| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 34 | 46 | 59 | 71 |
| Internal assessment | 24 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 |
| Paper 1A (multiple choice) | 39 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 27 |
| Paper 1B (data analysis) | 20 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 15 |
| Paper 2 | 90 | 25 | 37 | 49 | 61 |
| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 35 | 46 | 56 | 67 |
| Internal assessment | 24 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 |
| Paper 1A (multiple choice) | 25 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 14 |
| Paper 1B (data analysis) | 20 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 15 |
| Paper 2 | 50 | 16 | 22 | 28 | 34 |
Paper 1A
Most schools found both levels a little harder than May 2024, but the spread of difficulty gave a normal mark distribution. First appearance of astrophysics and relativity multiple choice.
Found difficult
- air resistance
- parallel circuits
- wavefronts and rays
- atomic energy levels
- Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
- proportional reasoning
Well prepared
- Lorentz factor
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| HL1 / SL1 | stopping distance from velocity-time graphs | Mixed | Nothing specific reported.Tip: Compare areas under velocity-time graphs to compare distances. |
| HL2 / SL2 | projectile motion | Most struggled | considered only vertical motion |
| HL4 / SL4 | motion with air resistance | Most struggled | ignored air resistance when not told toTip: Only ignore air resistance when the question says so. |
| HL5 / SL5 | collision | Mixed | confused energy and momentum conservation |
| HL6 / SL6 | forces on a ball in circular motion | Mixed | considered only weight or only centripetal force |
| HL17 / SL11 | circuit electricity | Mixed | Nothing specific reported. |
| HL18 / SL12 | resistor arrangement with equal p.d. | Most struggled | did not see each resistor has the same p.d.Tip: Redraw unusual resistor networks to spot parallel connections. |
| HL21 / SL14 | direction of wave travel | Mixed | assumed the wave moves left to right |
| HL22 / SL15 | angle of incidence with wavefronts | Most struggled | confused wavefront angles with ray anglesTip: Rays are perpendicular to wavefronts; convert angles accordingly. |
| HL23 / SL16 | destructive interference | Mixed | treated destructive as constructive |
| HL27 / SL18 | difference in gravitational field strength | Mixed | gave the field value instead of the differenceTip: Check whether the question asks for a value or a change. |
| HL32 / SL21 | number of photon emissions from energy levels | Mixed | counted only single-level transitionsTip: Count transitions between every pair of levels. |
| HL36 / SL23 | count rate with background | Mixed | ignored background; forgot to add background back at the endTip: Subtract background before decay, then add it back to the final reading. |
| HL39 / SL25 | stars on an HR diagram | Most struggled | forgot temperature axis decreases to the rightTip: Remember surface temperature falls from left to right on an HR diagram. |
| HL 7 | rotating cylinder | Mixed | treated the cylinder as a point mass |
| HL 9 | relativity | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| HL 13 | transmitted intensity | Mixed | did not subtract reflected intensity |
| HL 15 | omitted due to an error | Mixed | Nothing specific reported. |
| HL 16 | entropy of gas and surroundings | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| HL 24 | single-slit and double-slit central maximum | Mixed | missed that the single-slit central maximum is twice as wide |
| HL 29 | Millikan oil drop | Mixed | unclear why the drop is stationaryTip: A stationary drop means electric force balances weight. |
| HL 33 | nuclear radius and density | Mixed | unsure nuclear density is constant |
| HL 40 | ratio with a root-two factor | Answered well | inverted the ratio |
What to practise
- Plan time across Papers 1A and 1B together.
- Use MCQs in class to diagnose misconceptions.
- Practise powers of ten and ratios without a calculator.
- Visualise the situation before searching the data booklet.
- Answer every item; there is no penalty for guessing.
Paper 1B
Similar to the old Paper 3 Section A; time was managed well and controls and routine measurement were strong, while uncertainty with fractional powers, horizontal error bars and SI units of a gradient were weak.
