How this analysis was built — please read
New IB Physics syllabus first sat in May 2025. We have 1 real exam sitting (May 2025) + IBO Specimen papers (2023) under the new format. To strengthen predictions, we mapped 6 years of old syllabus Paper 1 & Paper 2 data (2019–2024) onto the new themes — core physics content is largely unchanged. Data source is labelled on every row: 🟢 New syllabus · 🟡 Mapped old syllabus · 🟣 Teaching hours proxy. Paper 3 (old) data is excluded — that tested options which no longer exist.
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Paper 1A — Multiple Choice Questions
🔵 MCQ strategy insight: In the old syllabus, Topic 1 (Mechanics/Kinematics) dominated with 6–7 questions per paper out of 40. Mapped to the new syllabus, Theme A (Space, Time & Motion) is expected to carry the highest MCQ load. Every theme appears in every paper — Theme A and Theme D consistently have the most questions. No single subtopic is ever “safe to skip” in MCQ, but some appear every year without fail.
🟢 New syllabus (May 2025 + Specimen)
🟡 Mapped from old syllabus (2019–2024)
🟣 Teaching hours proxy
Paper 1A — MCQ subtopic frequency by theme (SL & HL)
| IB PHYSICS — PAPER 1A MCQ TOPIC FREQUENCY | May 2025 + Mapped Old Syllabus 2019–2024 | SL & HL | |||||||||||
| Free preview: Theme A · Themes B–E locked below · HL-only topics greyed in SL view | |||||||||||
| Ref | Theme | Topic / Subtopic | M19 | M21 | M22 | M23 | M24 | M25★ | Hrs SL/HL | HL only? | May 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THEME A: SPACE, TIME & MOTION — highest teaching hours, most MCQ questions per paper (free preview) | |||||||||||
| A.1 | Space/Time | Kinematics — SUVAT equations, projectile motion, graphs of motion, relative velocity 🟡 mapped | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 9/14 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN |
| A.2 | Space/Time | Forces & momentum — Newton’s laws, free-body diagrams, impulse, conservation of momentum, circular motion 🟡 mapped | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★★ | 11/17 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN |
| A.3 | Space/Time | Work, energy & power — work-energy theorem, conservation of energy, efficiency, power 🟡 mapped | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 7/11 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| A.4 | Space/Time | Rigid body mechanics — torque, moment of inertia, angular momentum, rolling HL 🟣 hrs proxy | — | — | — | — | — | ✔★ | 0/8 | HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL NEW |
| A.5 | Space/Time | Special relativity — Lorentz factor, time dilation, length contraction, spacetime diagrams HL 🟣 hrs proxy | — | — | — | — | — | ⚠ | 0/7 | HL | ⭐⭐⭐ HL NEW |
★ = confirmed appeared May 2025 new syllabus | ★★ = heavily tested May 2025 | ⚠ = underrepresented May 2025 (may overcorrect in 2026) | — = old syllabus data not directly comparable
| Ref | Theme | Topic / Subtopic | M19 | M21 | M22 | M23 | M24 | M25★ | Hrs SL/HL | HL only? | May 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THEME B: PARTICULATE NATURE OF MATTER | |||||||||||
| B.1 | Matter | Thermal energy transfers — conduction, convection, radiation, Stefan-Boltzmann, specific heat, latent heat | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 6/9 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| B.2 | Matter | Greenhouse effect — energy balance, albedo, climate change, black body radiation, Wien’s law | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 5/8 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN |
| B.3 | Matter | Gas laws — ideal gas behaviour, Boyle’s, Charles’s, combined gas law, kinetic molecular theory | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | — | ✔ | ✔★ | 4/7 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| B.4 | Matter | Thermodynamics — internal energy, first/second law, entropy, Carnot engine, heat pumps HL | — | — | — | — | — | ✔★★ | 0/9 | HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL CERTAIN |
| B.5 | Matter | Current & circuits — Ohm’s law, resistance, series/parallel, Kirchhoff’s laws, power in circuits | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 6/9 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN |
| THEME C: WAVE BEHAVIOUR | |||||||||||
