| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 36 | 46 | 58 | 68 |
| Internal assessment | 24 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 |
| Paper 1A (multiple choice) | 40 | 18 | 21 | 25 | 28 |
| Paper 1B (data analysis) | 20 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 14 |
| Paper 2 | 90 | 27 | 37 | 47 | 57 |
| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 30 | 40 | 51 | 61 |
| Internal assessment | 24 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 |
| Paper 1A (multiple choice) | 25 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 |
| Paper 1B (data analysis) | 20 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 14 |
| Paper 2 | 50 | 12 | 17 | 22 | 27 |
Paper 1A
Most teachers found the difficulty appropriate; some HL feedback noted many ratio questions. Blanks increased towards the end at both levels.
Found difficult
- circular motion
- terminal velocity and drag
- wave speed versus particle speed
- electromagnetic induction
- proportional reasoning
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| SL2 / HL2 | displacement under acceleration | Most struggled | ignored the acceleration when finding displacement |
| SL4 / HL4 | force needed for a car on a curve | Most struggled | forgot a centripetal force is requiredTip: Any curved path needs a resultant force towards the centre. |
| SL5 / HL5 | terminal velocity and sphere radius | Most struggled | assumed doubling radius halves terminal velocityTip: Write the force balance and see how each term scales with radius. |
| SL7 / HL10 | item not described (recurring weak topic) | Most struggled | guessing |
| SL8 / HL11 | gas density and pressure | Mixed | thought pressure would changeTip: Unqualified density always means mass per unit volume. |
| SL12 / HL17 | particle speed in a wave | Most struggled | calculated wave speed instead of particle speedTip: Distinguish the speed of the wave from the speed of the medium's particles. |
| SL13 / HL18 | typical values recall | Mixed | mixed up typical frequency and wavelength values |
| SL15 / HL20 | lightly damped system | Mixed | Nothing specific reported.Tip: In MCQs choose the best answer even if others are partly true. |
| SL18 / HL26 | initial current | Mixed | Nothing specific reported. |
| SL 16 | final acceleration of a falling object | Mixed | Nothing specific reported.Tip: Final velocity or acceleration means just before impact. |
| HL 6 | revolutions under angular acceleration | Answered well | used final instead of average angular velocity |
| HL 16 | effect of mass on a mass-spring system | Mixed | thought mass changes the elastic potential energy |
| HL 28 | flux change when field reverses | Mixed | used B instead of 2B for the changeTip: A reversed field changes flux by twice its magnitude. |
| HL 35 | photon intensity and frequency | Mixed | ignored the effect of frequency on intensity |
| HL 38 | item not described | Answered well | many blanks |
What to practise
- Give students plenty of practice with ratio questions.
- Guess rather than leave blanks; eliminate easy distractors first.
Paper 1B
Two balanced questions on resistivity and an isothermal gas graph; time was sufficient, but answers lacked detail and units, powers of ten and radius versus diameter caused slips.
Found difficult
- measurement technique
- powers of ten
- accuracy and precision
- uncertainty of repeated measurements
- graph analysis
- outliers
Well prepared
- uncertainty propagation
- SI base units
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1a | reason for repeated diameter readings | Mixed | claimed repeats reduce systematic errorTip: Repeats reduce random error, not systematic error. |
| 1b | choosing instruments for diameter and length | Mixed | chose a short ruler or tape for 0.5 m |
| 1c | mean and uncertainty of repeated readings | Mixed | used calliper resolution instead of spread; thought repeats increase uncertaintyTip: Use half the range of repeated readings as the uncertainty. |
| 1d | resistivity with propagated uncertainty | Mixed | used diameter as radius; forgot to square the radius; over-precise roundingTip: Check whether the area formula needs radius or diameter. |
| 2a | plotting a point and best-fit line for an isothermal gas | Mixed | line not balanced among points; confused axes crossing with the originTip: Check whether the axes really start at zero before judging proportionality. |
| 2b | gradient and inverse quantity | Mixed | power of ten error; inverted fraction |
| 2c | number of gas particles | Answered well | gave moles instead of number of particles |
What to practise
- Distinguish the origin from where the axes happen to cross.
- Watch powers of ten in every calculation.
- Write explanations step by step in words, not only symbols.
- Always include units.
Paper 2
Means were in line with past years and the long final question discriminated well. Calculations were strong, but explaining micro mechanisms, coherence and relativity reasoning was weak.
