European Baccalaureate Philosophy flashcards
European Baccalaureate Philosophy · Build recall with a focused review session.
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- Philosophy written paper duration
- The compulsory Philosophy written examination lasts four hours and is the longest single written paper in the European Baccalaureate.
- Explication de texte method
- A commentary identifies the passage's thesis, reconstructs its argument step by step, evaluates its strength and situates it within the author's wider doctrine.
- Essay structure requirement
- A philosophical essay must state a problem, develop a structured argument in two or three parts, and conclude with a defended position rather than a summary.
- Problematisation in marking
- Markers reward candidates who turn the question into a genuine problem, exposing tensions and presuppositions, instead of describing doctrines or listing authors.
- Author reference rule
- Essays must refer explicitly to at least two studied authors or traditions, using precise concepts and, where possible, short accurate quotations from primary texts.
- Time allocation in written paper
- Roughly a fifth of the four hours goes to planning, three fifths to writing, and the remainder to revision and correction of the script.
- Choice of essay topics
- Written papers typically offer a choice between two essay subjects, sometimes alongside a commentary option; candidates answer the required number of questions.
- Technical vocabulary in essays
- Precise use of terms such as a priori, contingent, teleological or categorical signals conceptual mastery and is explicitly rewarded in the marking grid.
- Weighting of written examination
- The written examination contributes roughly half to two thirds of the final subject mark, the rest coming from the preliminary mark and oral component.
- Quotation policy in examinations
- Candidates may quote from memory with author, work and approximate location; only officially authorised texts may be brought into the examination room.
- Written paper marking scale
- Each written paper is marked out of 100 and converted into the subject mark, with grade descriptors rewarding argument, knowledge and expression equally.
- Philosophy oral duration
- The oral examination lasts twenty minutes: about fifteen minutes of candidate exposition followed by roughly five minutes of questions from the jury.
- Oral preparation time
- Candidates receive twenty minutes of preparation with the drawn question and may consult authorised programme texts and prepare a plan during that period.
- Drawing the oral question
- The oral question is drawn at random from the official programme and may combine a doctrinal question with a short text extract for comment.
- Jury composition for oral
- The oral jury consists of an examiner and an observer; both record marks, and the observer's assessment resolves or harmonises significant divergence.
- Oral marking criteria
- Oral marks reward content mastery, clarity and coherence of argument, capacity for dialogue under questioning, and correct philosophical terminology.
- Three oral examinations
- The Baccalaureate includes three oral examinations: the compulsory oral plus elective orals, each conducted before a two-member jury.
- Dialogue phase of oral
- In the question phase the jury tests whether the candidate can justify claims, concede limits and reformulate ideas rather than recite prepared notes.
- Announcing an oral plan
- A strong oral opens by announcing a clear two- or three-part plan, which structures the exposition and signals control of the problem.
- Reading prepared text penalty
- Reading a fully written script during the oral is penalised; the exercise demands structured but spontaneous speech adapted to the jury's questions.
- Oral question scope
- Oral questions cover the whole official Philosophy programme, so candidates must revise every theme, not only those treated in the final term.
- Observer's role in oral
- The observer does not question the candidate but independently records a mark used to harmonise the examiner's assessment when the two differ markedly.
- A marks definition
- A marks are formative continuous-assessment marks awarded by the teacher across the year for classwork, homework, tests, participation and projects.
- B marks definition
- B marks derive from the Pre-Baccalaureate examinations held in the second semester, set and marked under conditions mirroring the final examinations.
- Preliminary mark composition
- The preliminary mark combines A and B marks according to a weighting fixed by the school's pedagogical council within the European Schools' framework.
- Pre-Baccalaureate examinations
- These compulsory mock examinations rehearse the final written papers, give candidates feedback before the Baccalaureate and supply the B marks.
- Sufficiency of A mark evidence
- A marks must rest on several assessed tasks spread across the year; a single test or assignment cannot constitute the entire A mark.
- Preliminary mark scale
- The preliminary mark is expressed on a 0-100 scale and counts towards the final subject mark together with the written and oral results.
- Harmonisation procedure
- When preliminary and final examination marks diverge sharply, the Baccalaureate harmonisation procedure may adjust the final subject mark accordingly.
- Communication of B results
- Pre-Baccalaureate results are communicated to candidates before the final examinations so that weaknesses can still be addressed.
- Formative versus summative
- A marks are formative, guiding learning through the year; B marks are summative, measuring achievement under examination conditions.
- Pedagogical council role
- The school's pedagogical council fixes the precise A and B weighting and ensures consistent assessment practice across subjects and teaching groups.