| C.1 | Waves | Simple harmonic motion — period, amplitude, displacement equations, energy, pendulum, mass-spring | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 5/8 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| C.2 | Waves | Wave model — transverse/longitudinal, wave speed equation, reflection, refraction, Snell’s law | ✔ | ✔ | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 4/6 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| C.3 | Waves | Wave phenomena — superposition, interference, diffraction, double-slit, single-slit, thin film (HL) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 7/11 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| C.4 | Waves | Standing waves — harmonics in strings and pipes, nodes, antinodes, boundary conditions | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | — | ✔ | ✔★ | 4/6 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| C.5 | Waves | Doppler effect — observed frequency formula, sound & EM waves, red-shift, applications | ✔ | — | ✔ | ✔ | — | — | 3/5 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| THEME D: FIELDS — largest HL jump; D.2 is #1 priority topic | |||||||||||
| D.1 | Fields | Gravitational fields — field lines, g, gravitational potential, orbital mechanics, Kepler’s laws, escape velocity | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 7/12 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| D.2 | Fields | Electric & magnetic fields — Coulomb’s law, E-field, magnetic force on charges/wires, magnetic flux, transformers | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★★ | 9/16 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN |
| D.3 | Fields | Motion in fields — charged particle motion in E & B fields, electric potential, equipotential surfaces | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | — | ✔★ | 5/9 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| D.4 | Fields | Electromagnetic induction — Faraday’s law, Lenz’s law, EMF, AC generators, transformers HL | — | — | — | — | — | ✔★★ | 0/8 | HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL CERTAIN |
| THEME E: NUCLEAR & QUANTUM PHYSICS | |||||||||||
| E.1 | Nuclear/Q | Structure of atom — nuclear model, atomic number, mass number, isotopes, binding energy, mass-energy | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 5/8 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| E.2 | Nuclear/Q | Quantum physics — photoelectric effect, photons, Compton scattering, de Broglie, wave-particle duality, Bohr model HL | — | — | — | — | — | ✔★★ | 0/10 | HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL CERTAIN |
| E.3 | Nuclear/Q | Radioactive decay — alpha/beta/gamma, half-life, decay equations, activity, safety | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 6/9 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| E.4 | Nuclear/Q | Fission — chain reactions, critical mass, reactors, enrichment, waste | ✔ | — | ✔ | — | ✔ | — | 3/5 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| E.5 | Nuclear/Q | Fusion & stars — HR diagram, stellar evolution, luminosity, Wien’s law, nuclear fusion reactions | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 5/8 | SL&HL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
★ May 2025 · 🟡 mapped old syllabus · 🟣 teaching hours proxy | HL-only rows greyed in SL view
🟡 M25 key findings for Paper 1A: Students reported Fields (D.2 Electromagnetism) and Quantum Physics (E.2, HL) as unexpectedly heavy in May 2025. Thermodynamics (B.4, HL) and Rigid Body (A.4, HL) also prominently featured. Relativity (A.5) and Circular Motion were underrepresented — suggesting possible rebalancing in May 2026. Kinematics (A.1, A.2) and Circuits (B.5) appeared as reliably as expected.
🔴 Top 5 MCQ topics — every year, every paper
- A.2 Forces & Momentum — highest MCQ allocation in both old and new syllabus. Newton’s laws, free-body diagrams, circular motion always tested.
- D.2 Electric & Magnetic Fields — Coulomb’s law, magnetic force, transformers. Heavily tested M25.
- B.5 Circuits — Kirchhoff’s laws, power, resistance combinations. Appears without fail.
- E.3 Radioactive decay — half-life calculations always in MCQ. High marks for short work.
- E.2 Quantum (HL) — Compton effect, photoelectric, de Broglie. Dominated HL M25.