Found difficult
- uncertainty propagation
- error bars
- SI base units
- significant figures
- careful reading of the question
Well prepared
- controlled variables
- measurement technique
- proportionality
- graph analysis
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1a | measuring a nail with a ruler | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 1bi | controlled variable | Answered well | confused the independent variable with a control |
| 1bii | length by subtraction | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 1biii | absolute uncertainty of a difference | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 1biv | testing proportionality | Answered well | compared only adjacent valuesTip: Test proportionality using widely separated data points. |
| 1ci | plotting a point | Answered well | point misaligned or outside tolerance |
| 1cii | uncertainty of a square root and error bar | Most struggled | missed that a square root halves relative uncertainty; drew a vertical bar instead of horizontalTip: For a power n, multiply the fractional uncertainty by n. |
| 1ciii | SI units of a gradient | Mixed | did not know the pascal in base units; index errors |
| 1d | why one data value is insufficient | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 2a | measurement with a millimetre ruler | Mixed | proposed other instruments despite the given rulerTip: Use the equipment named in the stem. |
| 2b | effect of larger s on its uncertainty | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 2c | variable for the horizontal axis | Mixed | included lambda copied from the data booklet |
| 2d | final value with uncertainty | Mixed | wrong significant figures in value or uncertainty |
What to practise
- Underline key words in the question before answering.
- Match answer length to the marks available.
- Bring a ruler for plotting and drawing lines.
- Review old Paper 3 Section A questions as practice.
Paper 2
New multi-concept final questions caused confusion and many ran short of time; strong scripts were clear, but many showed messy working, loose language and equations copied without substitution. SL marks ran about 10% lower per item.
Found difficult
- spacetime diagrams
- adiabatic processes
- torque
- photoelectric effect
- electromagnetic induction
- command terms
- time management
Well prepared
- Doppler effect
- radioactive decay
- buoyancy
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| SL 1a / HL 1a | coefficient of friction | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| SL 1b / HL 1b | friction force | Answered well | used the wrong coefficient |
| SL 1c / HL 1c | motion with friction to rest | Most struggled | left out friction in the first stage; reused the earlier accelerationTip: Recalculate acceleration for each stage of motion. |
| HL 1di | torque problem | Most struggled | treated as linear kinematics; many blanks |
| HL 1dii | applied force versus static friction | Mixed | vague answers |
| HL 2a | axes of a moving frame | Mixed | axes drawn in random directions |
| HL 2b | light cones on a spacetime diagram | Most struggled | forced light paths into a line backwards in timeTip: Draw light paths at 45 degrees from the emission event. |
| HL 2c | simultaneity for two observers | Mixed | Nothing specific reported. |
| HL 2d | distance from a spacetime diagram | Mixed | applied length contraction instead of reading the diagram |
| HL 3a | adiabatic change | Most struggled | read values from graph instead of using the adiabatic equation |
| HL 3b | thermodynamic calculation | Mixed | Nothing specific reported. |
| HL 3c | heat engine versus heat pump | Most struggled | described the cycle without work or energy transfersTip: Identify whether net work is done by or on the gas. |
| HL 4a | light versus sound | Mixed | wrongly limited a phenomenon to one wave type |
| SL 2ai / HL 4bi | reading from graphs | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| SL 2aii / HL 4bii | wave speed | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| HL 4ci | explaining the Doppler shift | Mixed | described instead of linking to wavefront spacingTip: Explain Doppler shift through compressed or stretched wavefronts. |
| HL 4cii | Doppler equation setup | Mixed | wrong signs; mixed sound and light formsTip: Use the sound form for sound and the light form for light. |
| SL 2bi | perceived frequency | Most struggled | misread the situation |
| SL 2bii / HL 4ciii | Doppler shift calculation | Mixed | divided by the wrong frequency |
| SL 3ai / HL 5ai | nuclide notation | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| SL 3aii / HL 5aii | energy released in decay | Answered well | turned it into a binding energy per nucleon problem (SL) |
| SL 3aiii / HL 5aiii | energy sharing in alpha decay | Most struggled | did not start from momentum conservationTip: Share decay energy using momentum conservation between products. |
