International Baccalaureate exams have a number of features that distinguish them from other tests that high school students may take. But earning a much-coveted six or seven score on the exams depends on understanding what you will face, as well as how to address each type of exam problem.
The best time to familiarize yourself with IB exams is before you take your first IB class and before you must meet the demands of this advanced coursework.
In a previous piece, we looked at the IB assessments more broadly, but now let’s discuss six of the assessment styles you may encounter on an external assessment. Note that this is not a comprehensive list and that you may encounter other forms, including text-response questions and translations, depending on your IB course curriculum.
[Read four common questions, answers about IB assessments.]
— Essays: These are the core of IB assessments. An essay is a logically constructed piece of writing that often presents a persuasive argument. Length can vary from a page to several pages to the 4,000-word extended essay.
The end-of-year exam for IB Language A: Literature, for instance, includes multiple essays that require students to carefully analyze literary works, all within the span of several hours. The extended essay, in contrast, is a single piece of writing that students complete over a period of time that is longer than a single exam. Note that the extended essay is part of the IB Diploma Programme; students enrolled in single IB courses will not need to complete it.
Perhaps the best advice for doing well on essays is to plan before you begin writing. Even on timed essays, you should have an outline before you start.
Clearly stated reasoning is typically much more valuable than beautiful prose, so focus on clarity and conciseness. There are many publicly available IB essay rubrics, such as this example from InThinking. Study these before attempting your first external assessment.
[Get more information on AP and IB diploma programs.]
— Structured problems: These are similar to essays in that they require the creation of longer pieces of text that address a topic in some detail. They differ, though, in that the focus is the your ability to explain this topic, rather than your attempt to persuade.
One example of a structured problem from IB Geography HL is: “A consultant is preparing a flood-prevention plan for a town situated close to a large river. Apart from rainfall and run-off, discuss the other geographical information that would be useful.” This is the third step of a three-part problem.
For this structured problem, you are not arguing an opinion but instead displaying your technical knowledge. You must demonstrate that you understand flood prevention.
Also for structured problems, be aware of what you are being asked to discuss. In this example, you can see that each part prompts you to speak about very specific information. Follow the directions closely, and note words like “describe” and “examine” when composing your response.
— Case-study questions: You will encounter these questions o n the IB Computer Science HL external assessment as well as in other IB exams.
For IB Computer Science HL, in advance of the exam, you might be provided with information on the application of computer science to a given field. On test day, you would be expected to then demonstrate a deep understanding of that information and to apply your relevant computer science knowledge to the case study.
Much like essay questions, conciseness, logic and organization are paramount in answering case-study questions. In addition, you will need to be very specific, since you will have had ample time to consider the case study at hand.
[Discover five ways to prepare for IB success.]
— Data-response questions: These questions ask you to interpret data based on the material you’ve learned in the IB course. Here is an example of a data-response question for the IB Economics SL course.
In this example, you are given a series of data points and then asked to answer specific questions related to those data points. Be sure to draw on the breadth of the course syllabus when formulating your answers.
In the case of the IB Economics SL course, you have one-and-a-half hours to create your answer, and that answer counts for a full 40 percent of your grade in the course. Note that in some cases, the questions specify the use of diagrams when composing your answers.
— Short-response questions: These questions, as the name implies, are shorter than essays. Science assessments may include a number of short-response questions, though these questions may appear on assessments for other IB courses.
In this Chemistry HL sample test, for instance, one question requests that you, “Explain why depressants are sometimes described as anti-depressants.”
Although these require shorter answers, you still need to write precise and thoughtful answers. Practice writing short responses to questions that are raised in class. This is a better form of preparation than simply rereading your notes.
— Multiple-choice questions: Unlike other exams, multiple-choice questions are rarely used in IB assessment. Biology SL includes 30 multiple-choice questions on Paper 1, for example, but none on Papers 2 and 3.
Like short-response questions, focus on exactly what is being asked in a multiple-choice question and ensure your answer addresses all the elements in the question.
Beyond familiarizing yourself with the various IB assessment styles, you can also read in-depth material online that addresses the philosophy of IB assessments as well as material that lays out assessment goals and criteria for each of the three core elements and six subject groups. These documents may prove useful as you prepare for your first IB course.
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Review Types of IB Assessments Before First Course originally appeared on usnews.com