Found difficult
- thermal conduction
- coherence
- double-slit interference
- mass defect
- Doppler effect
- spacetime diagrams
- careful reading of the question
Well prepared
- kinematics
- momentum and impulse
- terminal velocity and drag
- electric fields
- stellar fusion
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1a | showing a collision is elastic | Mixed | used momentum conservation, which only confirms a collisionTip: To test elasticity compare kinetic energy before and after. |
| 1bi | force from momentum change | Answered well | read time from graph when it was given |
| 1bii | energy or work during collision | Mixed | Nothing specific reported.Tip: Use average velocity with force, or energy transferred. |
| 1biii | collision follow-up | Most struggled | Nothing specific reported. |
| 2a | conduction mechanism in a solid | Mixed | ignored that the stem asked for the mechanismTip: Describe vibrations passed between neighbouring particles. |
| 2b | thermal conduction calculation | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 2ci | thermal physics item | Mixed | Nothing specific reported. |
| 2cii | thermal calculation | Mixed | temperatures not in kelvin (SL)Tip: Convert temperatures to kelvin. |
| 2d (HL) | entropy in an open system | Mixed | Nothing specific reported. |
| 3a | electric field calculation | Answered well | power of ten slips |
| 3bi | charged particle in a field | Mixed | wrong charges or masses at SL |
| 3bii | charged particle in a field | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 3biii | conceptual state-type question | Most struggled | long calculations instead of a statementTip: When asked to state, give the reason directly without lengthy calculation. |
| 3c | equal forces on particles | Mixed | missed that forces are equal |
| 3d | path of a particle | Most struggled | Nothing specific reported. |
| 4a | coherence | Most struggled | Nothing specific reported. |
| 4bi | path difference for interference | Mixed | used one wavelength instead of half |
| 4bii | energy conservation in a fringe pattern | Most struggled | said waves cancel without mentioning energy at maximaTip: Explain that energy missing at minima appears at the maxima. |
| 4c (HL) | diffraction grating orders | Most struggled | Nothing specific reported. |
| 5a (HL) | photon reasoning | Most struggled | Nothing specific reported. |
| 5b (HL) | photon energy and Compton shift | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 5c (HL) | Compton scattering calculations | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 6a (HL) | Lorentz factor | Mixed | Nothing specific reported. |
| 6b (HL) | spacetime diagram reasoning | Most struggled | Nothing specific reported. |
| 7ai | factors for stellar fusion | Mixed | explanations of the factors incomplete |
| 7aii | stellar equilibrium | Mixed | could not explain balance of forcesTip: Stellar equilibrium balances gravity against radiation and gas pressure. |
| 7bi | mass defect in fusion | Mixed | forgot the positron massTip: Account for every particle mass, including positrons and electrons. |
| 7c | stellar energy calculations | Most struggled | Nothing specific reported. |
| 7d | straightforward calculation | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 7ei | identifying the Doppler effect for light | Most struggled | Nothing specific reported. |
| 7eii | Doppler effect for light | Most struggled | often blank at SL |
| 8a (HL) | deriving orbital equations | Mixed | used a = v/t without justification |
| 8bi (HL) | orbital energy | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 8bii (HL) | fate of a rocket after a change | Most struggled | inconsistent interpretations of the outcome |
| 8c (HL) | orbital calculations | Mixed | lost in the data given |
| 8d (HL) | final calculation | Mixed | Nothing specific reported. |
What to practise
- Link macroscopic effects to microscopic mechanisms and explain with precise vocabulary.
- Read the intent of each question carefully.
- Show every step; a wrong final answer without working scores nothing.
- Use the marks available as a guide to answer structure.
Internal assessment
What moderators raised about the scientific investigation this session, criterion by criterion.
- Research design. background derives data booklet equations or recounts history instead of focusing on the research question
- Research design. method lacks the precision needed to detect the expected change
- Research design. unneeded personal engagement section or pretending not to know a textbook relationship
- Data analysis. meaningless significant figures, linear confused with proportional, forced linear fits
- Data analysis. max/min gradients from first and last error bars only
- Conclusion. no justified comparison with a reliable accepted value or range
- Evaluation. generic error lists and improvements not tied to the actual method
- Evaluation. strengths listed, which are not assessed
About this summary
After every session the IB sends schools a subject report: how candidates did on each paper and question, and what teachers should work on. This page is my reading of the Physics report for May 2025 TZ2, in my own words. No text from the report or from the exam questions is reproduced, and it is not endorsed by the International Baccalaureate.
Session codes: TZ is the time zone variant of the papers. Other variants of the same session:
Frequently asked questions
Which questions were hardest in Physics May 2025 TZ2?
+
The questions most candidates struggled with were on displacement under acceleration, force needed for a car on a curve, terminal velocity and sphere radius and item not described (recurring weak topic). The tables above list every question discussed in the report, paper by paper.
What did candidates find difficult in May 2025 TZ2?
+
Across the papers the examiners listed circular motion, terminal velocity and drag, wave speed versus particle speed, electromagnetic induction, proportional reasoning, measurement technique, powers of ten and accuracy and precision, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Physics May 2025 TZ2?
+
Physics HL: a 7 from 68 out of 100 overall in May 2025 TZ2. Physics SL: a 7 from 61 out of 100 overall in May 2025 TZ2. The component boundaries are in the table on this page.
Is this the official IB subject report?
+
No. It is my summary of the report the IB issues to schools after each session, rewritten in my own words with a teacher's reading of it. No text from the report or from exam questions is reproduced. Your school's IB coordinator can access the original.
Related
IB examiner reports: every session, Maths and Physics IB Physics November 2024: the previous report IB Physics November 2025 TZ1: the next report IB Physics HL grade boundaries, every session IB Physics SL grade boundaries, every session IB Physics revision notes IB Maths and Physics topic tests, with markschemes