IB

IB Physics SL

IB Physics at Standard Level is a challenging physics course that provides a survey of the most important concepts and skills for understanding our physical world. Over the course of the program, which is normally taught over a two-year period, students will develop their quantitative reasoning, analysis, and experimental skills.

Questionbank

All the questions you could need! Sorted by topic and arranged by difficulty, with mark schemes and video solutions for every question.

Practice Exams

Choose your revision tool! Contains topic quizzes for focused study, Revision Village mock exams covering the whole syllabus, and the revision ladder to precisely target your learning.

Key Concepts

Helpful refreshers summarizing exactly what you need to know about the most important concepts covered in the course.

Past Papers

Full worked solutions to all past paper questions, taught by experienced IB instructors.

Internal Assessment (IA)

Resources designed around the most important concepts, techniques, and skills required for success in the Physics IA.

New

Flashcards

Develop your understanding in IB Physics SL using custom-built flashcards, perfect for quick study sessions on desktop or mobile app.

Course Structure and Content

Starting with the May 2025 cohort, all IB Physics students will undertake their studies under a new syllabus and curriculum. The most significant changes involve discontinuing the option topics (with some option topic material now included in the core content) and reducing the number of examination papers from three to two.

SL Physics students will examine various topics within physics designed to lay the foundation for future scientific and engineering studies. The concepts are arranged into five core themes: Space, Time and Motion, The Particulate Nature of Matter, Wave Behaviour, Fields, and Nuclear Physics. Within these themes, students will study topics such as Mechanics, Thermal Physics, Wave Interference, Electric Circuits, Gravitational Fields and Orbits, Radioactivity, and Astrophysics.

At the end of the Standard Level Physics IB course, students will sit two examination papers. Paper 1 consists of 25 multiple-choice questions across all core content and a 20-mark data-based section that will assess students' understanding of experimental procedures and their ability to interpret and process results. Paper 2 includes 50 marking points for short answer and extended response questions, also evaluating students' ability to engage in essential conceptual and quantitative reasoning regarding the entire syllabus.

Tips for Success

  1. Consistent revision! The best approach to ensuring success in a thorough, content-rich program such as IB SL Physics is to study a little each day in a deliberate, targeted manner. With Revision Village, students can use the Questionbank or the Popular Quizzes to work on specific content areas. Use the Revision Village app for on-the-go access to the website resources as well as to practise concepts using flashcards.
  2. Find your level and work from there! The questions within the Questionbank are sorted by difficulty levels so you can build your confidence, and the Revision Ladders have different levels to help you determine your current knowledge level and build upon it step by step.
  3. Use all of your resources! When you encounter difficulty answering a question, make sure to use the written markscheme, video solution, and NewtonAI to address your questions and specific gaps in your understanding.

More IB Physics Resources

Standard Level
Higher Level

Frequently Asked Questions

IB Physics Standard Level (SL) is one of the science courses offered in the current IB Science curriculum (2025-). The Physics SL course is a traditional science course, whereby students develop a deep understanding of scientific concepts and solve both real and theoretical problems. The Physics SL course should be considered by students who are moderate to strong at science, and are interested in pursuing courses and pathways involving science or engineering after their IB Diploma Program.
The IB Physics SL course consists of three assessment items that contribute to a student’s overall score for the course. There are two exam papers and an internally assessed independent investigation. In the exam, Paper 1 consists of two sections. Part A is composed of multiple-choice questions, while Part B contains data-based questions that assess students’ skills in interpreting experimental results. Paper 2 consists of short answer questions. A calculator is allowed for both papers and a data booklet with useful constants and equations is also provided. The Internal Assessment consists of an experiment that is designed and carried out by the student, with students processing, analysing and concluding about their experimental results.
There are two phases students progress through in their two-year IB Physics SL course: the learning phase and the revision phase. The learning phase occurs in class, with their teacher and textbooks, where students first encounter and explore scientific concepts and consolidate their understanding by solving questions specific to that concept. The revision phase, which is what Revision Village is specifically designed for, is when students consolidate their understanding of all of the concepts in the Physics SL course and appreciate how the concepts are connected. In the revision phase, the most effective strategy is to practice lots of IB Physics SL exam questions to build confidence, reach mastery, and be prepared for the Physics SL examinations.
Revision Village is specifically designed to support IB students in the revision phase of their IB Physics Standard Level course. Revision Village has four main sections, each for different revision purposes: 1) Questionbank: a large library of IB Physics SL-style exam questions with video solutions categorised by topic and ordered by difficulty, 2) Practice Exams: a carefully designed set of quizzes and mock papers for students to use in their final phase of revision, 3) Past Paper Video Solutions: step-by-step video tutorials of past Physics SL exam questions, taught by experienced IB Teachers, and 4) Key Concepts: short, concise videos that recap the important theory in the Physics SL course. Revision Village is the perfect place for IB Students to learn, practice and prepare for their IB Physics exam stress-free, with all of the resources they need in one place.