In yesterday’s post, I explained 7 simple steps for studying for Paper 1, Section A (SAQs) in IB Psychology. Now it’s time to look at how we can use that foundation to prepare for Section B – the essays. Studying for Paper 1 in IB Psychology is simple, but it’s not easy. Make sure you start your revision a few …
How to study for Paper 1 in IB Psychology7 Simple Steps to Prepare for Section A: SAQs
One of the most common questions I get asked is, “How should I study for the IB Psychology exams?” Unfortunately, it’s also one of the hardest questions to answer. In this post, I’ll do my best to plan out some really simple steps that might help for Paper 1. We’ll start easy and get harder so no matter what your …
Paper 3 Practice: Sleep and Happiness
The best way to prepare for Paper 3 is to do lots of practice. The study below is designed to replicate what you will see on Paper 3. Read more: Paper 3 Practice: Smartphones and Sleep Quality Paper 3 Practice: Individualism and Happiness in a Japanese Workplace Paper 3 Practice: Trauma and the September 11 Attacks Paper 3 Practice: Observation …
Paper 3 Practice: Smartphones and Sleep Quality
The best way to prepare for Paper 3 is to do lots of practice. The study below is designed to replicate what you will see on Paper 3. Read more: Paper 3 Practice: Individualism and Happiness in a Japanese Workplace Paper 3 Practice: Trauma and the September 11 Attacks Paper 3 Practice: Observation of Hospitals IB Psychology HL Paper 3 …
Paper 3 Practice: Individualism and Happiness in a Japanese Workplace
The best way to prepare for Paper 3 is to do lots of practice. The study below is designed to replicate what you will see on Paper 3. Read more: Paper 3 Practice: Trauma and the September 11 Attacks Practice Paper 3: Observation of Hospitals Paper 3: Guided Answer Paper Three Questions 1a,b,c: Details IB Psychology HL Paper 3 Practice …
Feeling stressed? Here’s how you can cope.
It’s a stressful time for everyone. The latest news that the IB has cancelled exams will be causing massive amounts of stress for many students (and teachers). Here are some ways you can cope. Stress is caused by things happening to us (stressors) and how we think about those things (appraisals). In psychology jargon, we call this top-down or bottom-up …
Exams Cancelled – May 2020And why the IB made the right decision
I understand that a lot of teachers and students will be incredibly disappointed by this announcement, perhaps even angry, especially if you’re living in a country that is relatively unaffected by the coronavirus. It’s natural to question the IB’s announcement and perhaps even be angry. Heck, I’m the first to raise issues with a number of policies and practices rolled …
Paper 3 Practice: Trauma and the September 11 Attacks
The best way to prepare for Paper 3 is to do lots of practice. The study below is designed to replicate what you will see on Paper 3. Read more: Practice Paper 3: Observation of Hospitals Paper 3: Guided Answer Paper Three Questions 1a,b,c: Details IB Psychology HL Paper 3 Practice The stimulus material below is based on a qualitative …
IB Psych Key Terms Quiz – THE BIOLOGICAL APPROACH
You can prepare for IB Psychology by asking three simple questions: What is…? How does…? …but…? The first question tests your knowledge, the second tests your deeper understanding of the topic and the third tests your critical thinking. The following quiz is designed to test your ability to answer the first question. (Scroll down for the answers) Read More Understanding IB …
Describe vs. Explain: Is there a difference?Understanding command terms with REAL examples of exam answers
Describe and Explain mean different things. Obviously. But when they’re used in short answer questions in IB Psychology, do they really require different answers? In this post I’ll put forward my argument for my the command terms in SAQs are irrelevant and how a generic structure can be used to score top marks. Those of you who have read my posts …
Exam Tip: Etiologies of Abnormal PsychologyTips for writing excellent essays in Paper 2
As my students are preparing for an essay test this week on the topic “Etiology of Abnormal Psychology,” I thought I would share some advice on how to write good essays. The advice gets more specific and complex and the post goes on, so if nothing else I’d strongly recommend following tips 1 and 2. The etiology of abnormal psychology …
Exam Answer: Localization Short Answer QuestionAn example SAQ following a simple 7-step format
Recently I wrote a post about how to write better short answer responses (SAQs) in 7 simple steps for IB Psych’ Paper 1 and this video explains the same. But the only reason I am able to explain these frameworks with confidence is because I’ve written 100s of examples. Here’s one I’ll share with you. The example SAQ below is …
Understanding IB Psychology with 3 Easy Questions
The IB Psychology course can be a confusing beast and while the official IB Guide is there to tell us what we need to teach (as teachers) and study (as students), it’s not always clear. So I came up with a way of breaking down the IB Psychology course into three simple questions. Thinking about IB Psychology in the following …
Critical Thinking Summarized in ONE WORD!
