INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETIES DEPARTMENT

IB GLOBAL POLITICS (SL/HL)

PAPER 2 PREP GUIDE

STRUCTURE OF THE EXAM AND HOW TO APPROACH EACH QUESTION

This preparation guide is for Paper 2 of the external assessment of the IB Global Politics course.
To see more details about the structure of the paper and the markbands, review the external assessment section of the IB Global Politics guide. Link to external assessment in detail.

Part Description
 Time: 2 minutes.
 Key elements:
READING THE
- Read all the instructions.
EXAM
- Read all the questions.
- Reading time is exam time.
 Time: 2 minutes. - Select from the options that are presented.
 Key elements: - You may only choose one from each unit.
SELECTING THE
- You will see 8 questions, 2 from each of the core - You can’t answer both questions from the same unit.
QUESTIONS
units of the course. - When selecting your questions, think of which one you have more knowledge about or can
- You will be answering 2 questions. build better arguments for.
 Time: 6 minutes. - When you are planning think of these questions:
 Key elements: o What will your argument be?
PLANNING YOUR - Make sure you understand the question. o What evidence will you include in each paragraph?
ANSWERS - Make sure you understand the command term. o What theories and concepts will you use to support what you say?
- Link to command terms in detail. - Refer to your plan regularly as you write your essays, this will ensure that you stay focused
- Use the blank paper to plan your answers. as you answer the question.

Part Description
 Value: 25 marks per question. - Keep answering the question.
 Time: o Make sure that any point you make is helping you answer the question.
- 90 minutes total. o The reader should be able to see why you have included this point and how it is linked
- 40 minutes per question. to the question.
 Number of questions: - Write in an academic style.
Q1
- You must select 2 questions. o Write in the third person.
Q2
- You must select one from each unit. o Avoid phrases like “I think…”
- You can’t answer both questions from the same unit. o Instead, use expressions such as “it could be argued…”
 Type of questions: - There are two sides to every argument.
- Essay questions. o Present both sides of the argument.
- Structure depends on the command term. o
 Part
 How to approach the question:
- Your answers must have the structure of an essay.
- Include definitions in your introduction.
- Support any points you make with contemporary
examples.
o Contemporary can be hard to define, use
examples from your lifetime or the ones given in
class, which are all current.
REFERENCES
“How to approach the question section” taken and adapted from:
IB Global Politics - UWC Costa Rica. (n.d.).
https://glopoib.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/the-glopo-paper-1-bible.pdf
https://glopoib.wordpress.com/paper-2/
Description
- Use theories and concepts.
o Link the arguments you make to the theories and concepts of the Global Politics
curriculum.
o Once you have presented both sides of the argument, state which side is more
convincing based on evidence.
- Don´t forget to write a conclusion.
o Writing a conclusion is not optional.
o It should summarize the most important points (along with the evidence of those
points).
o It should answer the question.