Can I use the IB Chemistry data booklet in every exam paper?

Yes, candidates following the course first assessed in 2025 use a clean Chemistry data booklet for Paper 1A, Paper 1B and Paper 2 at both SL and HL. This differs from the previous course, under which access was more restricted in Paper 1. Calculators are also permitted for the current Chemistry examination papers. Your school supplies the examination copy, so you should not bring an annotated personal booklet. Always follow the instructions given by your coordinator and printed on the examination paper.

Do I need to memorize equations that appear in the data booklet?

You do not need to reproduce every printed equation from memory, but you must recognize what each equation means. The booklet does not tell you which relationship fits a particular question. You must understand each symbol, applicable condition and required unit conversion. Familiarity also prevents you from wasting time searching through unrelated sections. Memorize the underlying concepts and decision-making process rather than treating the booklet as a substitute for understanding.

Can I annotate or highlight my Chemistry data booklet?

You may annotate a personal copy while learning, because labels and notes can help you understand its organization. In the official examination, however, candidates must receive a clean copy. Personal notes, highlighting, tabs and added formulas must not appear in that examination copy. During final timed practice, switch from your annotated booklet to a clean version. This ensures that your navigation skill reflects the conditions you will face in the examination.

Which sections of the IB Chemistry data booklet are used most often?

The most frequently used sections depend on the question, but equations, physical constants and the periodic table appear throughout the course. Energetics questions commonly use bond enthalpies, thermodynamic data and enthalpies of combustion. Redox questions often require the standard reduction potential table. Organic structure questions may combine infrared, proton NMR and mass-spectral evidence. Rather than prioritizing only a few pages, learn the broad location and purpose of all 23 sections.

How should I use the data booklet for spectroscopy questions?

Begin by treating each spectrum as one part of a connected evidence set. Use the IR table to identify likely bonds or functional groups from characteristic absorption ranges. Use the ¹H NMR table alongside chemical shifts, integration and splitting information supplied in the question. Mass-spectral data can support a molecular mass or indicate a fragment lost from the molecular ion. Your final structure must account for all the evidence, so avoid making a conclusion from one peak alone.

What is the biggest mistake students make with the Chemistry formula sheet?

A common mistake is selecting a familiar formula before deciding what the question is actually asking. This often leads to incorrect quantities, signs or units even when the arithmetic is accurate. Read the command term, identify the chemical process and inspect the relevant table heading before substituting values. Keep units beside numbers and delay rounding until the final answer unless instructed otherwise. A short reasonableness check can expose errors such as a positive combustion enthalpy or an impossible concentration.

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IB Chemistry Data Booklet: Exam Use Guide

Daniel R.

• 29 Jul 2026•6

IB Chemistry Data Booklet: Exam Use Guide

The IB Chemistry data booklet is the official reference supplied to SL and HL candidates. For the course first assessed in 2025, a clean copy is required for Papers 1A, 1B and 2. It provides equations, constants and chemical data, but you must still choose the correct information, manage units and explain your reasoning.

Open the IB Chemistry data booklet

Use the RevisionDojo IB Chemistry data booklet reference while revising. Your teacher or IB coordinator should provide the current IB-issued examination copy, marked First assessment 2025, version 1.1. The current booklet PDF contains the complete tables and diagrams.

The booklet has 23 sections:

Sections	Information provided
1-5	Equations, physical constants, SI multipliers, conversions and the electromagnetic spectrum
6-10	Element names, periodic table, phase-change temperatures, ionization energy, electron affinity, electronegativity and radii
11-17	Bond lengths, bond enthalpies, thermodynamic data, combustion data, colour wheel, lattice enthalpies and bonding triangle
18-19	Acid-base indicators and standard reduction potentials
20-22	Infrared, proton NMR and mass-spectral data
23	Uncertainty equations

The IB's Chemistry specimen examination papers confirm that a clean booklet is required. Do not take an annotated revision copy into the examination.

How to use the formula sheet efficiently

Follow the same process for every calculation or data question:

Identify the topic. Words such as “bond enthalpy,” “reduction potential” or “absorption” indicate the relevant section.
Read the table heading. Check physical states, conditions, units and whether values are experimental or average values.
Select the relationship. Do not choose an equation merely because it contains familiar symbols.
Convert units before substituting. Common traps include J and kJ, cm³ and dm³, and nm and m.
Show your setup. Write the equation, substitution, result and unit, then check whether the sign and magnitude are chemically reasonable.

For example, a question using average bond enthalpies requires Section 12 and the calculation bonds broken minus bonds formed. An organic identification question may require evidence from IR, ¹H NMR and mass spectrometry together, rather than one table in isolation.

What is not given: The booklet does not teach definitions, reaction mechanisms, explanations of periodic trends, practical procedures or how to select an equation. It also does not replace knowledge of stoichiometric relationships, chemical reasoning, oxidation states, organic reactions or command terms. You must understand what the data mean and when they apply.

Practise before the examination

Use a clean booklet during timed work from the IB Chemistry Questionbank. Record slow searches and unit errors, then review the relevant concept through the Chemistry resource hub or use Chemistry flashcards for knowledge that the booklet does not supply.

Conclusion

The IB Chemistry data booklet rewards familiarity rather than memorization. Learn its section structure, verify headings and units, show complete working and practise with a clean copy. RevisionDojo's data booklet reference and Questionbank are useful for building that routine under realistic conditions.

Sources and referenced URLs

Sections

Information provided

1-5

Equations, physical constants, SI multipliers, conversions and the electromagnetic spectrum

6-10

Element names, periodic table, phase-change temperatures, ionization energy, electron affinity, electronegativity and radii

11-17

Bond lengths, bond enthalpies, thermodynamic data, combustion data, colour wheel, lattice enthalpies and bonding triangle

18-19

Acid-base indicators and standard reduction potentials

20-22

Infrared, proton NMR and mass-spectral data

Uncertainty equations

IB Chemistry Data Booklet: Exam Use Guide