| SL 3bi / HL 5bi | gold foil observations | Mixed | gave interpretations instead of observations |
| SL 3bii / HL 5bii | nuclear model from scattering | Mixed | omitted small and dense nucleus |
| SL 4a | orbital calculation | Mixed | km not converted; forgot to square radius |
| SL 4bi | Kepler's first law | Mixed | omitted the Sun at one focus |
| SL 4bii | energy in an elliptical orbit | Most struggled | described force instead of energy |
| SL 5a | electric field show-that | Most struggled | worked backwards from the given value |
| SL 5bi | motion of a charge in a field | Mixed | imprecise statement of acceleration |
| SL 5bii | path of a charge between two charges | Most struggled | ignored the fuller motion |
| HL 5biv | ratio from proton numbers | Mixed | left blank after skipping earlier partTip: Treat each part independently; later parts may be accessible. |
| HL 6a | work function from a graph | Mixed | read the wrong end of the graph |
| HL 6b | photoelectric calculation | Mixed | Nothing specific reported. |
| HL 6c | intensity versus frequency in photoemission | Most struggled | Nothing specific reported. |
| SL 6ai / HL 7ai | buoyancy | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| SL 6aii / HL 7aii | deriving a buoyancy expression | Mixed | worked backwards from the given result |
| SL 6b / HL 7b | floating cork as SHM | Mixed | did not link force to displacementTip: Show restoring force is proportional to displacement to justify SHM. |
| SL 6ci / HL 7ci | density of ice and water | Mixed | Nothing specific reported. |
| SL 6cii / HL 7cii | temperature from a graph | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| SL 6di / HL 7di | mass of an iceberg | Most struggled | used only the height above water; fudged result to match show-thatTip: Never adjust a wrong answer to reach a show-that value. |
| SL 6dii / HL 7dii | collision velocity | Mixed | used kinetic energy conservation instead of momentum |
| SL 6ei / HL 7ei | thermal energy calculation | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| SL 6eii / HL 7eii | latent and specific heat combined | Mixed | wrong sign for temperature change |
| SL 6eiii / HL 7eiii | rate of freezing | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| SL 6eiii / HL 7eiv | ice layer protecting marine life | Mixed | gave biology rather than physics |
| HL 8ai | magnetic field of a wire | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| HL 8aii | force direction on a wire | Mixed | drew force upwards |
| HL 8bi | combining field and force equations | Mixed | missing subscripts |
| HL 8ci | no induced emf with constant current | Most struggled | vague: coil too far away |
| HL 8cii | induced emf calculation | Most struggled | used change in current for change in field; omitted loop area |
| HL 8ciii | direction of induced current | Mixed | Nothing specific reported. |
| HL 8d | sketching emf with changed amplitude and period | Most struggled | changed only one of amplitude or period |
| HL 8ei | charged particle in a magnetic field | Most struggled | unreasonable answersTip: Check whether the final answer is physically sensible. |
| HL 8eii | radius change with distance from wire | Most struggled | Nothing specific reported. |
What to practise
- Learn command terms and respond accordingly.
- Show substitutions in a clear vertical sequence for error carried forward.
- Explain using precise terms and add information beyond the stem.
- Give an unrounded result with an extra significant figure in show-that items.
- Practise multi-concept questions.
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 TZ3, 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 TZ3?
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The questions most candidates struggled with were on projectile motion, motion with air resistance, resistor arrangement with equal p.d. and angle of incidence with wavefronts. The tables above list every question discussed in the report, paper by paper.
What did candidates find difficult in May 2025 TZ3?
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Across the papers the examiners listed air resistance, parallel circuits, wavefronts and rays, atomic energy levels, Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, proportional reasoning, uncertainty propagation and error bars, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Physics May 2025 TZ3?
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Physics HL: a 7 from 71 out of 100 overall in May 2025 TZ3. Physics SL: a 7 from 67 out of 100 overall in May 2025 TZ3. The component boundaries are in the table on this page.
Is this the official IB subject report?
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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