The official MYP Physics eAssessment length is two hours. It is one externally marked, on-screen examination taken at the end of MYP Year 5, not a series of separate papers. During those 120 minutes, students complete three broad tasks worth approximately 100 marks.
The tasks assess all four MYP Sciences criteria. Effective preparation must therefore cover physics knowledge, investigation design, data analysis, and evaluation of science in real-world contexts.
How long is the MYP Physics eAssessment?
The IB's official on-screen examinations page identifies Physics as an on-screen Sciences examination lasting two hours. Students should use the schedule supplied by their coordinator to confirm the date, starting time, and arrival instructions for their session.
The two-hour duration refers to the scheduled examination. Do not assume that separate reading or planning time will be added unless your coordinator confirms this through official session instructions or an approved access arrangement.
MYP Physics is a discrete science examination. It is not a combined paper containing compulsory Biology, Chemistry, and Physics sections. The IB offers separate eAssessments in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Integrated Sciences, as shown on its list of available MYP eAssessment subjects.
What happens during the two-hour examination?
According to the official MYP Sciences subject brief, the examination contains three broad tasks. Together, they assess the four Sciences criteria with approximately equal weighting.
| Task | Main assessment focus | Main criterion | Blueprint marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowing and understanding | Explaining and applying physics | Criterion A | 25 |
| Investigation skills | Designing investigations, processing data, and evaluating evidence | Criteria B and C | 50 |
| Applying science | Evaluating how physics addresses an issue | Criterion D | 25 |
| Total | All four criteria | A, B, C, and D | 100 |
These are not entirely isolated skill areas. A Criterion A question may include graph interpretation, while an applying-science response needs accurate scientific knowledge before the consequences of a technology can be evaluated.
The examination can include short responses, calculations, data interpretation, investigation planning, and extended writing. Questions often use sources or unfamiliar contexts, so memorising definitions and equations is not sufficient by itself.
A practical timing plan for 120 minutes
The IB specifies the examination duration and assessment blueprint, but it does not require students to follow a fixed minute-by-minute plan. This suggested allocation reflects the relative mark weighting while preserving time for checking.
| Stage | Suggested time | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Initial scan | 3 minutes | Identify longer responses and source material. |
| Knowing and understanding | 27 minutes | Complete explanations, calculations, and applications. |
| Investigation skills | 55 minutes | Address hypotheses, methods, data, conclusions, and evaluation. |
| Applying science | 25 minutes | Write a balanced response supported by physics. |
| Final review | 10 minutes | Check units, graph labels, command terms, and missing answers. |
This is practical advice, not an official rule. If the mark distribution differs, adjust your allocation using roughly one minute per mark, while protecting a final review period.
Do not spend too long perfecting one low-mark response. Enter any relevant physics you can establish, move forward, and return later. An attempt at every question normally creates more scoring opportunities than one polished section followed by unanswered items.
Using the on-screen format effectively
The digital format affects how students use their 120 minutes. Reading from a screen, moving between source material and questions, typing explanations, and checking numerical work can all create small delays. Practising only on printed worksheets may therefore give an unrealistic impression of your examination speed.
Read every instruction carefully before entering a response. A technically correct answer can still miss marks if it does not address the command term, required number of examples, or specific context. Keep calculations and explanations logically ordered so an examiner can follow the reasoning.
- Before calculating, identify the relevant quantities, equation, and required unit.
- For graph questions, check axis variables, scales, units, and anomalous points.
- In extended responses, plan the scientific claim and supporting evidence before typing.
- Use navigation features deliberately rather than repeatedly switching between unfinished answers.
These habits should be rehearsed during timed computer practice. The aim is not merely to type faster, but to reduce avoidable rereading, preserve concentration, and leave enough time to check incomplete or flagged responses.
How the MYP Physics eAssessment is graded
External eAssessment grading differs from familiar classroom MYP grading. In school assessments, teachers commonly award achievement levels from 0 to 8 for each criterion and combine the four levels into a total out of 32. The external examination begins with raw marks awarded by IB examiners using task-specific markschemes.
The process is:
- Examiners mark each response against the official markscheme.
- Marks associated with Criteria A, B, C, and D contribute to a total normally out of 100.
- The IB establishes subject- and session-specific grade boundaries through grade awarding.
- The raw total is converted to a final MYP Physics grade from 1 to 7.
Equal criterion representation does not mean that examiners simply assign four classroom levels out of 8. Nor does one fixed percentage always produce the same final grade. Official boundaries can change between sessions, so previous boundaries are useful for practice but cannot guarantee a future result.
Students should distinguish external boundaries from the classroom conversion discussed in RevisionDojo's guide to MYP grade boundaries and the 1–7 scale. The IB confirms that official eAssessment subject results use a grade scale from 1 to 7.
What each criterion requires
Balanced performance matters because each criterion accounts for approximately one quarter of the blueprint marks.
- Criterion A: Knowing and understanding rewards accurate explanations, correct equation use, and justified judgments. Show substitutions and include units in calculations.
- Criterion B: Inquiring and designing assesses testable hypotheses, variables, data collection, and valid methods. An equipment list without controls or repeated measurements is usually inadequate.
- Criterion C: Processing and evaluating covers tables, calculations, graphs, conclusions, validity, limitations, and improvements. Each improvement should address a specific weakness.
- Criterion D: Reflecting on the impacts of science combines physics with discussion of consequences. Strong answers consider relevant benefits, limitations, and social, economic, ethical, political, or environmental implications.
This explains why content-only revision is risky. A student may know the equations for energy, circuits, and waves but still lose marks through weak investigation design or unsupported evaluation.
How to prepare for the exam length
Complete at least one uninterrupted 120-minute practice on a computer. Digital stamina matters because reading sources, entering calculations, moving between questions, and typing extended responses may take longer than expected.
Use the MYP Physics Questionbank for targeted practice, then combine those drills with full timed sets. The MYP Physics resource hub supports content review, while MYP Physics flashcards are most useful for retrieval practice rather than as a substitute for extended questions.
After each attempt, classify lost marks by criterion. If Criterion C is weakest, practise graph interpretation, conclusions, methodological limitations, and specific improvements. RevisionDojo's 30-day MYP eAssessment study plan can help turn these priorities into a structured schedule.
Common mistakes about the examination
Two hours may appear generous, but investigation and applying-science tasks require careful reading and structured reasoning. Common avoidable mistakes include:
- treating Physics and Integrated Sciences as the same examination
- using a fixed, unofficial boundary table to convert mock percentages
- spending excessive time on Criterion A calculations
- leaving Criterion D until the final few minutes
- describing an investigation without identifying variables
- suggesting improvements unrelated to the stated limitation
- finishing without checking units, graph axes, or unanswered subparts
Conclusion
The MYP Physics eAssessment lasts two hours and uses three broad tasks to assess four equally represented Sciences criteria. Its approximately 100 raw marks are converted to a grade from 1 to 7 using the official Physics boundaries for that session.
Successful preparation combines full two-hour practice with focused criterion work. RevisionDojo's MYP Physics Questionbank, Flashcards, Study Notes, and Jojo AI can support both timed practice and targeted correction.
Sources and referenced URLs
- IB on-screen examinations
- IB MYP available eAssessment subjects
- Official IB MYP Sciences subject brief
- IB MYP grading and awards
- RevisionDojo MYP Physics resources
- RevisionDojo MYP Physics Questionbank
- RevisionDojo MYP Physics flashcards
- RevisionDojo guide to MYP grade boundaries
- RevisionDojo 30-day MYP eAssessment study plan