IB Psychology SL exam-day guide
IB Psychology SL · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID and admission documents
Bring the identification your school or exam centre requires (typically a passport or national ID) plus any admission slip or candidate number issued to you. IB assessment is administered through your school's IB coordinator, so confirm the exact ID and paperwork rules with your coordinator well before the exam.
Candidate number and session details
Know your candidate number and the exact paper time and room. Your coordinator holds the official timetable; verify it rather than relying on memory or a friend's schedule.
Black or blue ballpoint pens (at least two)
Write answers in pen unless your coordinator tells you otherwise. Bring spares so a failed pen does not cost time. Check with your school whether pencil is permitted for any diagrams.
Pencil, eraser, and ruler
Useful for any rough notes, tables, or simple diagrams you sketch in your answer booklet. Confirm permitted stationery with your coordinator, since centres can differ on what is allowed on the desk.
Clear water bottle with labels removed
Hydration helps sustained writing. Many centres require bottles to be transparent and unlabelled; confirm the local rule with your coordinator.
Watch (non-smart, no alarms)
A simple analogue or basic digital watch helps you pace the three essays. Smartwatches and phones are not permitted at the desk. Confirm whether a watch is allowed in your centre.
No phone or smart device at the desk
Leave phones switched off and stored as directed. Bringing an unauthorised device into the exam room can lead to malpractice proceedings; ask your coordinator where to leave it.
Review the command terms and assessment structure
Know that SL Paper 1 is a two-hour written response paper covering the core approaches, combining short-answer and extended-response questions. Confirm the exact structure, question counts, and mark allocations for your session with your teacher or coordinator, as these can change between sessions.
Prepare study evidence for the research methods questions
Be ready to describe, and where asked evaluate, how studies were conducted: design, sampling, procedure, and ethical considerations. Examiners reward accurate methodological detail, not just findings.
Prepare named studies with full citations
For each core approach, have two or three studies you can name by researcher and year, state the aim, method, key findings, and one or two evaluative points. Generic 'a study showed' answers lose marks.
Plan essay skeletons for likely extended-response prompts
For each approach, draft a flexible outline: introduction defining the concept, body paragraphs each built around one study, and a conclusion that answers the question directly. Memorise the skeleton, not full essays.
Sleep, food, and arrival plan
Plan transport and arrive early; eat a normal breakfast; protect sleep in the final nights. Cramming overnight reliably harms essay quality more than it helps recall.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to consolidating. Re-read your study summaries for each core approach and rewrite from memory the aim, method, findings, and one evaluation point for every named study. Where a detail is uncertain, check your textbook or class notes rather than guessing. Build one-page essay skeletons for each approach. Do at least one timed practice: two hours, closed book, writing full extended answers by hand, then mark against the command terms and mark scheme criteria your teacher has shared.
Confirm logistics with your coordinator: exact date, start time, room, ID requirements, permitted stationery, and rules on water bottles and watches. Ask explicitly about anything you are unsure of rather than assuming.
Do light review only: command terms, your essay skeletons, and the study list. Pack your bag with ID, admission documents, pens, pencil, eraser, ruler, water bottle, and watch. Check transport times. Avoid a late-night cram; sleep is the highest-value preparation at this point.
Eat breakfast, arrive at the centre with time to spare, and hand in or store your phone as directed. Do not attempt to learn new studies. A brief skim of your essay skeletons is fine; use the remaining time to settle and focus.
Read the whole paper before writing. Note the command terms (for example describe, explain, evaluate, discuss) and the mark allocation for each question, then decide the order in which you will answer. Allocate roughly proportional time to marks, leaving a few minutes at the end to check.
Answer precisely what is asked. Define terms where relevant, name studies accurately, and give the specific finding that answers the question. Do not pad with a full essay when a focused paragraph earns the marks.
Open with a short introduction that defines the concept and states your line of argument. Build each body paragraph around one study or one evaluative point, linking it back to the question. Include methodological and ethical evaluation where the command term asks for it, and close with a conclusion that answers the question rather than summarising.
Check that every question has an answer, that study names and years are correct, and that you have addressed the command term. Fix unclear handwriting and any crossed-out sections. Do not leave an extended-response question blank; a structured partial answer can still earn marks.
Rules to check
Follow your coordinator's instructions on identification and admission. Because IB exams are administered through your school, confirm the specific ID and paperwork requirements with your coordinator rather than relying on general guidance.
Bring only permitted materials to the desk. Phones, smartwatches, and notes must be left outside the room as directed; unauthorised material can trigger malpractice procedures, so ask your coordinator where to store devices.
Write in the answer booklet provided, in pen unless told otherwise, and label your answers clearly with the question numbers. Work done on the question paper may not be marked; confirm the local instruction.
Use the full time available and do not leave early without checking your answers. If you finish a question early, use the time to strengthen evaluation or check study details rather than sitting idle.
If you need to leave the room, raise your hand and wait for an invigilator. Confirm your centre's rules on toilet breaks and supervision before the exam, as these vary by centre.
If you feel unwell or a problem affects your performance, tell an invigilator or your coordinator immediately. Ask your coordinator about any special consideration or adverse-circumstances procedures and their deadlines; do not assume they will be applied automatically.
Marks come from answering the command term with accurate, specific evidence. Confirm with your teacher how the mark scheme rewards definition, use of studies, and evaluation, and practise structuring answers accordingly.
Maintain academic integrity: no communication with other candidates during the exam and no sharing of paper content afterwards until your coordinator confirms it is permitted. Confirm the specific rules with your coordinator.