IB Economics SL exam-day guide
IB Economics SL · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Confirm your exam session time and location with your school's IB coordinator
Paper 1 and Paper 2 are scheduled sessions set by your school; start times and venues vary by school and session. Check the official timetable your coordinator gives you rather than relying on memory or rumor. needs_review: exact start times and room assignments must be confirmed with your school/IB coordinator.
Bring your candidate personal code / candidate number
IB candidates are identified by a personal code on exam scripts. Your coordinator issues this; write it exactly as given and check it on each answer booklet. needs_review: confirm with your coordinator how and where your candidate code is issued and whether it is pre-printed on your scripts.
Bring valid photo identification if your school requires it
Some schools check ID at the exam room door. Carry the ID your coordinator specifies. needs_review: ID requirements are set locally; confirm with your school which document is accepted.
Bring black or blue ballpoint pens (at least two) and a pencil with eraser
Write final answers in ink. Pencils are useful for rough work, diagrams and calculations before committing answers to ink. Confirm any local rule on pencil use with your coordinator.
Bring a school-approved calculator for Paper 2
Paper 2 is the data-response paper and typically involves calculations; a calculator is normally permitted. Know your model's basic functions (percentages, percentage change, simple division) before the day. needs_review: confirm the permitted calculator model and whether calculators are allowed in Paper 1 with your coordinator.
Bring a ruler and spare stationery
A ruler helps draw and label axes and shift diagrams neatly. Carry spare pens, a sharpener and an eraser so a broken tip does not cost you time.
Leave phones, smart watches and notes outside the exam room
Electronic devices must not be in your possession during the exam. Hand them in or leave them as your school directs; possession can lead to misconduct procedures.
Know the paper structure before you sit down
Paper 1 is essay-based (typically a section on microeconomics and a section on macroeconomics, with a choice of questions). Paper 2 is data response, typically with a microeconomics and a macroeconomics section, each with a compulsory data question plus a choice of extended-response questions. needs_review: confirm the exact structure, timing and marks for your session against the current subject guide and your coordinator.
Plan your diagram toolkit
Be ready to draw and fully label: supply and demand with shifts, price ceiling and floor, indirect tax and subsidy incidence, externalities (MPC, MSC, MSB), monopoly and competitive firm diagrams, AD/AS, and the multiplier and Phillips-curve ideas where relevant. Label axes, curves and equilibria every time.
Bring water and a light snack for before or after the session
Hydration and a small snack help concentration across a long writing session. Check your school's rules on drinks in the exam room. needs_review: confirm local rules on food and drink in the exam room.
Check the exam room rules on leaving early and toilet breaks
Many schools restrict leaving before a set time and require supervision for toilet breaks. Ask your coordinator in advance so you are not surprised. needs_review: confirm the specific rules with your school.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to active recall. Write out the key diagrams from memory (tax incidence, externality, AD/AS, monopoly) and check labels against your notes. Make a one-page list of definitions you keep forgetting, such as price elasticity of demand, deadweight loss, and the multiplier.
Do at least one full timed Paper 1 essay and one timed Paper 2 data response under exam conditions. Mark them against the assessment criteria you have been given, focusing on whether you used diagrams, applied a real-world example, and evaluated with a judgment.
Review examiner-style feedback on your practice answers. Identify your two weakest areas and spend one focused block on each. Practise writing short evaluation sentences: 'However, this depends on the size of the elasticity...' and 'In the short run... but in the long run...'.
Do a light review only: definitions, diagram labels and a few past data-response questions read through without writing full answers. Prepare your stationery, ID and calculator the night before and put them by the door. Confirm the session time and room with your coordinator if you have any doubt. Sleep a full night; do not cram new topics.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive early. Do a five-minute skim of your own summary sheet, not a textbook. Once seated, read the instructions and check the number of questions and the marks on the front of the paper before writing.
Read all questions in the sections you must choose from. On Paper 1, pick the essay you can answer with the best diagrams and a real example. On Paper 2, read the data carefully and note the command words, such as 'explain', 'calculate' or 'evaluate', because they set how much you must write.
Spend a couple of minutes per question planning structure and the diagrams you will use. Allocate time by marks: do not spend half the paper on a low-mark question. Keep an eye on the clock and leave time to finish your final evaluation.
Define key terms, draw and label a diagram, explain the mechanism step by step, and then evaluate. For 'evaluate' or 'discuss' questions, give a balanced argument and a clear judgment. Use a specific real-world example where the question invites application. Write legibly and number your answers clearly.
Check that you have answered the required number of questions, written your candidate code correctly, and labelled every diagram. Make sure each evaluation ends with a judgment rather than trailing off. Cross out rough work clearly if your school requires it.
Rules to check
Follow all instructions from the invigilator. Do not start writing until told, and stop immediately when time is called. Writing after the signal can be treated as misconduct.
Keep all electronic devices, including phones and smart watches, out of the exam room or handed in as directed. Do not bring notes, textbooks or unauthorised material to your desk.
Write your candidate code and the required details on every answer booklet and check them before you hand in. Incorrect identification can delay or complicate marking.
Use ink for final answers and keep rough work clearly separated or crossed out as your school directs. Confirm any local rules on pencil use with your coordinator. needs_review: local stationery rules vary by school.
Raise your hand and wait for the invigilator if you need to leave for the toilet or feel unwell. Do not leave the room without permission, and confirm the early-leaving rule with your school in advance. needs_review: early-leaving and break rules are set locally.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam, and do not discuss or share the paper's content with anyone afterwards in a way that could compromise the session. Follow your school's rules on communication after the exam.
Marks are awarded against the assessment criteria for the paper, so answer the question asked: define, explain with a diagram, apply an example, and evaluate with a judgment. Extra length without structure earns little.
If you believe there is a problem with the paper or your conditions, tell the invigilator at the time. Raise any concern through your coordinator afterwards rather than in the exam room. needs_review: confirm your school's procedure for reporting concerns with your coordinator.