IBDP is consist of the toughest exams like Economics, math, etc. This program includes an in-depth study of every subject. IB economics HL is tough and workload but still some of the students are obsessed with it.
Like every other IB exam, economics is also divided into two levels: SL and HL. Where the SL embraces the basic study of economics theories and their real-life applications whereas the HL includes the advanced study of the topics that were introduced in the SL and can also include some new topics. Most students found HL exam the toughest.
To earn good marks in IB economics HL, you need to clear your concepts. That will able you to allocate your time and appropriate knowledge for the exams. Before discussing the topics of HL exams let’s take a look at the structure of the IB economics HL exam.
HL economics exam consists of three papers:
Paper 1– the Essay paper carries 30 percent marks of the whole HL economics marks in which you have to do one question (macro and microeconomics) from each section. There are two sections in the exam and each question carries 25 marks.
Paper 2– the Data response paper also contains 30 percent of the HL economics in which you have to do one question from each of two sections (international and development Economics). Each question has four parts and each carries 20 marks.
Paper 3– Math paper has 20 percent weightage of the whole HL economics in which you have to do 2 questions (whole syllabus).
IA- internal assessment carries 20 percent of the HL exam in which you have to submit commentaries by the end of your IB diploma. These are based on 3 parts of your economics coursework, i.e. Micro, Macro, or International Trade.
Now, we will dive into the details that what are the topics in which the majority of students are struggling.
This course consists of 4units that are:
Unit 1: Introduction to economics
Unit 2: Microeconomics
Unit 3: Macroeconomics
Unit 4: The global economy
Each unit contains lots of sub-topics, definitions, graphs, and structures. Each topic has different difficulties and problems for example long run, short run, profit, monopoly, oligopoly, revenues, and so on.
It is difficult to say the hardest topic of IB Economics because it’s purely an individual perspective. Every student has their capabilities some of you might like global economics, and some might not.
IB economics consists of heavy knowledge, you need to be capable of specialized English, Economics as well as math. You have to be splendid at math to pass the 3rd paper of IB economics HL.
To get good scores in IB economics you need to be a critical and logical Thinker. As you can note that in every exam they ask you to attempt only two questions on a particular topic. That means you should have that broad and rooted knowledge about that particular topic to write an answer. This test is in an essay format, as they ask questions in sub-parts. So it requires lots of knowledge to present a proper case study.
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The majority of students are struggling in macroeconomics. That can be because its theorists (classical, monetarist, Keynesian, New Classical, and New Keynesian, among others) disagree about so much. And it’s difficult to study all. But some students love macroeconomics. So it’s truly a personal opinion and there’s not any specific topic or unit that we can say is the toughest. Let’s discuss how you can score well in IB Economics HL.
How to score High
As HL paper is divided into 3 parts. 1st paper contains questions from half of the syllabus and 2nd paper the rest of the syllabus. That means it’s easier for you to attempt the 3rd paper which is from the whole syllabus. If you have studied everything deeply while preparing for exams 1st and 2nd then there’s nothing difficult for you to attempt 3rd exam. You just need to be attentive from day one. And should try to focus more on real-life examples that enable you to understand topics easily and quickly.
Firstly, you should try to focus only on one topic at once. And should give your hundred percent to grasp in-depth knowledge about that topic.
Secondly, you should avoid overburdening yourself. Because your mind needs to relax to grasp new information. You can do outdoor activities. Or can read economics newspapers and magazines to get familiarity with current economics issues.
Give time to the concepts that you think you are lacking. Self-study is important but not sufficient to get High scores. You can get help from your school teachers or can hire a personal tutor to understand those concepts.
Finally, you can also get help from online websites like Tribe Topper. They specialize in IB Economics and you can improve your scores by 2x by following their self-paced programs.
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