IB past papers are the single highest-ROI study activity in the second half of DP2. Here is how to schedule them, mark them honestly, and convert practice into a 7 across subjects.
Velocity Tuition Academy · IB Diploma · Past Papers
Updated May 2026·Written by Velocity Tuition Academy·Reviewed by experienced IB Diploma teachers across HL and SL
IB past papers are the highest-ROI study activity in DP2 — particularly the final two terms. Students who sit 10-15 timed past papers per subject and mark them with the official mark schemes consistently outperform students who rely on textbook re-reading and lecture revision. This guide covers exactly how to schedule them, where to find them, how to mark honestly, and how to convert past-paper practice into a 7.
DP1 Term 1-2: not yet. Focus on content acquisition and the IA. Past papers will overwhelm if attempted too early.
DP1 Term 3 (end of DP1): 1-2 papers per subject, possibly section-by-section rather than full papers. Familiarisation, not assessment.
DP2 Term 1: 2-3 timed past papers per subject across the term. Mock-style sittings.
DP2 Term 2: 4-6 timed past papers per subject. Intensive practice begins.
DP2 Term 3 (final term before exams): 5-8 timed past papers per subject. Daily past-paper engagement.
Total target by exam day: 10-15 timed past papers per subject across the two years. Subjects where you're aiming at HL 7 (Maths AA HL, Sciences HL) need the upper end.
Where to Find IB Past Papers
IB Programme Resource Centre (PRC) — the official IB resource portal, accessed through schools. Contains official past papers, mark schemes, and subject reports.
School past-paper banks — most IB schools maintain libraries of past papers spanning 5-10 recent years.
Third-party past-paper sites — exist online but quality varies and mark schemes may not be official. Use with caution.
For preparation purposes, the IB PRC is the gold standard. Subject reports (the IB's own analysis of how students performed each year, with specific examiner comments) are particularly valuable — they reveal exactly what graded responses look like at each band.
Timed Conditions Matter
Untimed past-paper practice is much less effective than timed practice. The brain needs to learn to perform under exam pressure — pace, prioritisation, knowing when to abandon a stuck question and come back. Practical rules:
Sit the paper at the actual exam time if possible — start at 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. like a real exam.
No breaks during the paper — even if you need water or the bathroom. Real exams don't allow these.
Time strictly. Stop at the buzzer. If you didn't finish, identify why — was it knowledge, technique, or pacing?
Wait at least an hour before marking. The break helps you mark honestly rather than emotionally.
How to Mark Past Papers Honestly
Most students mark themselves too generously. The result: practice that doesn't expose real gaps. The honest marking method:
Use the official mark scheme. Not the textbook answer. Not your teacher's verbal answer. The official IB mark scheme.
Award marks only where your response exactly matches the mark scheme's expected response. "Close enough" earns nothing in real exams; close enough earns nothing in practice marking.
For each lost mark, identify the cause: knowledge gap (you didn't know it), method error (you applied the wrong technique), command-term error (you wrote a description for an explain question), careless slip (you knew but made an arithmetic or sign error), time pressure (you ran out and rushed), mis-read (you answered the wrong question).
Add each cause to your error log.
Honest marking is uncomfortable but it's the only way to identify real gaps. Generous marking creates false confidence and produces 5s instead of 7s.
The Error Log
An error log is a running document tracking every mark you lose. Format:
Date sat / paper / question
Mark lost
Mark scheme's expected response
Cause (knowledge / method / command term / slip / time / mis-read)
Fix (specific revision needed)
Review the error log monthly. Patterns emerge — most students lose marks on 5-10 recurring error types. The fastest path to a 7 is closing those recurring errors deliberately.
Subject-Specific Past Paper Strategy
Maths AA HL: alternate Paper 1 (non-calc) and Paper 2 (calc) to maintain both fluencies. 4-6 Paper 3 sittings minimum.
Maths AI HL: all papers are calculator-allowed. Focus on calculator efficiency. 4-6 Paper 3 sittings.
Sciences (HL): Paper 1 (multiple choice) — drill weekly. Paper 2 — practice the extended responses to develop command-term discipline. Paper 3 — option topic + data analysis.
Economics / Business / Psychology: ERQ practice. Write 2-3 timed ERQs per week in the final term, marked with mark schemes.
Languages: listening papers and written papers separately. Audio practice for listening; timed writing for written papers.
Past Papers AND Subject Reports
The IB publishes "subject reports" alongside past papers — the chief examiner's analysis of how students performed each year. Subject reports are gold-mines for 7-grade students because they reveal:
Which command terms students consistently respond to badly.
Which topics students consistently under-prepare.
Which evaluation depth distinguishes a 5 from a 7.
What examiners specifically reward.
Most students never read subject reports. Reading them is one of the highest-ROI activities in the final term.
Building an IB past-paper schedule?
Our 1-on-1 IB tutors structure DP2 preparation around timed past papers with honest mark-scheme marking and error-log review. Free diagnostic trial assesses current level and builds the schedule.
DP1 Term 3 (end of DP1) for familiarisation — 1-2 papers per subject. DP2 Term 1 — 2-3 timed papers per subject across the term. DP2 Term 2 — 4-6 timed papers per subject. DP2 Term 3 (final term) — 5-8 timed papers per subject. Total target: 10-15 timed past papers per subject across the two years.
The official source is the IB Programme Resource Centre (PRC), accessed through your school. Contains official past papers, mark schemes and subject reports. Schools also maintain past-paper banks spanning 5-10 years. Third-party sites exist but quality varies — use the official IB PRC for serious preparation.
Yes. Untimed practice is much less effective than timed practice. The brain needs to learn exam-pressure pacing. Rules: sit at the actual exam time; no breaks; phone away; time strictly; wait at least an hour before marking to mark honestly rather than emotionally.
Use the official IB mark scheme — not textbook answers or teacher's verbal answers. Award marks only where your response exactly matches the mark scheme's expected response. For each lost mark, identify the cause: knowledge gap, method error, command-term error, careless slip, time pressure, mis-read. Add each cause to your error log.
At minimum 15-20 timed past papers across the two years. Maths AA HL has three papers (Paper 1 non-calc, Paper 2 calc, Paper 3 problem-solving) and each needs practice — aim for 5-7 of each. Also sit at least 4-6 Paper 3 papers specifically, as Paper 3 is unusually variable and breadth of practice matters.
Published by the IB alongside each year's exam papers. The chief examiner's analysis of how students performed — which command terms students respond to badly, which topics students under-prepare, what evaluation depth distinguishes a 5 from a 7. Reading subject reports for your child's subjects is one of the highest-ROI activities in the final term.