Understanding the requirements of critical thinking can be a tricky task for students and teachers. While everyone has their own ideas about what “critical thinking” is and what it looks like in IB Psych’ exam answers, this post provides a simple and straightforward answer. I like to define critical thinking as “a critical reflection of the value and validity of one’s knowledge …
How to answer an SAQ7 Simple Steps
The following 7 steps can be taken in order to create excellent short answer responses (SARs)* for Paper 1, Section A. Scroll down for a video explaining the same concept. For teachers, this also makes giving feedback much easier. You could write an excellent short answer response by following the following 7 simple steps. 1. Restate the question This is a great …
Top 5 Mistakes in SAQs (and how to fix them)
Updated, July 2020 The secret to scoring top marks in Paper 1 in IB Psychology is in the short answer responses (SAQs) (watch how in this video). It should be very simple to write excellent SAQs, but most students make one or more of the following mistakes which costs them dearly. In this post, we look at the Top 5 …
IB Psych Results (M19): A Reflection
It’s that time of year when the results come out and some of us are over the moon, while others are left scratching our heads thinking “what did I do wrong?” The many comments about results flying around Facebook suggest that there is a bit of a divide this year with some people being very happy with their results and …
Exam Question Bank: Paper 2 Human Relationships
Disclaimer: These questions are not IB “official” questions and are written with our best guess as to what the probable exam questions may look like. Not every possible question is covered but rather a wide sample of questions has been asked so you can get an idea of the types of questions that may appear. Read More Abnormal Psychology exam bank …
Exam Question Bank: Paper 2: Abnormal Psychology
Disclaimer: These questions are not IB “official” questions and are written with our best guess as to what the probable exam questions may look like. Not every possible question is covered but rather a wide sample of questions has been asked so you can get an idea of the types of questions that may appear. Read More Biological approach core exam …
Exam Question Bank: Paper 1: Sociocultural Approach
Disclaimer: These questions are not IB “official” questions and are written with our best guess as to what the probable exam questions may look like. Therefore, not every possible question is covered. Read More: IB Psychology Exam Question Banks Paper 1: Biological approach (Link) Paper 1: Cognitive approach (Link) Paper 1: HL Ext Bio Animal Studies (Link) Paper 1: HL Ext …
Exam Question Bank: Paper 1: Cognitive Approach
Disclaimer: These questions are not IB “official” questions and are written with our best guess as to what the probable exam questions may look like. Therefore, not every possible question is covered. READ MORE IB Psychology Exam Question Banks Paper 1: Biological approach (Link) Paper 1: Sociocultural approach (Link) Paper 1: HL Ext Bio Animal Studies (Link) Paper 1: HL Ext …
IB Psychology – Grade Boundaries New Curriculum (Feb 2019)
Are you wondering what you need to do to get a 7 in IB Psychology?It’s a bit tough to say exactly because as of now (February 2019) we have not had any exams for this new curriculum. But as I’m marking my students’ mock exams I have also created the grade boundaries that I will use for IB Psychology until …
Practice Paper 3 – Observation of Hospitals – EXAMPLE ANSWERS
The following are some sample answers to THIS PRACTICE PAPER THREE. Paper Three: Example Answers The following are example answers to the practice three paper found on pg. 1.(a) Identify the research method used and outline two characteristics of the method. Method = covert participant observation Observations in qualitative studies like this one tend to happen in naturalistic environments, like hospitals. …
Practice Paper 3 – Observation of Hospitals – MARK SCHEME
The following is a mark scheme to be used as a guide when marking answers to THIS PRACTICE PAPER THREE. 1.(a) Identify the research method used and outline two characteristics of the method. Method = covert participant observation (1 mark) participant observations involve the researcher becoming a member of the group they’re being observed (in this case they were a …
Practice Paper 3 – Observation of Hospitals
The following is a summary of a study that can be used for practice when preparing for the new Paper 3. You have one hour and need to answer all five questions. The stimulus material below is based on a research article. People living in poverty find it difficult to access health care resources (e.g. medical treatment, Doctor’s appointments, vaccinations, …