Where to Find IB Past Papers and Worked Solutions
The safest answer to where to find IB past papers is to start with your IB coordinator or subject teacher, then use the IB's publicly available specimen papers and authorized resources supplied through your school. Official examination papers and markschemes are copyrighted, so many websites offering unrestricted PDF archives operate without clear permission.
Finding the paper is only the first step. A markscheme tells you what earns credit, but it often does not teach the reasoning that gets you there. For effective revision, pair legally obtained papers with worked, per-question solutions, careful self-marking, and targeted follow-up practice.
The best places to find IB past papers
The available routes differ in legality, completeness, cost, and teaching value. This comparison provides a practical starting point.
| Source | What it provides | Access and copyright position | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| IB coordinator or subject teacher | School-licensed papers, markschemes and sometimes subject reports | Usually the most direct legitimate route for students | Access depends on the resources licensed by your school |
| Official IB sample exam papers | Selected past papers, specimen papers, audio files and markschemes | Publicly available from the IB | Not a complete archive for every subject and session |
| IB Questionbank | Official examination questions, markschemes and subject reports | Licensed resource designed primarily for teachers and schools | Students normally need access arranged through their school |
| Authorized IB publications and exam-paper resources | Official materials purchased or licensed by a school or individual | Use is governed by the relevant licence and terms | May involve a fee and does not necessarily include teaching explanations |
| Revision platforms | Original exam-style questions, predicted papers, feedback and worked explanations | Legitimate when they use original material or properly licensed content | Students must distinguish official papers from IB-style practice |
| Unofficial PDF archives | Collections of examination papers and markschemes | Permission is often unclear or absent | Copyright, security, accuracy and syllabus-version risks |
Ask your IB coordinator or teacher first
Your school is usually the most reliable source because coordinators and teachers can identify the correct subject, level, examination session, time zone or variant, and paper number. They can also tell you which papers remain relevant to the syllabus you are studying.
Ask specifically rather than requesting “all past papers.” A useful request might be: “Could I access two Mathematics AA HL Paper 1 examinations that match the current course, together with their markschemes?” Your teacher may provide access through a restricted learning platform, supervised practice, printed copies, or another method permitted by the school's licence.
Schools may also subscribe to the official IB Questionbank, which the IB describes as containing examination questions, markschemes and subject reports aligned with current syllabuses. It is primarily a teacher resource, so ask whether your teacher can create topic tests or practice sets rather than expecting an individual student login.
Use official IB specimen and sample papers
The IB publishes a limited collection of Diploma Programme sample exam papers. The page includes examples of actual examinations and specimen materials for selected subjects, sometimes with marking notes, markschemes or language-exam audio.
A specimen paper is an official model showing how an assessment is intended to look. It becomes especially important after a syllabus or assessment change because older live papers may use different content, timings or question structures. RevisionDojo's guide to specimen papers versus predicted papers explains how these resources serve different purposes.
Specimen papers are authoritative, but they are not a large practice library. Use them to understand format and current expectations, then use relevant older questions and original exam-style material to build fluency.
Use reputable revision platforms carefully
A revision platform can fill gaps left by official resources, particularly by providing searchable question practice, model responses, analytics and explanations. Check whether the platform clearly distinguishes among:
- Official past papers, which reproduce previous IB examinations
- Specimen papers, which are official examples of an assessment format
- Predicted papers, which are unofficial practice examinations based on the syllabus
- IB-style questions, which are original questions designed to resemble IB assessment
- Worked solutions, which explain how to answer a question and may not be official markschemes
RevisionDojo offers predicted papers, subject Questionbanks and exam-style practice rather than presenting every practice resource as an official IB paper. Its subject hubs, such as IB Chemistry resources and IB Physics resources, combine questions with syllabus-based learning materials.
Why free IB past-paper PDF sites are a grey area
IB examination papers, markschemes and questionbanks are protected intellectual property. The IB's licensing guidance states that third parties need permission when reproducing IB content, while its licensing policies restrict uses including placing IB material on publicly accessible websites.
This does not mean that merely encountering an unofficial PDF makes a student responsible for the site's conduct. It does mean that an open archive should not be assumed legitimate simply because it is free, popular or easy to find. Uploading papers to public drives, social media groups or open websites may redistribute copyrighted material without permission.
Unofficial archives also create practical academic problems:
- Files may be incomplete, mislabeled or altered.
- Markschemes may not match the paper or examination variant.
- Older questions may assess removed syllabus content.
- Download pages may contain intrusive advertising or unsafe files.
- A disappearing archive can leave your revision plan without reliable materials.
Use authorized school access and public IB materials instead. If a resource does not identify whether its questions are official, licensed, or independently written, treat its claims cautiously.
Why worked solutions matter more than collecting PDFs
Many students gather dozens of papers but improve very little because they repeat a simple cycle: answer, check the final answer, record a score, and move on. That tests performance without repairing the cause of lost marks.
