IB Psychology · Paper 2 guide

IB Psychology Paper 2 (2027): class practical questions and the unseen study

IB Psychology Paper 2 is 1 hour 30 minutes and 35 marks. Section A has four compulsory questions on your class practicals, worth 4, 4, 6 and 6 marks (20). Section B asks you to discuss an unseen study using two or more concepts (15). It is 35% of the grade at SL and 25% at HL.

Checked against the IB Diploma Psychology guide (first assessment 2027) — October 2026

Paper 2 at a glance

Section	What you do	Marks	Suggested time
A	Four compulsory questions on the class practicals you carried out	4 + 4 + 6 + 6 = 20	about 50 min
B	Discuss an unseen study with reference to two or more concepts	15	about 40 min

Total 35 marks in 1 hour 30 minutes. Weighting: SL 35%, HL 25%. Suggested times are our split of 90 minutes by marks (about 2.5 minutes a mark), not an IB rule.

Section A: the class practical questions

You carry out at least four class practicals during the course: an experiment, an observation, a survey or questionnaire, and an interview or focus group. Section A asks about the research methods behind them. In Markaroo we practise four question types that cover what Section A asks for, and each has its own short band ladder.

Question type we practise	Marks	What moves it to the top band
Knowledge of the research method	4	Detailed knowledge of the method itself, with accurate terminology. The context of your practical isn’t what is marked.
Apply a concept to your practical	4	A well-developed understanding of the concept, with clear, detailed links to what happened in your practical.
Compare and contrast two methods	6	Similarities and differences, both in detail. A one-sided answer stays in the middle band.
Describe a procedure	6	The procedure explained accurately and in detail, in the right terminology.

Worked example: compare and contrast

Our practice question: Compare and contrast the experiment and the interview you used in your class practicals. [6]

First attempt3 / 6

Our experiment had an independent variable that we changed and a dependent variable that we measured, so we could find cause and effect. The interview was different because it gave qualitative data instead of numbers, and the participants could explain their answers in their own words. The interview also took longer to analyse.

Why 3: the differences are relevant and partly explained, but there is no similarity at all. The task names both halves, so a one-sided answer can’t reach the top band.

Rewrite6 / 6

Both methods needed informed consent and a debrief, and in both we standardised what participants were told so that differences in instructions did not affect the results. They differ in control and data. The experiment manipulated an independent variable and controlled other variables, so it produced quantitative data that could support a causal conclusion. The semi-structured interview had little control over the direction of answers, so it produced qualitative data that showed how participants understood their own behaviour but could not establish cause and effect.

The one change: the opening sentence adds real similarities, and each difference is now explained in terms of the method (control, type of data, what it can conclude).

Section B: discussing an unseen study

You are given a short description of a study you have not seen before and asked to discuss it with regard to concepts. You must engage with at least two concepts critically, and refer to the specifics of the study throughout. Specific, explicit reference to the study is what separates the top two bands.

The five bands, in plain words

1–3Barely engages with the question; describes rather than argues; no real link between the concepts and the study.

4–6Relevant points, described rather than analysed; the concept link is stated but only partly relevant; a simple conclusion.

7–9Understands what is asked but answers it in part; analysis present but undeveloped; the conclusion doesn’t always follow.

10–12Answers the question; analysis present though not fully developed; the concepts are linked to the study and explained.

13–15Answers the question fully; sustained analysis; the concepts run through the whole answer with explicit reference to the study; precise terminology and a reasoned conclusion.

Worked example: one paragraph at two levels

Our practice study (made up for this guide): Researchers recruited 60 university students through a social media post. Half used a phone app that reminded them to take a 10-minute walk each afternoon for four weeks; half received no reminders. At the end, students rated their own mood on a 1–10 scale. The app group’s average mood rating was 1.5 points higher.

Question: Discuss the study with reference to measurement and bias. [15]

Middle-band paragraphreads like 4–6

Measurement is about how researchers measure variables. Self-report can be unreliable because people might not tell the truth. Bias is also a problem in research because participants and researchers can be biased, which lowers validity.

What holds it back: the concepts are defined in general terms, but the study never appears. Nothing here could not be pasted under a different study.

Top-band paragraphreads like 13–15

Mood was measured with a single self-rated 1–10 scale at the end of four weeks, so there is no baseline: the 1.5-point gap could reflect differences between the groups before the study rather than the walks. This links to bias, because the app group knew they were being prompted to do something meant to help, so expectation could raise their ratings without any change in mood. Recruiting through one social media post adds sampling bias, since students who answer such a post may already be more interested in well-being. Together these mean the study suggests an effect but cannot show how large it is.

The one change: every point about measurement and bias is tied to a specific detail of the study (the single scale, no baseline, the reminders, the recruitment) and builds towards a judgement.

Marks shown on this page are our own illustrative marks against the bands above. The bands are our plain-English wording of the IB’s structure, not the IB’s markband text. The study, questions and answers are written by Markaroo.

Where Paper 2 marks are lost

Section A: writing about the topic, not the method. A knowledge question on your practical is about the research method. What your practical was about earns little on its own.
Section A: only differences. “Compare and contrast” needs similarities too, or the answer stays in the middle band.
Section A: a vague procedure. A procedure needs steps someone could follow, in the right terms (sampling, variables, consent, debrief).
Section B: concepts in the abstract. Defining bias or measurement without pointing to the study keeps you out of the top bands.
Section B: listing, not discussing. End with what the study can and cannot show, built from the points you made.

Paper 1 works differently: it pairs concepts with contexts and adds unseen scenarios. See the IB Psychology Paper 1 guide.

Paper 2 questions

How long is IB Psychology Paper 2?

1 hour 30 minutes for 35 marks. It is 35% of the final grade at SL and 25% at HL, and both SL and HL students sit it.

What is in Section A of IB Psychology Paper 2?

Four compulsory questions on the class practicals you carried out during the course, worth 4, 4, 6 and 6 marks, for 20 marks in total.

Which class practicals do I need to do?

At least four: an experiment, an observation, a survey or questionnaire, and an interview or focus group. Your teacher runs them during the course.

How many concepts do I need in Section B?

At least two. Discuss the unseen study using two or more concepts, and refer to specific details of the study throughout rather than defining the concepts in general.

Can Markaroo mark my Paper 2 answers?

Yes. Each answer is marked against the band ladder for its question type, with a mark, the reason for it and the one change that moves it up. The free plan includes 2 written answers marked free.