🔵 Paper 1A exam technique
- No penalty for wrong answers — attempt every question
- ~80–90 seconds per question at HL, ~90 seconds at SL
- Use the data booklet actively — many MCQ answers come from plugging into formulae
- For graph questions: check units on axes before interpreting
- Eliminate wrong answers first — usually 2 can be eliminated immediately
- Theme A questions often appear in the first 10–12 questions
Paper 1B — Data-Based Questions
🟡 What Paper 1B tests: This paper replaces old Paper 3 Section A. It presents graphs, tables and experimental data and asks you to read, interpret, calculate uncertainties, identify errors, and apply physics to unfamiliar experimental contexts. The physics content can come from any theme — but the skills tested are always the same: data reading, gradient calculations, uncertainty propagation, and identifying systematic vs random errors.
🟡 Paper 1B skill areas — always tested
- Reading graphs — extract values, find gradients, identify intercepts
- Uncertainty calculations — absolute, percentage, combining uncertainties
- Identifying error types — systematic vs random, improving experiments
- Linearising data — log graphs, gradient = physical constant
- Applying physics equations — use data to verify a law or find a constant
- Drawing best-fit lines — and lines of maximum/minimum gradient
📊 Experimental themes from Specimen + M25
- Mechanics experiment — trolley/ramp, timing gates, acceleration measurement
- Circuits experiment — V-I graphs, resistance from gradient, internal resistance
- Waves experiment — standing waves in strings/pipes, frequency-length relationship
- Radioactive decay simulation — half-life from decay curve, log graph linearisation
- Thermal experiment — cooling curves, Stefan-Boltzmann verification
- Any experiment testing the data booklet formulae is fair game
⚠ Important for Paper 1B revision: Practice old Paper 3 Section A questions (2019–2024) — they are directly equivalent in skill to new Paper 1B. The marking is identical: look for keywords like “read from graph”, “calculate gradient”, “state one improvement”. The physics topic may differ but the question style is the same. Every mark in Paper 1B is a skill mark, not a content recall mark.
Paper 2 — Extended Response (Highest mark value)
🔴 Paper 2 is where exams are won or lost. At 44% weighting for both SL and HL, this is the most important paper. Extended questions often link 2–3 themes together (e.g. gravitational fields + circular motion; waves + quantum). Command words like explain, derive, evaluate carry most marks. A question may start with a 2-mark “state” and build to a 6-mark “evaluate” — the marks grow as the question deepens.
Paper 2 extended response topics — may 2025 + historical frequency
| IB PHYSICS — PAPER 2 EXTENDED RESPONSE TOPIC FREQUENCY | May 2025 + Mapped Old Syllabus 2019–2024 | SL & HL | |||||||||
| Extended questions test depth and synthesis across themes | HL questions demand higher command word responses | SL: HL-only rows greyed | |||||||||
| Ref | Theme | Topic | M21 | M22 | M23 | M24 | M25★ | Avg Marks | May 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THEME A — Mechanics in Paper 2 (always large extended questions) | |||||||||
| A.1–A.3 | Mechanics | Kinematics + Forces + Energy combined — projectile + forces + energy conservation in one extended question | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 12–18 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN |
| A.4 | Mechanics | Rigid body mechanics — moment of inertia, torque, angular momentum in extended context HL | — | — | — | — | ✔★ | 8–12 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL NEW |
| A.5 | Relativity | Special relativity — time dilation, length contraction problems, spacetime diagrams HL | — | — | — | — | — | 6–10 | ⭐⭐⭐ HL NEW |
| THEME B — Thermal & Circuits in Paper 2 | |||||||||
| B.1–B.3 | Thermal | Thermal physics — heat transfer calculations, kinetic theory, gas law problems in extended context | ✔ | ✔ | — | ✔ | ✔★ | 8–12 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| B.4 | Thermo | Thermodynamics — entropy, Carnot engine, P-V diagrams, efficiency calculations HL | — | — | — | — | ✔★★ | 10–15 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL CERTAIN |