An official markscheme is written primarily to standardize marking. It may list acceptable points, mathematical results, method marks, alternative answers and examiner instructions, but it is not always a student-friendly lesson. A worked solution should bridge that gap by showing:
- how to interpret the command term;
- which concept or formula to choose;
- the intermediate reasoning or calculation;
- where individual marks are likely to be earned;
- common wrong approaches and why they fail;
- what a clear final response looks like.
For example, a mathematics markscheme may show a substitution, an intermediate value and a final answer. A strong video solution explains why that substitution is appropriate, which calculator steps are valid, how method marks can still be earned after an arithmetic error, and how much working should appear on the page.
This is why per-question video solutions are often more useful than another folder of PDFs. You can attempt one question, watch only the explanation you need, and then reproduce the method without support. RevisionDojo provides past-paper video walkthroughs within supported subject areas, including its Chemistry past-paper resources and Literary Arts past-paper videos.
These explanations should be understood as teaching resources, not official IB markschemes unless explicitly identified as such. Keep the official markscheme beside you when one is legitimately available, because it remains the authoritative record of how that examination was marked.
How to check that a paper is relevant
Before starting any paper, confirm five details:
- Course name: For example, Mathematics: analysis and approaches is not interchangeable with Mathematics: applications and interpretation.
- Level: SL and HL may differ in content, depth and paper structure.
- Syllabus cycle: Check the first-assessment date for your current course and ask your teacher about older material.
- Paper and component: Paper 1, Paper 2 and any additional components assess different skills in many subjects.
- Supporting materials: Obtain the correct data booklet, source booklet, case study, text insert or audio where required.
Old papers are not automatically useless. A teacher may recommend individual questions that still match the current syllabus, even when the complete paper no longer reflects the present assessment. The mistake is treating every historical paper as a fully accurate mock examination.
A productive past-paper revision method
1. Attempt before viewing the solution
Work under closed-book conditions and record the time used. For early practice, complete a short section rather than forcing a full paper before you have mastered the content.
2. Mark with evidence
Use the correct official markscheme when available. Annotate where each mark was earned or lost instead of awarding marks because your answer “looks close.” RevisionDojo's explanation of how IB markschemes work can help you interpret command terms and marking points.
3. Study the worked method
Watch or read the solution only after making a serious attempt. Pause before each major step and predict what should happen next. If the explanation uses a method you did not know, summarize it as a short rule in your error log.
4. Classify the mistake
Label each lost mark as one of the following:
- missing knowledge;
- incorrect method;
- command-term misunderstanding;
- weak explanation or structure;
- careless execution;
- poor timing.
The category determines the repair. Missing knowledge requires notes or teaching, while a timing problem requires timed repetition rather than more reading.
5. Redo and transfer
Redo the original question without the solution, ideally after a delay. Then answer one or two new questions requiring the same skill. The RevisionDojo Questionbank and exam-practice approach supports this move from correction to targeted practice, while Jojo AI can clarify why a response missed a marking point.
Common mistakes when using IB past papers
- Starting full papers too early: Topic practice is more efficient while major content gaps remain.
- Using only recent papers: Save some highly relevant papers for realistic mocks rather than seeing every question in advance.
- Ignoring syllabus changes: A high score on an obsolete format can create false confidence.
- Reading solutions passively: An explanation feels obvious when visible; independent reproduction proves learning.
- Treating predicted papers as forecasts: They are simulations, not reliable predictions of exact questions.
- Recording only percentages: Track lost marks by topic, command term, method and timing.
For a fuller review process, see RevisionDojo's guide to reviewing past IB papers efficiently. Its central principle is sound: every paper should produce a specific list of weaknesses and a plan to retest them.
Conclusion
The most reliable places to find IB past papers are your coordinator or teachers, the IB's official sample-paper page, and authorized resources available through your school. Avoid assuming that an unrestricted PDF archive has permission to distribute IB material, and always verify that a paper matches your course, level and syllabus.
Most importantly, do not confuse access with effective revision. Papers diagnose your performance, while worked solutions, markscheme analysis and repeated practice teach you how to improve it. After obtaining papers legitimately, use RevisionDojo's per-question video walkthroughs, Questionbank and Jojo AI feedback to turn each lost mark into a method you can apply independently.
Sources and referenced URLs
- IB Diploma Programme sample exam papers
- Official IB Questionbank
- IB guidance on licensing materials
- IB licensing policies
- RevisionDojo guide to predicted and specimen papers
- RevisionDojo predicted papers
- RevisionDojo IB Chemistry resources and past-paper walkthroughs
- RevisionDojo IB Physics resources
- RevisionDojo Literary Arts past-paper videos
- RevisionDojo explanation of IB markschemes
- RevisionDojo guide to questionbanks and practice papers
- RevisionDojo guide to reviewing past IB papers