Last updated: 27 September 2026
The International Baccalaureate has introduced or announced revised Diploma Programme courses with first assessments from May 2025 through May 2028. This tracker covers Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Philosophy, Environmental Systems and Societies, Sports, Exercise and Health Science, Global Politics, Computer Science, Design Technology, Psychology, Visual Arts and History, plus the Extended Essay.
RevisionDojo has published curriculum-aligned resources for several revised courses, including the 2025 sciences and publicly identified new-syllabus hubs for Computer Science and Design Technology. Where an internal production or quality-assurance status cannot be verified publicly, the tracker uses a data placeholder rather than claiming an update is complete.
Jojo AI is an IB-focused study assistant integrated with RevisionDojo’s subject resources, exam-style practice and coursework tools. It can explain concepts and provide feedback against mark schemes or selected coursework criteria. Its feedback is advisory, not an official IB grade, and students should confirm assessment requirements with their teacher and current subject guide.
IB syllabus changes at a glance
“First assessment” follows dates published by the IB on its official curriculum-update pages. Students must use the guide assigned by their school; the newest published guide does not automatically apply to every examination session.
| Subject or component | First teaching | First assessment | Main confirmed change | RevisionDojo status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | August 2023 | May 2025 | Conceptual structure, options removed, two examinations and revised scientific investigation | Updated 2025-syllabus resources publicly available |
| Chemistry | August 2023 | May 2025 | Organized around structure and reactivity; options removed and scientific skills made more explicit | Updated 2025-syllabus resources publicly available |
| Physics | August 2023 | May 2025 | Five organizing themes, options removed, two-paper model and revised scientific investigation | Updated 2025-syllabus resources publicly available |
| Philosophy | August 2023 | May 2025 | Prescribed-text component changed to an open-book assessment; other components revised | [DATA NEEDED: confirm update and QA status] |
| Environmental Systems and Societies | August 2024 | May 2026 | Revised SL course, new HL pathway, two papers and updated individual investigation | [DATA NEEDED: confirm coverage and QA status] |
| Sports, Exercise and Health Science | August 2024 | May 2026 | Three themes, options removed, two examinations and revised scientific investigation | Hub publicly listed; [DATA NEEDED: confirm complete mapping] |
| Global Politics | August 2024 | May 2026 | Revised thematic studies, HL oral extension removed and HL Paper 3 introduced | [DATA NEEDED: confirm mapping and publication status] |
| Computer Science | August 2025 | May 2027 | Revised curriculum; external assessment 80% and internal assessment 20% | Separate new-syllabus hub publicly listed |
| Design Technology | August 2025 | May 2027 | Options and Paper 3 removed; two-paper model and redesigned IA project | Separate new-syllabus hub publicly listed |
| Psychology | August 2025 | May 2027 | Concepts, content and contexts integrated; class practicals added; IA becomes a research proposal | Resources publicly indexed; [DATA NEEDED: confirm full QA status] |
| Visual Arts | August 2025 | May 2027 | Three digitally submitted tasks: two externally assessed and one internally assessed | [DATA NEEDED: confirm update status] |
| Extended Essay | August 2025 | May 2027 | Subject-focused and interdisciplinary pathways, revised criteria and broader interdisciplinary option | [DATA NEEDED: confirm guidance and grader-rubric deployment] |
| History | August 2026 | May 2028 | Revised source work, new Paper 2, streamlined Paper 3 and restructured historical investigation |
Changes first assessed in 2025 and 2026
Biology, Chemistry and Physics were first taught under their revised guides in August 2023 and assessed for the first time in May 2025. The courses place greater emphasis on conceptual connections, scientific skills and common course experiences. Options were removed, with selected material incorporated into the core course or discontinued.
Biology is organized through four broad themes and four levels of organization. Chemistry is structured around structure and reactivity, while Physics uses five organizing themes. Each course now has two external examinations and a revised scientific investigation.
The revised Philosophy course was also first assessed in May 2025. Its prescribed-text component changed to an open-book assessment, alongside revisions to other assessment components.
