In simple terms
A friendly intro before the formal notes — no formulas yet.
Cracking the Paper 1 Code
Mastering Paper 1 is about more than just knowing the content; it's a strategic game. Learn the rules and techniques to confidently navigate the exam and maximise your score.
Answering a multiple-choice question is like being a detective at a crime scene with four suspects. You must first understand the crime report (the question stem), then carefully examine the evidence against each suspect (the options). By systematically ruling out the innocent parties (the distractors), you can confidently identify the true culprit (the correct answer).
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Deconstruct the Question: Read the question carefully, underlining key terms and command words. Identify exactly what is being asked before looking at the options.
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Predict the Answer: Based on your knowledge, try to formulate the correct answer in your head. This helps you avoid being misled by plausible but incorrect options.
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Eliminate Distractors: Analyse each option one by one. Cross out any that are clearly incorrect. This process significantly increases your probability of selecting the right answer.
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Select and Verify: Choose the best remaining option. Quickly re-read the question with your chosen answer to ensure it makes logical and scientific sense in the context of the stem.
Explore the concept
Use the live diagram and synced steps — play it or tap a step card to walk through.
Key formulas
Tap any symbol to reveal exactly what it means and its units.
Full topic notes
Formal explanation with the rigour you need for the exam.
Understanding the Challenge: Paper 1 Structure
The Higher Level Paper 1 consists of 40 multiple-choice questions to be answered in 60 minutes. It covers the Core (Topics 1-6), Application (Topic 7), and AHL (Topics 8-13) content. Each question has four possible answers (A, B, C, D), and your task is to select the best one. This paper is worth 20% of your final grade, making every mark crucial.
Recommended Time per Question =
Aim to spend about 1 minute on straightforward questions.
This 'banks' extra time for more complex questions that require calculation or deeper analysis.
Always leave 5-10 minutes at the end to review your answers and tackle any questions you skipped.
A Strategic Approach to Answering Questions
A systematic approach ensures you fully understand the question and evaluate all options critically, reducing careless errors. We recommend a four-step process: Deconstruct, Predict, Eliminate, and Select (DPES).
Dealing with Uncertainty
It is normal to be unsure about a few questions. The key is not to panic or waste too much time. If you're stuck, first use the process of elimination to narrow down your choices. If you can eliminate two options, your chance of guessing correctly increases from 25% to 50%. If you are completely unsure, mark the question, move on, and come back to it at the end. Since there is no penalty for wrong answers, you must answer every question. Make an educated guess based on any partial knowledge you have.
Worked examples
See the formulas applied — reveal one step at a time, like the exam.
Which row correctly describes the state of the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles during inhalation at rest?
| Diaphragm | External Intercostals | |
|---|---|---|
| A | Contracts | Relaxes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| B | Relaxes | Contracts |
| C | Contracts | Contracts |
| D | Relaxes | Relaxes |
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Deconstruct: The question asks for the muscle states during inhalation at rest. Key terms are 'diaphragm', 'external intercostals', and 'inhalation'.
An athlete with a mass of 70 kg accelerates from rest to 8 m/s. What is the impulse required to cause this change in momentum? A. 8.75 Ns B. 560 Ns C. 70 Ns D. 4480 Ns
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Deconstruct: The question asks for impulse. It provides mass (70 kg) and a change in velocity (from 0 m/s to 8 m/s).
How it all connects
The big idea sits in the middle — tap a linked idea to explore the link.
Tap a linked idea to see how it connects back to the main topic — that connection is what examiners reward.
Glossary
Try to recall each definition before you reveal it.
Quick check
Answer in your head first — then tap to check. No pressure.
Revision flashcards
Flip the card. Test yourself before the exam.
What is the structure of the IB SEHS HL Paper 1 exam?
40 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 60 minutes. It covers both the core (SL) and AHL content.
Key takeaways
Review these before you close the topic — retrieval beats re-reading.
- ✓
Aim to spend about 1 minute on straightforward questions.
- ✓
This 'banks' extra time for more complex questions that require calculation or deeper analysis.
- ✓
Always leave 5-10 minutes at the end to review your answers and tackle any questions you skipped.
Practice — then mark it
The whole point: a real Cambridge question, marked mark-by-mark.
Test Your Technique
Test Your Technique
Extra simulations & links
PhET, GeoGebra and other curated tools — open in a new tab.
Frequently asked
Checkpoint
One marked question is worth ten re-reads — close the loop before you move on.
Reading it isn’t knowing it — prove it.
Before you move on: do Test Your Technique on paper, snap a photo, and get examiner-style feedback on exactly where you win and lose marks.