| B.5 | Circuits | Circuit analysis extended — internal resistance, V-I characteristics, power dissipation, non-ohmic components | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 10–14 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| THEME C — Waves in Paper 2 (Paper 2 loves standing waves + diffraction) | |||||||||
| C.1 | SHM | SHM extended — energy-displacement graphs, period derivation, resonance, damping | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | — | ✔★ | 8–12 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| C.3+C.4 | Waves | Diffraction + standing waves combined — double-slit fringe spacing, pipe harmonics, string modes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 10–16 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| THEME D — Fields in Paper 2 (electromagnetism = highest marks) | |||||||||
| D.1 | Gravity | Gravitational fields extended — orbital speed, escape velocity, gravitational potential calculations, satellites | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 10–14 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| D.2 | EM Fields | Electromagnetism extended — magnetic force calculations, particle in field, transformer problems | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★★ | 12–18 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN |
| D.4 | Induction | Electromagnetic induction — EMF calculations, Lenz’s law application, AC generator, RMS values HL | — | — | — | — | ✔★★ | 12–18 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL CERTAIN |
| THEME E — Nuclear & Quantum in Paper 2 | |||||||||
| E.3 | Radioactive | Radioactive decay extended — decay series, half-life calculations, activity, uses in medicine | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 8–12 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| E.5 | Stars | Stars & fusion — HR diagram classification, luminosity/temperature, stellar evolution, nuclear fusion energy | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔★ | 10–14 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| E.2 | Quantum | Quantum physics extended — photoelectric calculation, Compton effect derivation, de Broglie wavelength HL | — | — | — | — | ✔★★ | 10–16 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL CERTAIN |
🔴 Top Paper 2 priorities — most marks available
- D.2 Electromagnetism — 12–18 marks per paper. Magnetic force, transformer, field calculations. Every year, every level.
- A.1–A.3 Mechanics combined — always the biggest question. Projectile + force + energy in one extended problem.
- E.5 Stars & fusion — HR diagram always comes up. Know spectral classes, luminosity formula, main sequence.
- B.4 Thermodynamics (HL) — Entropy, Carnot, P-V diagrams were heavily tested May 2025.
- D.4 Induction (HL) — EMF calculations, Lenz’s law, RMS — confirmed heavy in M25.
⚛️ Paper 2 exam technique
- Read entire question before starting — later parts often hint at what’s needed earlier
- Show all working — method marks available even if final answer is wrong
- State the formula first, substitute values, then calculate — this structure earns marks
- For “explain” questions: give the physics principle, then apply it to the context
- For “evaluate/discuss”: give both sides, then reach a conclusion
- Check units throughout — missing units costs marks even with correct numbers
About the new IB Physics syllabus
IB Physics was completely restructured for first assessment in May 2025. The old 12-topic syllabus with optional Paper 3 topics (Astrophysics, Relativity, Engineering Physics, Imaging) has been replaced by 5 themes covering 24 compulsory topics. HL students now study all of this plus 5 HL-only subtopics, including Rigid Body Mechanics, Special Relativity, Thermodynamics, Electromagnetic Induction and Quantum Physics.
Also studying Biology or Chemistry? IB Biology prediction → | IB Chemistry prediction →
Key differences — HL vs SL
- Paper 1: SL = 25 MCQ + 20 data marks / HL = 40 MCQ + 20 data marks
- Paper 2: SL = 75 marks / HL = 90 marks (deeper and longer)
- HL-only topics: A4 Rigid body · A5 Relativity · B4 Thermodynamics · D4 Induction · E2 Quantum
- Teaching hours: 150 SL vs 240 HL
- May 2025 finding: HL-only topics (especially B4, D4, E2) appeared very heavily — do not underestimate them
🔬 Also building: IB Biology → IB Chemistry →
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