Biology HL – for the IB Diploma Programme
Exam structure at a glance for Biology HL (IB Diploma Programme): every paper with its time, marks and weighting, plus the links you need.
- Board
- International Baccalaureate
- Level
- Higher level (HL)
- Grades
- 7-1
- First exams
- 2025
- Exam papers
- 2
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Plan the whole year: open this course in the Year Planner – every lesson dated around your term dates, with a coverage check. Free.
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Papers and weightings
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | What it is (our summary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Paper 1A (multiple choice) and 1B (data-based questions) | 2 h | – | 36% | |
| Paper 2: Short-answer and extended-response questions | 2 h 30 min | – | 44% | |
| Internal assessment: Scientific investigation Non-exam assessment | not stated | – | 20% | Open-ended investigation written up as a report of up to 3,000 words; marked by the teacher and moderated by the IB. |
Times are exam lengths; weightings are shares of the whole subject grade. Summaries are in our own words.
Good to know
- Grades: 7-1
- Exam series: May and November
- Recommended teaching hours: 240
- Coursework: internal assessment (marked by the teacher, moderated by the IB)
- Collaborative sciences project: 10 recommended hours at SL and HL (from the biology brief teaching-hours table); not a weighted component.
- Physics brief does not print the 20% internal weighting; it follows from 80% external (biology and chemistry briefs state 20%).
- first_teaching is first_exam minus 2 (the DP is a two-year course).
- Exam series May and November is general IB practice; check the IB assessment calendar for this subject.
Official documents and past papers
Facts checked against: ibo.org, ibo.org.
More packs
This work has been developed independently from and is not endorsed by the International Baccalaureate Organization. International Baccalaureate, Baccalauréat International, Bachillerato Internacional and IB are registered trademarks owned by the International Baccalaureate Organization.
Exam details checked against the IB subject brief or guide on 2026-10-20. Always check the current version on the IB website. We store facts only (codes, papers, times, marks, weightings) with summaries in our own words; no syllabus, guide or paper text is reproduced, and past papers are linked, never re-hosted.
Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Baccalaureate Organization.
Questions teachers ask
How long are the Biology HL exams?
Paper 1: 2 h; Paper 2: 2 h 30 min.