In simple terms
A friendly intro before the formal notes — no formulas yet.
Mastering the Multiple-Choice Sprint
Paper 1 is a test of both your knowledge and your exam strategy. Think of it as a fast-paced event where technique is just as important as your training.
Answering a multiple-choice paper is like a penalty shootout in football. You have the knowledge (the skill to kick the ball), but you also need a strategy: reading the goalkeeper's position (the question's keywords), ignoring the crowd's distractions (the distractor options), and choosing the best corner to aim for (the correct answer). A powerful kick without aim is useless.
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Deconstruct the Question: Carefully read the question stem and identify the key command words and topic area. What is it really asking?
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Analyse the Options: Read all four options before making a decision. Mentally or physically cross out any options you know are definitely incorrect.
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Justify Your Choice: Select the 'most correct' answer. Try to articulate to yourself why it is correct and why the others are wrong.
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Manage Your Time: Pace yourself at roughly 1.5 minutes per question. If you're stuck, make an educated guess, mark the question, and move on.
Explore the concept
Use the live diagram and synced steps — play it or tap a step card to walk through.
Full topic notes
Formal explanation with the rigour you need for the exam.
Understanding the Paper 1 Challenge
The SEHS SL Paper 1 consists of 30 MCQs to be completed in 45 minutes. This tight timing—just 90 seconds per question—means that both speed and accuracy are essential. The questions are designed to test your understanding, application, and analysis of core concepts. They are not just simple recall questions; many will require you to interpret data, apply principles to a scenario, or choose the 'best' explanation from a set of plausible options.
Timing is Key: 90 seconds per question is an average. Some will be quicker, others may take longer.
No Negative Marking: You do not lose marks for incorrect answers. Therefore, you must answer every single question.
Breadth of Knowledge: The paper covers the entire core syllabus (Topics 1-6), so you cannot rely on knowing just a few topics well.
Distractors are Common: Each question has one correct answer and three distractors designed to catch common misconceptions.
A Strategic Approach to Answering MCQs
Adopting a consistent, systematic approach can reduce errors and improve your efficiency. We recommend a four-step process for every question: Deconstruct, Analyse, Justify, and Manage. This turns guessing into a structured process of deduction.
Handling Data and 'NOT' Questions
Paper 1 often includes questions that require you to interpret a graph or table. For these, always read the title, axes (including units), and any keys before looking at the question itself. Another common type is the 'negative' question, which uses words like 'NOT' or 'LEAST'. These can be tricky if you are reading too quickly. A good habit is to physically circle or underline the negative word to keep it at the forefront of your mind.
Worked examples
See the formulas applied — reveal one step at a time, like the exam.
Which statement best describes the role of acetylcholine in muscle contraction?
A. It binds to troponin, causing a conformational change. B. It is released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum to initiate the power stroke. C. It diffuses across the neuromuscular junction to depolarise the sarcolemma. D. It provides the energy for the myosin head to detach from actin.
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1. Deconstruct the Question: The keywords are 'acetylcholine' and 'muscle contraction'. The question asks for its specific 'role'.
A 17-year-old male has a measured VO₂ max of 55 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹. All of the following are likely to be true about this individual EXCEPT:
A. He participates in regular endurance training. B. His resting heart rate is likely to be lower than the average for his age. C. He has a high percentage of fast-twitch (Type IIb) muscle fibres. D. He has a high density of mitochondria in his muscle cells.
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1. Deconstruct the Question: The key information is a high VO₂ max (55 is excellent for a 17-year-old male). The crucial word is 'EXCEPT'. This means we are looking for the statement that is FALSE or inconsistent with having a high VO₂ max.
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 SL Paper 1 exam?
30 multiple-choice questions to be answered in 45 minutes. It covers the core syllabus content.
Key takeaways
Review these before you close the topic — retrieval beats re-reading.
- ✓
Timing is Key: 90 seconds per question is an average. Some will be quicker, others may take longer.
- ✓
No Negative Marking: You do not lose marks for incorrect answers. Therefore, you must answer every single question.
- ✓
Breadth of Knowledge: The paper covers the entire core syllabus (Topics 1-6), so you cannot rely on knowing just a few topics well.
- ✓
Distractors are Common: Each question has one correct answer and three distractors designed to catch common misconceptions.
Practice — then mark it
The whole point: a real Cambridge question, marked mark-by-mark.
Test Your Technique with Paper 1 Questions
Test Your Technique with Paper 1 Questions
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 with Paper 1 Questions on paper, snap a photo, and get examiner-style feedback on exactly where you win and lose marks.