Three further IB curriculum updates reach first assessment in May 2026. Environmental Systems and Societies now includes SL and HL pathways, two external papers and an updated individual investigation with additional attention to tensions between perspectives.
Sports, Exercise and Health Science is organized around exercise physiology and nutrition, biomechanics, and sports psychology and motor learning. Options have been removed, all students sit two examinations, and the scientific investigation has been revised.
In Global Politics, the previous HL oral extension has been removed. HL students instead take Paper 3 on global political challenges, while the engagement project remains internally assessed.
Students in these courses should check that practice resources match the current paper structure and IA requirements. A matching subject title alone does not prove that a resource follows the applicable guide.
RevisionDojo’s revised IB Question Bank and subject hubs organize resources by subject and, where relevant, syllabus version. Older past-paper questions can remain useful, but they may not reflect current coverage or examination structure.
New IB syllabus courses for May 2027
Computer Science, Design Technology, Psychology and Visual Arts were first taught from August 2025 and will be assessed under their revised guides in May 2027.
In Computer Science, written external examinations account for 80% and internal assessment accounts for 20% at SL and HL. RevisionDojo publicly lists a separate new-syllabus hub, helping students distinguish this course from the version receiving its final assessment in 2026.
For Design Technology, all students sit Paper 1 and Paper 2. Optional topics and Paper 3 have been removed. The internal assessment begins with redesigning an existing product for an intended user, with updated project criteria and different SL and HL weightings.
The revised Psychology course integrates concepts, content and contexts. Students complete class practicals, while the internal assessment becomes a research proposal instead of the previous experimental study. HL students also complete a data-analysis paper.
In Visual Arts, students digitally submit three assessment tasks. According to the IB subject brief, two are externally assessed; the third is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated.
The Extended Essay also changes for first assessment in May 2027. Its revised framework provides subject-focused and interdisciplinary research pathways, removes the former language essay categories and introduces revised assessment criteria.
History changes for May 2028
The revised History course began teaching in August 2026, with first assessment scheduled for May 2028. Paper 1 remains source-based but is organized around a framing inquiry question. Paper 2 introduces a conceptual section alongside short and extended responses. At HL, Paper 3 is reduced from three essays to two selected from different topics.
The historical investigation remains internally assessed, but its structure changes. The reflection section is removed, and the new sections address the inquiry question, sources and perspectives, and synthesis and evaluation. The IB states that students may use a maximum of seven sources.
Students beginning the revised course should not rely exclusively on materials designed around the outgoing Paper 2, Paper 3 or historical investigation structures.
How RevisionDojo tracks updates
A complete syllabus migration must cover the correct cohort, SL and HL content, renamed topics, additions and removals, current paper structures, revised IA requirements, and mark-scheme or criterion alignment. Public RevisionDojo pages already distinguish several outgoing and revised courses.
Jojo adds IB-focused feedback to this workflow by using selected subject, level and assessment context. However, no AI tool replaces the official guide, teacher instructions, moderation or examiner judgment.
Students comparing RevisionDojo against other platforms check the exact subject, syllabus version, level, paper type and feature required. Coverage changes over time, and this tracker does not claim that every competing resource is outdated or that RevisionDojo has complete coverage for every subject.
What students and schools should do
Students should confirm their examination session, the guide version used by their school and the guide’s first-assessment year. This is especially important while outgoing and revised courses overlap online.
Teachers and coordinators should use the Programme Resource Centre for complete guides and teacher support materials. Public subject briefs summarize changes but do not replace official school documentation.
Changelog
| Date | Tracker update |
|---|---|
| 27 September 2026 | Reverified 2025–2028 dates; added May 2028 History; reviewed public RevisionDojo syllabus labels |
| 19 February 2026 | History update confirmed for August 2026 teaching and May 2028 assessment |
| 13 February 2025 | May 2027 Computer Science, Design Technology, Psychology and Visual Arts updates published |
| 6 March 2024 | May 2026 ESS, SEHS and Global Politics information consolidated |
| February–March 2023 | May 2025 Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Philosophy information released |

