The IB Physics course taught from August 2023 and first assessed in May 2025 removes the former Paper 3 option modules, reorganizes content into five themes (A–E), and revises both external and internal assessment. This article summarizes course components, weightings, and a typical two-year schedule according to the official Physics guide (first assessment 2025). Actual teaching order and school internal deadlines are set by each school and its coordinator.

1. Course structure

1.1 Five organizing themes

IB Physics content is grouped into five organizing themes, each subdivided into topics. The guide does not prescribe a teaching order; schools may design their own pathway.

Theme	Title	Main topics
A	Space, time and motion	A.1 Kinematics; A.2 Forces and momentum; A.3 Work, energy and power; A.4 Rigid body mechanics (HL); A.5 Galilean and special relativity (HL)
B	The particulate nature of matter	B.1 Thermal energy transfers; B.2 Greenhouse effect; B.3 Gas laws; B.4 Thermodynamics (HL); B.5 Current and circuits
C	Wave behaviour	C.1 Simple harmonic motion; C.2 Wave model; C.3 Wave phenomena; C.4 Standing waves and resonance; C.5 Doppler effect
D	Fields	D.1 Gravitational fields; D.2 Electric and magnetic fields; D.3 Motion in electromagnetic fields; D.4 Induction (HL)
E	Nuclear and quantum physics	E.1 Structure of the atom; E.2 Quantum physics (HL); E.3 Radioactive decay; E.4 Fission; E.5 Fusion and stars

Three subject-specific concepts run through the course: energy, particles, and forces. HL includes all SL content plus greater depth and the HL-only topics listed above.

1.2 Recommended teaching hours

The recommended totals are 150 hours for SL and 240 hours for HL, with an approximate breakdown of:

Component	SL (hours)	HL (hours)
Syllabus content (themes A–E)	per school schedule	per school schedule
Experimental programme: practical work	40	60
Collaborative Sciences Project (CSP)	10	10
Scientific investigation (IA)	10	10

Practical work hours are organized through the Practical Scheme of Work (PSOW). The CSP requires at least 10 hours. About 10 hours are recommended for guidance, implementation, and revision of the scientific investigation.

2. Assessment

2.1 External assessment (80%)

All candidates sit two external papers in one examination session.

Paper	Content	SL	HL	Weighting
Paper 1	1A: multiple choice; 1B: data-based questions (one sitting)	1 h 30 min	2 h	36%
Paper 2	Short-answer and extended-response questions (including linking questions)	1 h 30 min	2 h 30 min	44%

Paper 1B assesses graphing, units, uncertainties, and experimental data analysis. Paper 2 at HL includes all SL material plus HL extensions; extended questions may draw on several themes and course concepts.

2.2 Internal assessment: scientific investigation (20%)

The internal assessment is a written Scientific Investigation report. Requirements are the same at SL and HL:

• Maximum 3,000 words (charts, tables, equations, references, etc. are excluded from the count)
• Each student formulates a research question, collects data, and analyses results
• Under the 2025 guide, small groups may share similar methodologies, but each student must have a distinct independent or dependent variable and unique data; the report remains individual
• About 10 hours of teaching time is recommended

Four criteria are each worth 6 marks (24 marks total), weighted 25% each:

Criterion	Focus
Research design	Research question, methodology, reproducibility
Data analysis	Recording and processing data, uncertainties
Conclusion	Consistency with data and accepted scientific context
Evaluation	Limitations and realistic improvements

2.3 Collaborative Sciences Project (CSP)

The CSP replaces the former Group 4 Project name and remains compulsory for students enrolled in a DP science subject:

• At least 10 hours of interdisciplinary collaboration
• Investigation of a local manifestation of a globally significant issue through the scientific method
• Not graded; each student submits a personal reflection of about 100 words
• Emphasis on collaborative process rather than final product

The CSP is part of the experimental programme and is not converted into subject or diploma points.

