What are the changes in the 2025 IB Chemistry Syllabus?

To ensure that it is up-to-date, the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) periodically revamps its curriculum. There are some recent changes to the IB science subjects, particularly in its content and exam style. This affects our Chemistry students who are scheduled to take their first assessments for IB in 2025. 

As a general overview, these changes are to align the syllabus with current research and best practices in the field of science education. The goals of these revisions are to foster deeper conceptual understanding, allow students to make the connection between various scientific disciplines, and promote the development of scientific competencies in a practical setting.

The IB has thus shifted from a purely content-based approach to focusing on inquiry-based learning. In the new curriculum, students are encouraged to ask questions, design experiments, analyse data, and draw conclusions based on evidence. There is also a new focus on interdisciplinary thinking, where students are encouraged to recognise and appreciate the connections between different disciplines in the field of science. 

What are the changes in 2025 IB Chemistry Syllabus?

There are some changes in IB Chemistry assessment modes:

For the external assessment which is worth 80%, there will now only be 2 papers: Paper 1 and 2. Paper 1 is worth 36% and Paper 2 is worth 44%. The option topics are also removed, and these are incorporated into either the SL or HL syllabus accordingly.

As for the internal assessment which is worth 20%, a major change is the shift in emphasis on the process of scientific investigation instead of the final product. Students are also now allowed to work on their IA in small groups. The purpose of these changes are to develop students’ abilities to plan, execute, evaluate scientific research, and communicate with peers with similar interests in mind. However, students still need to submit an individual report with a maximum word count of 3000 words. When marking the IA, 50% of the marks go to Conclusion and Evaluation. This shows that the revised marking scheme focuses on higher-order thinking skills.

What are some Chemistry-specific changes in the syllabus?

The Chemistry syllabus has changed to reduce the content overload and give students opportunities for inquiry-based learning. Students will learn about contemporary topics in the new syllabus, namely green chemistry, materials science, and how chemistry plays an important role in addressing global changes. 

Now, there are 2 overarching concepts governing the syllabus - structure and reactivity. There are now 6 main topics and a total of 22 subtopics. The new syllabus features content from the current 4 options (materials, biochemistry, energy, and medicinal chemistry). 

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Frequently Asked Questions:

How to study for IB Chemistry?

Firstly, knowing the syllabus for IB Chemistry (either HL or SL) will help the student revise. Next, try practicing with past year IB papers to get used to the exam format. If there are questions students do not know how to answer, they can revise the concepts regarding the question to help them answer them or clarify with a tutor or teacher.

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