Frequently asked questions
It's been a while since we went through your questions and picked out some of the most frequent ones to answer. We get a wide variety of queries, but some come up more often than others, and it helps to know that you are not alone when grappling with a question. So, keep asking them, and we'll try to pull them together occasionally so the answers are all in one place - here!
FAQs
This time, I have chosen FAQs specific to the exam papers, as I know within the next few months you will be designing mock papers for your students.
Can students gain top marks for Section A questions without using a study?
Yes, the example they use to illustrate their description or explanation of a theory or idea may be either an everyday example or a study. It is the relevance of the example that is important. It must show how the theory works in practice by making a clear link to a behavior or cognition. See here for how to gain top marks using an everyday example.
Will Section B questions always contain a situation or scenario?
Yes, this will always be provided for students, and they will be asked to explain, comment, suggest, or analyze. While there are other command terms at the assessment objective 2 (AO2) level, these are the most likely. To answer the question, students will need to use an idea, theory, or learning objective from one of the content area lists—biological, cognitive, or sociocultural—which will be specified in the question.
Will Section C questions always ask “Discuss”?
This is certainly the most likely command term, but other AO3 terms could be used, such as “evaluate, to what extent, and examine.”
For Section A Q1, do students need to describe the ethical considerations they put in place for their class practical?
No, they don't, because “responsibility” could be the concept addressed in Q2, which would result in significant overlap between their answers to the two questions. However, students should include relevant ethical considerations in their response to Q4, which asks them to describe an alternative method for researching the same topic.
In Section B, will students always be given a study to discuss, and will there always be two concepts to be chosen out of at least four?
Yes, and yes. Students will always be asked to discuss a summarized study with reference to two or more concepts from a list of four.
Will there always be a mixture of qualitative and quantitative data on Paper 3?
Yes. While the first question will always ask about a graph, the other sources will include a mixture of experimental and non-experimental research. Q3 will always focus on either transferability, credibility, or bias, with a stimulus illustrating qualitative research.
Because the P3 extension topic is context-specific, do we need to teach motivation, technology and culture within all contexts?
No, because it is perfectly possible to answer an HL P3 on any of the extensions in any context, provided the student has learned the key ideas behind the influence of the extension on human behavior. The information needed to answer the questions is provided in the paper.
For the final question (Q4), students need knowledge of the key theories and ideas listed in the IB Diploma Psychology Guide (pp. 36–39) and the ability to apply any that are relevant to the stimulus materials in the paper. See this page for help and recommendations on teaching the HL extensions.