IB SEHS: Common Mistakes in Physiological Communication

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A high-scoring IB SEHS answer separates the two systems cleanly.

Where students slip:

• Treating hormones like instant electrical messages

• Saying the endocrine system “sends impulses”

• Forgetting to compare speed and duration

What examiners want is contrast with purpose: nervous system communication is rapid (electrical impulses along neurons, chemical transmission at synapses), while endocrine communication is slower (hormones travel in blood) but longer-lasting.

To reinforce the distinction, revise with A.1.1 Inter-system communication Notes (syllabus hub) and practise exam phrasing in the A.1 Communication Questionbank.

Mistake: writing the steps in the wrong sequence

Sequence is where IB SEHS students lose “quiet marks.” Especially in neuromuscular junction or movement-control questions, you cannot jump to the ending.

Typical issues:

• Starting with contraction before neurotransmitter release

• Skipping action potentials

• Using vague filler like “signals are sent to the muscle”

A safer approach is to write in steps, one per line in short answers: stimulus (or intention) -- motor neuron action potential -- neurotransmitter release -- diffusion across synaptic cleft -- binding to receptors -- muscle fibre response.

For targeted practice, pair RevisionDojo’s A.1.1.1 nervous system coordination topic page with the broader framing in What is communication in exercise physiology?.

Mistake: “general language” instead of IB terminology

In IB SEHS, the examiner cannot award specific marks if you stay generic.

Replace words like:

• “messages” with action potentials

• “chemicals” with neurotransmitters

• “gap” with synaptic cleft

A simple way to train this is daily active recall: use the A.1.1 Inter-system communication flashcards, or build your own decks using strategies from Jojo’s Flashcard Guide: SEHS Edition.

Mistake: leaving out the exercise context

A communication answer without sport or exercise is often “true” but not complete for IB SEHS.

Strong links include:

• Explaining how nervous control supports coordination and skill execution

• Connecting adrenaline and other hormones to sustained performance demands

• Mentioning fatigue and how it can reduce precision, reaction time, or force control

If you are unsure what “applied” looks like, browse IB SEHS posts and then practise with RevisionDojo’s AI Chat to generate athlete scenarios, followed by Grading tools to check whether your explanation hits markscheme language.

Final takeaway: make IB SEHS communication easy to mark

Examiners do not reward what you meant. They reward what you clearly showed. In IB SEHS, the simplest score boost is to write answers that are impossible to misunderstand: correct system, correct sequence, correct terms, and a clear link to exercise.

When you are ready to turn that into consistent exam performance, use RevisionDojo as your hub -- Study Notes for clarity, Flashcards for recall, the Questionbank for repetition, AI Chat for application, plus Mock Exams, Predicted Papers, and Tutors when you want full exam readiness. Your next physiological communication question should feel less like a trap and more like a routine win for IB SEHS.

IB SEHS goal setting in sport made simple: goal types, SMART targets, common mistakes, and exam-ready tips using RevisionDojo practice tools.