IB Biology SL exam-day guide
IB Biology SL · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID and admission documents
Bring the government-issued photo ID your school or exam centre requires, plus any admission statement or candidate number slip you were given. Exact accepted ID types vary by centre, so confirm with your exam coordinator in advance. needs_review
Know your session time and arrival deadline
Paper 1 and Paper 2 are usually sat in one session and Paper 3 (SL) in another, but the order and start times are set by your centre. Confirm your personal timetable and how early you must arrive; late arrival rules are centre-specific. needs_review
Approved calculator
A calculator is permitted for the biology papers, and some calculation questions are designed around it. Use a model your centre allows, check the battery, and clear/keep memory as instructed. Confirm which models are permitted with your coordinator. needs_review
Spare batteries or a backup calculator
A dead calculator mid-paper is avoidable stress. Carry spare batteries if your model uses them, or arrange a second permitted calculator. Ask your centre whether a backup device may be kept at your desk. needs_review
Black or blue pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener
Bring at least two pens that write cleanly, pencils for any multiple-choice answer sheet, and an eraser. Confirm whether your centre supplies answer sheets or expects you to use your own stationery. needs_review
Clear pencil case or transparent pouch
Many centres require stationery to be visible in a clear case or loose on the desk. Check the local rule rather than assuming. needs_review
Nothing that could be treated as unauthorised material
Leave notes, textbooks, smart watches, and phones out of the exam room. If a phone must travel with you, confirm where the centre requires it to be stored. needs_review
Review the command terms and data-response habits
Do not cram new content the night before. Re-read command terms (state, outline, describe, explain, compare, evaluate, suggest) and practise matching the length and depth of your answer to the verb.
Rehearse the data-analysis routine
For any graph or table, practise stating the trend, quoting values with units, and identifying an anomaly. For experiments, practise naming the independent, dependent, and controlled variables, plus one realistic improvement.
Plan sleep, food, and travel
Set two alarms, eat a normal breakfast, and build in travel margin. Being calm and fed affects performance more than one extra hour of revision.
Check what is allowed on your desk
Water in a clear bottle, tissues, and any permitted items are usually fine, but rules differ. Ask your centre what may be on the desk. needs_review
Know the paper structure cold
SL: Paper 1 is multiple choice, Paper 2 is short-answer and extended-response, and Paper 3 covers practical skills and the option. Confirm the current durations and mark allocations from your syllabus and your teacher, not from memory. needs_review
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to consolidating. Make a one-page sheet per core topic (cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, ecology, evolution and biodiversity, human physiology) listing the key definitions, processes, and one worked calculation. Then do one timed Paper 1 under exam conditions and mark it honestly, noting whether errors were knowledge gaps, misread questions, or timing.
Do one timed Paper 2 section. Practise allocating time by marks rather than by question order, and practise leaving space to return to a part you cannot finish. Review the mark scheme style: examiners reward precise terms such as 'active transport', 'hydrolysis', 'reabsorption', and 'allele frequency', not vague prose.
Work through the practical-skills side of Paper 3: identifying variables, suggesting a control, describing how to improve reliability and validity, reading error bars, and interpreting a chi-squared or correlation result at a basic level. Write short model answers and check them against your notes.
Revisit the option or prescribed practical material your school taught for Paper 3, and confirm which sections are examinable. Ask your teacher if anything is unclear rather than guessing. needs_review
Do light retrieval practice only: flashcards, definitions, and diagrams of processes such as DNA replication, transcription and translation, the cardiac cycle, and the nitrogen cycle. Stop heavy study by early evening. Pack your bag with ID, stationery, calculator, and confirmation of your timetable.
Confirm the venue, room, and arrival time, and plan the route and transport. Set out clothes and breakfast. Aim for a full night's sleep; sleep consolidates memory more reliably than late-night cramming.
Eat breakfast, hydrate moderately, and arrive with margin. Do a 10-minute calm review of command terms and your one-page summaries, not a new topic. Keep phones and notes away from the exam room as your centre directs.
Read the front instructions, check the paper and page count, and fill in your candidate details exactly as instructed. Note the total time and divide it by paper sections before you begin answering.
Answer every multiple-choice question; there is no penalty for guessing. If a question is slow, mark it and move on, then return. Watch for 'not', 'except', and 'least' wording, and for questions asking which statement is correct rather than which is false.
Budget roughly one minute per mark as a working guide, then adjust. Match answer length to the command term: 'state' needs a term or value, 'describe' needs a sequence or features, 'explain' needs a mechanism with cause and effect, 'evaluate' needs both sides plus a judgement. Show working for calculations and give units.
For data questions, quote figures from the table or graph with units, describe the trend before explaining it, and mention variability or overlap when comparing means. For experimental design, name the variables explicitly and give a concrete, practical improvement rather than 'be more careful'.
Check that every question has an answer, that units and significant figures are sensible, and that you have not left a part blank because it looked hard. A partial answer often earns a mark.
Rules to check
Bring the photo ID and admission documents your centre requires and keep them on the desk if instructed. Accepted ID types and name-matching rules vary, so confirm with your provider before exam day. needs_review
Do not bring unauthorised material into the exam room: no notes, textbooks, smart watches, or phones. If you must carry a phone, confirm the centre's storage rule and follow it exactly; possession in the room can be treated as malpractice. needs_review
Follow the invigilator's instructions on timing, starting and stopping writing, and leaving the room. Writing after the instruction to stop, or communicating with another candidate, can lead to a malpractice investigation. needs_review
If you need to leave the room during the paper, raise your hand and wait to be escorted, as your centre directs. Toilet and supervised-break rules differ by centre, so confirm them in advance. needs_review
Calculators are permitted for the biology papers, but you may be asked to clear memory or show the device. Confirm which models are allowed and whether a backup may be kept at your desk. needs_review
If you feel unwell, tell an invigilator immediately. Special-consideration and illness procedures are time-limited and centre-specific, so ask your coordinator what applies and what evidence is needed. needs_review
Marks come from the published mark scheme, so use precise biological terminology and answer the question asked. For extended-response questions, plan two or three key points before writing and link them to the question's context.
If you believe there is a printing error or a missing page, raise it with the invigilator before you start writing rather than after the paper.