Information for teachers about the HL tests

The  HL Paper 1 multiple choice examination consists of 40 questions covering all eleven Core topics and the ten AHL topics. However, the number of questions set on each topic relates to the recommended time to be spent teaching each topic. Thus there are usually about 5 questions on Topics 4 and 14 : Chemical bonding and structure (3 on Topic 4 and 2 on Topic 14) as the time allocated to this is a total of 20.5 hours (13.5 hours + 7 hours) whereas there are usually only about two questions on Topics 7 and 17 : Equilibrium (1 on Topic 7 and 1 on Topic 17) as the time allocated for is a total of 8.5 hours (4.5 hours + 4 hours). To give students plenty of practice I have set 40 questions arranged in two tests of 20 questions for every Core and comparable AHL topic.  If you wish, you could combine them to make one long test of 40 questions, or it might be appropriate to give them the first test as a class test. Then go through it carefully so they can understand where they made any mistakes. The second test can then be given either as homework, or perhaps later as another class test, to see whether students have learned from their mistakes.  Topic 1 : Stoichiometric relationships has no AHL material and the 13.5 hours it is allocated is the same for Standard level so these two tests are the same as the Standard Level test.

In the actual exam Higher Level students have to answer the 40 questions in 1 hour. This works out at an average of 1.5 minutes per question. Since each test on each of the Core and comparable AHL topics consists of 20 questions students should be given exactly 30 minutes to complete each test to train them in time management.  The 40 questions are split 50:50 between the Core and the AHL. In the exam all the questions for a particular core and its comparable AHL topic (e.g. Topics 4 and 14 : Chemical bonding & structure) appear together. I have followed the same format so that each HL test contains ten questions that cover material from the Core topic and ten questions that cover material from the comparable AHL topic.

The questions for each topic approximately follow the order that the 'Understandings' and 'Applications and skills' appear in the separate sub-topics in the Core and comparable AHL topic. For some questions where there is overlap it is not always possible to follow this completely but if students are experiencing difficulties then it can be a guide as to what they have not fully understood and where they need to reinforce their learning.

Remember to download the blank answers sheets  to give to students as I have given the answer sheet with the correct answers blanked off at the foot of the page for each topic. This is for you to cut out and use as a quick way of marking the students’ responses.