IB Exam Preparation

For candidates sitting exams in 2020, a new Group 2 curriculum has been published by the IB and a new exam format will begin in May of 2020. Some of the details are as follows:

Reading 25% Final Exam
Writing 25% Final Exam
Speaking 25% Final Exam
Listening 25% Final Exam

The old curriculum included the same proportions for reading and writing exams, but also included a 30% speaking exam (done in four parts) and a written assignment worth 20% done in Term 1 of Grade 12. The 30% oral and 20% written assignment have been removed. As of 2020, all portions will be 25% for each language skill. The new curriculum includes a full listening exam, which was not present in the old curriculum.

Some format in examinations has also changed. In the writing exam, the old format will no longer be continued (one choice out of five text types). The new format gives a choice of three questions. In each question the students is given a scenario and much choose the best of three text types and write appropriately. Only one text type can be correct in each question. The old curriculum required students to write two texts one of 250 to 400 words and a second of 150 to 250 words (for a total of 400 to 650 words). The new curriculum requires only one written text on the exam of 450 to 600 words. The writing time of 1 hour, 30 minutes will remain the same in 2020.

The speaking exam in 2020 will also differ, in that the old curriculum required students to do a short presentation and discussion on a photograph with a caption. As of 2020, the oral will be conducted using the page of one of the novels studied in class. The page will be chosen by the teacher. The length of the exam (about 10 minutes) and the preparation time (15 minutes) will remain the same.

The listening exam is entirely new and will involve a minimum of 3 listening texts with a series of comprehension questions to follow. This is similar in nature to that of the reading exam. This exam will be 1 hour.

The reading test is largely unchanged except for the number of texts to be read and the time. The old curriculum exam involved 5 reading texts over a time of 1 hour, 90 minutes. The exam as of 2020 will involve 3 texts over a time of 60 minutes.

Paper 1 will now be the writing exam, total time 1 hour 90 minutes.
Paper 2 will now be the reading and listening combined paper, total time 2 hours, 30 minutes.

At the present moment, there are no sample exams available, but resources for practice in all four exams will be available soon under this page. Some resources may be from past exams where the format hasn’t changed. Others will be from newly created sources.