International Baccalaureate (IB) Physics Syllabus: 2025/26 Guide

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13 Jul 2025, 00:00 Z

Reviewed by

Chee Wei Jie·Academic Advisor (Physics)

Q: What does International Baccalaureate (IB) Physics Syllabus: 2025/26 Guide cover?
A: Your one-page reference to the re-imagined IB Physics curriculum (first examinations May 2025): paper weights, option-free structure.

TL;DR
The new IB Physics guide (first teaching 2023, first exams May 2025) collapses the old options, merges the HL & SL routes into a single Paper 1 + Paper 2 + Internal Assessment (IA) model, and shifts all practical skills into one 10-hour investigation worth twenty percent of the grade. Parents of Integrated-Programme students: early mastery of data analysis, spreadsheet LINEST and multi-topic synthesis now outweighs memorising niche option facts.

If you also follow Singapore’s A-Level pathway, cross-reference the refreshed H2 Physics notes hub to see how IB topics line up with local JC benchmarks for students juggling dual requirements.

Status: IB Physics subject guide (first assessment 2025) checked 2025-11-30 - Paper 1/2 + single 10 h IA model remains; options stay removed; 20% IA weight unchanged.

IP students: for a structured bridge from Year 3–4 foundations into H2/IB-style questions, start with our IP Physics tuition hub.

1 What Exactly Changed?

Old (2016-22)	New (first exams 2025)
Paper 1 (MCQ) thirty percent + Paper 2 (Extended) thirty-six percent + Paper 3 (Options) twenty-four percent + IA twenty percent	Paper 1 (MCQ + data) thirty percent + Paper 2 (Extended) fifty percent + Options removed - every student sits identical content
HL had 60 h "additional higher level" topics	HL keeps same themes but dives deeper; no separate options

2 Assessment Weights & Format

Component

HL weight

Cliff	Symptom	One-line remedy
Fields ↔ energy landscape	Treats equipotential as path; sign flip in $E = -\nabla V$	Sketch equipotential and field lines on the same grid to grasp gradient direction.
Thermal ↔ molecular link	Quotes $pV = nRT$ but can't explain microscopic KE	Use Boltzmann story: $\tfrac32 kT$ per degree freedom; map to macroscopic work.
Spreadsheet uncertainty	Writes "half-range" for every spread; forgets SE	Run `=LINEST(y,x,TRUE,TRUE)` once; record gradient ± SE and convert to percentage uncertainty.
IA scope-creep	Picks double-slit diffraction -> 20 h data crunch	Apply 3-question feasibility filter: measurable? controllable? 10 h cap?
Timed-paper stamina	Leaves last twenty percent of Paper 2 blank	Drill 90 min mixed sets at 1.5 min·mark⁻¹ pacing.

IB Physics	H2 Physics (SEAB)	IP Year 3/4
One twenty percent IA, no practical paper	twenty percent Paper 4 practical	WA practical posters (ten to fifteen percent)
Options removed, no external choice	Mandatory core + planning/data Qs	Concept taster (e.g., fields) two years early
Global 7-point scale $HL mean ≈ 4.9$	Alphabetic $≈ forty-one percent distinctions$	GPA or MSG

Academic window	Priority moves
DP Y1 Term 1	Print guide; catalogue unknown terms; run vector-units sprint.
Term 2	First data-handling MCQ drill (Paper 1 B).
Jun break	Mini-IA feasibility test; pilot 3 runs of chosen experiment.
Y1 T3-T4	Full Paper 1 (50 min) + Paper 2 Section A under timing; error journal.
DP Y2 Term 1	Locked IA draft -> teacher feedback; LINEST + percentage uncertainty table.
Term 2	Past-paper loop every fortnight $1 \times P1 + 1 \times P2$ .
Pre-exam	Two 2.5 h sittings back-to-back (simulate real timetable).

International Baccalaureate (IB) Physics Syllabus: 2025/26 Guide

1 What Exactly Changed?

2 Assessment Weights & Format

3 Five Concept Cliffs (with Fix-Its)

4 Theme-by-Theme Snapshot

4.1 Space, Time & Motion

4.2 Particulate Nature of Matter

4.3 Wave Behaviour

4.4 Fields

4.5 Nuclear & Quantum

5 Internal Assessment (IA) Essentials

6 Comparison with A-Level & IP Tracks

7 Year-by-Year Prep Timeline (HL route)

Further Reading & Practice

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