better.
- Consider your career path, your ideal university course, your study load in other subjects etc.
How much time should I dedicate every week to keep on top of all the Chemistry content?
- I usually spend two hours every weekend reviewing the content I’ve done throughout the week.
- Personally, I find this process really useful as it can not only refresh my mind about the previous content I’ve done but also better prepare me for the upcoming content.
When should I start thinking about the ideas for my internal assessment?
- It is always a good practice to link the current topic to possible ideas of scientific experimentation.
- I would describe this process as trying to investigate the relationship between different variables, and this will help generate possible ideas for the internal assessment
Written by KIS Academics Tutor for IB Maths AA SL, Chemistry HL and SL, Economics SL, Lai Yin Yip. Lai Yin is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne. You can view Lai Yin’s profile here and request him as a tutor.
Want more personalized study guidance to help drastically improve your marks? A private tutor from KIS Academics can make the biggest difference!