3. Relation to the DP core

The 7 points for Physics come from the IA (20%) and external papers (80%). TOK, the EE, and CAS follow separate rules:

Component	Points	Notes
Six subjects	Up to 42 (7 each)	Includes Physics IA and exams
TOK + EE	Up to 3 (core)	Matrix conversion; grade E in either can trigger a failing condition
CAS	No points	Must be completed; otherwise the diploma cannot be awarded

A Physics EE counts toward the EE and core points, not toward the Physics subject grade. The same work cannot be submitted for both the IA and the EE.

School internal deadlines for IA, EE, and TOK usually precede the IB’s global deadline for schools (often around 20 April for the May session, per the current Assessment procedures). Students should follow their coordinator’s calendar.

4. Typical two-year schedule

The sections below summarize content and milestones commonly used in a four-semester plan. Theme order varies by school and is not fixed by the syllabus.

4.1 DP1 Semester 1

Typical syllabus content: measurement and uncertainty, vectors; A.1 Kinematics; A.2 Forces and momentum; A.3 Work, energy and power; B.1 Thermal energy transfers; B.2 Greenhouse effect. HL often includes A.4 Rigid body mechanics.

Practical skills: determining $g$; verifying momentum conservation; photogates or ticker timers; uncertainty propagation.

Other: IA report format; introduction to CSP and EE; CAS records started.

4.2 DP1 Semester 2

Typical syllabus content: B.3 Gas laws; B.5 Current and circuits; C.1 Simple harmonic motion; C.2 Wave model. HL: B.4 Thermodynamics.

Practical skills: cell EMF and internal resistance; Boyle’s law; linearization of data.

Other: formal CSP (about 10 hours); IA topic selection and pilot study (often May–June); EE topic and supervisor (often started in the second half of DP1).

4.3 DP1 summer to DP2 autumn

Typical tasks: complete IA data collection; EE reading and drafting; CSP reflection if not yet submitted.

4.4 DP2 Semester 1

Typical syllabus content: C.3–C.5 Wave phenomena; D.1–D.3 Fields. HL: multi-slit diffraction, advanced potential calculations, etc.

Practical skills: equipotential mapping; double-slit interference; uncertainty for small measured quantities.

Other: IA draft and revision; EE first draft (often around September) and final version; TOK Exhibition; school mock exam 1.

4.5 DP2 Semester 2

Typical syllabus content: E.1–E.5 Atomic, nuclear, and stellar topics. HL: D.4 Induction; E.2 Quantum physics; A.5 Special relativity.

Other: IA final submission (often February–March, per school); TOK Essay; CAS completion (often by mid-April); mock exam 2; May final examinations.

5. Physics IA vs Physics EE

Item	Physics IA (scientific investigation)	Physics EE (extended essay)
Counts toward	20% of Physics grade	Core points (with TOK)
Length	≤ 3,000 words	≤ 4,000 words
Scope	Syllabus-level knowledge sufficient	May go beyond syllabus; independent research
Data	Quantitative data required; hands-on, fieldwork, database, or simulation (simulation alone makes Evaluation harder)	Deeper literature and/or experiment; often discusses model limits
Collaboration	Shared methods possible; data and report individual	Individual work
Marking	4 × 6 = 24 marks	EE general criteria (34 marks, five strands)

The IA usually investigates one quantitative relationship between variables. The EE often involves broader models, literature review, and multi-variable analysis. Feasibility should be confirmed with the supervisor regarding time and resources.

6. Exam and practical priorities

• Uncertainties and graphs: Paper 1B and the IA Data analysis criterion require proper treatment of uncertainty, error bars, and maximum/minimum gradient lines.
• Cross-theme questions: Paper 2 linking questions may combine several themes and concepts; revision should connect topics, not isolate them.
• HL-only material: A.4, A.5, B.4, D.4, E.2 and HL extensions within shared topics must be covered separately.

This summary is based on the IB Physics guide (first assessment 2025) and the subject brief. Session rules and deadlines are published on ibo.org for each examination year.