BioNinja

Assessment Details

• Section

  Description

• Paper 1
  (36%)

  Multiple choice questions
  

  Four data-based questions related to experimental work and the syllabus
  

• Paper 2
  (44%)

  Data-based question
  

  Short-answer questions related to the syllabus
  

  Extended-response questions
  

• IA (20%)
  

  A 3000-word report based on a 10 hour scientific investigation

Course Comparison

• Level

  Description

• Standard
  

  Length:  150 hours (110 hr content + 40 hr practical work)
  

  Paper 1:  55 marks (30 multiple-choice + 4 data-based questions)
  

  Paper 2:  50 marks (one of two extended responses attempted)
  

• Higher
  

  Length:  240 hours (180 hr content + 60 hr practical work)
  

  Paper 1:  75 marks (40 multiple-choice + 4 data-based questions)
  

  Paper 2:  80 marks (two of three extended responses attempted)
  

Syllabus Structure

The IB Biology syllabus has been structured according to four themes that have been further divided into four levels of organisation:

• Themes: Unity and Diversity, Form and Function, Interactions and Interdependencies, Continuity and Change

• Layers: Molecules, Cells, Organisms, Ecosystems (increasing in complexity)

While the use of themes is helpful for making connections between different topics, there are a number of limitations with this model:

• Certain concepts that are closely related may become disconnected across themes (e.g. evolution in A4.1 and natural selection in D4.1)

• Higher level content is intrinsically embedded in the themes, making it difficult to teach separately from the standard level content

For this reason, the syllabus has been reorganised into a traditional topics format (with all higher level content organised into discrete topics)

• Topics: Biomolecules, Cells, Metabolism, Genetics, Heredity, Equilibrium, Body Systems, Plant Systems, Biodiversity, Nutrition, Ecology, Human Impacts
  

Themes vs Topics