IB Biology SL · 2025
Biology SL Paper 1
418 past paper questions from 9 papers across 4 exam sessions. See what repeats, then practise the same skills with AI marking.
Starter set across the most-tested skills, with AI marking and model answers.
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SL archive · 2025 to 2026
Paper 1
Latest exam session: May 2026
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Where Paper 1 marks go, by unit
In syllabus order. The ring is the share of the marks each one carries.
Unit 1
Unity and diversity
19% of marks · 78 questions
Unit 2
Form and function
22% of marks · 94 questions
- DueCompetitive exclusion and the uniqueness of ecological niches
Unit 3
Interaction and interdependence
26% of marks · 110 questions
Unit 4
Continuity and change
23% of marks · 97 questions
Unit 5
Experimental and data skills
10% of marks · 39 questions
Exam pattern
How often each micro-topic has been examined, year by year. Each label is explained under the grid.
Does it repeat?
Top 4 of 179 micro-topics for the next sitting. Numbers are questions per year.
fewermore
| Micro-topic | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
1.4.2Microscopy skills | 9Microscopy skills, 2025: 9 questions | 4Microscopy skills, 2026: 4 questions |
4.9.2Thermoregulation | 5Thermoregulation, 2025: 5 questions | 1Thermoregulation, 2026: 1 question |
| 14Reading & interpreting graphs, charts & tables, 2025: 14 questions | ·Reading & interpreting graphs, charts & tables, 2026: 0 questions | |
| 3Variation in the speed of nerve impulses, 2025: 3 questions | 5Variation in the speed of nerve impulses, 2026: 5 questions |
11 more micro-topics with a free account
- DueCompetitive exclusion and the uniqueness of ecological niches· last May 25 P1 TZ2
- Dueusually examined, but missing from the last two exam sessions
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Every micro-topic in the heatmap and the complete watch list, free with an account.
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Frequently asked questions
Short answers about this page.
Which Biology SL exam sessions are covered for Paper 1?
4 exam sessions from 2025 to 2026, the latest May 2026. Every Paper 1 in every timezone is read and classified in full, which gives 9 papers in this archive.
Which Paper 1 topic comes up most?
Microscopy skills (1.4.2): in 44% of papers, last seen May 26 P1 TZ3. Usually "Calculate", worth about 2.3 marks in a paper that includes it.
Can I see the original question and mark scheme?
No. The wording belongs to the IB. You get the citation, the marks, the command term and the skill tested, plus our own matched practice questions with worked answers and AI marking.
What do "banker", "due" and "rising" mean?
Banker: examined in at least one sitting in four and still appearing. Due: regular before, but absent for the last two exam sessions. Rising: clearly more common in the last two years. Our classification of real papers, not an IB statistic.
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Reading this page and the exam pattern is free. A free account generates three sets of ten questions and launches one practice set. Pro opens every question in any scope, sets of twenty or all, and unlimited practice.
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What each Biology SL paper tests across all its sittings: the marks by unit and the micro-topics it keeps coming back to.
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