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GEOGRAPHY · IB Diploma Programme

GEOGRAPHY/11

Geographic Options (SL and HL)

Geography · 2023 · Variant 1

Relative difficulty

Standard · 3.4/5

Analysis source: International Baccalaureate Organization

Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.

Relative difficulty

3.4 / 5

Total marks

90

Duration

165 min

Most tested topic

Global climate—vulnerability and resilience

Cohort performance

Session statistics from official examination reports

Total marks

90

Duration

165 min

Session difficulty

3.4 / 5

Key examiner messages

Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise

1

A comprehensive analysis of the May 2023 IB Geography Paper 1 (Options) and Paper 2 (Core) exams.

2

The paper evaluates global change, resource consumption, climate vulnerability, and selected geographic options with a mix of resource-based questions and evaluative 10-mark essays.

Question difficulty map

How candidates performed on each question in this series

No data available in official reports

Assessment objectives

Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary

No data available in official reports

Method marks watchlist

Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost

No data available in official reports

Recurring mistakes across years

Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject

No data available in official reports

Question choice intelligence

Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)

No data available in official reports

Level exemplars

What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like

No data available in official reports

Grade & admission context

How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards

Report type

IB subject report — grade distributions, IA weighting, and HL/SL distinctions

Level 7

Excellent — top band for competitive university offers

Level 6

Very good — strong HL performance

Level 5

Good — solid pass at higher level

Level 4

Satisfactory — minimum for many university credits

Level 3

Mediocre

Level 2

Poor

Level 1

Very poor

Deep insights

What top candidates did

Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series

No data available in official reports

Command word playbook

How to match each command word to the expected response style

No data available in official reports

Time traps

Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks

No data available in official reports

Syllabus traceability

Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session

Global climate—vulnerability and resilience

30 marks this session

Population distribution—changing population

20 marks this session

Global resource consumption and security

20 marks this session

MCQ trap analytics

Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary

No data available in official reports

Topic heatmap across years

Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject

Mark intensity

LowHigh
Topic
2023
2024
2025
Σ

Global resource consumption and security

20
20
20
60

Population distribution—changing population

20
10
20
50

Global climate—vulnerability and resilience

30
10
10
50

Difficulty trend

How session difficulty has shifted across recent years

202320242025
2023 2023 · 3.4/52024 2024 · 3.4/52025 June 2025 · 3.4/5

Paper comparison

Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session

Paper 1 (Geographic Options):

40 marks90 min

Paper 2 (Geographic Perspectives—Global Change):

50 marks75 min

Marks you can still earn

Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit

No data available in official reports

Practise what examiners flagged

Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app

Self-diagnostic checklist

Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise

  • 1Message

    A comprehensive analysis of the May 2023 IB Geography Paper 1 (Options) and Paper 2 (Core) exams.

  • 2Message

    The paper evaluates global change, resource consumption, climate vulnerability, and selected geographic options with a mix of resource-based questions and evaluative 10-mark essays.

Teacher briefing pack

One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review

2023 2023

Geography

A comprehensive analysis of the May 2023 IB Geography Paper 1 (Options) and Paper 2 (Core) exams. The paper evaluates global change, resource consumption, climate vulnerability, and selected geographic options with a mix of resource-based questions and evaluative 10-mark essays.

  • A comprehensive analysis of the May 2023 IB Geography Paper 1 (Options) and Paper 2 (Core) exams.

  • The paper evaluates global change, resource consumption, climate vulnerability, and selected geographic options with a mix of resource-based questions and evaluative 10-mark essays.

Total marks
90
Duration
165 min
Session difficulty
3.4 / 5

Session analysis

A comprehensive analysis of the May 2023 IB Geography Paper 1 (Options) and Paper 2 (Core) exams. The paper evaluates global change, resource consumption, climate vulnerability, and selected geographic options with a mix of resource-based questions and evaluative 10-mark essays.

Updated Jun 14, 2026

Paper breakdown

Paper 1 (Geographic Options):

40 marks90 min

Paper 2 (Geographic Perspectives—Global Change):

50 marks75 min

Top chapters

Global climate—vulnerability and resilience30 marks
Population distribution—changing population20 marks
Global resource consumption and security20 marks

Exam tips

Paper format

Duration
1h 30min
Total marks
40
Weighting
35%
Question types
Short Answer Data/Map Extract, Outline Features/Reasons, Explain Challenges, Long-Form Evaluative Essay

Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.

GEOGRAPHY/11 — IB Diploma Programme Geography (2023) | Revui