For the updated syllabus, several changes have been made to the assessment model as listed below. The more significant changes include the removal of paper 3 (option topics) and introducing collaborative nature into the scientific investigation (IA project).
1) External assessment
All students will only sit two external examinations.
Paper 1A includes multiple-choice questions on the syllabus and paper 1B includes data analysis questions. These papers provide an opportunity to assess some of the experimental skills and techniques.
Paper 2 includes short-answer and extended-response questions of intertwining skills, concepts and understandings placed into a suitable chemistry context.
Other changes include the removal of the option topics (materials, biochemistry, energy and medicinal chemistry). From the current four options some of the content was incorporated into the course at either standard level or higher level.
2) Internal assessment
The ‘scientific investigation’ (internal assessment) will also see a change, with the opportunity for students to collaborate and support each other within small groups.
Where appropriate, students will be able to share similar methodologies, provided that the independent or dependent variable differ, and the data collected is unique to each student.
Students will continue to submit an individual report with a maximum word count of 3,000 words.
The revised criteria will place a greater emphasis on higher-order thinking skills with 50% of the marks allocated for Conclusion and Evaluation.
Information taken from ibo.org.