IB Chemistry HL · 2025
IB Chemistry HL past papers
641 past paper questions from 11 papers across 3 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.
HL archive · 2025 to 2026
IB Chemistry HL past papers
Latest exam session: May 2026
- questions
- 641
- questions
- papers
- 11
- papers
- exam sessions
- 3
- exam sessions
- micro-topics
- 77
Units in Chemistry HL
In syllabus order. The ring is the share of the marks each one carries.
Unit 1
Structure 1: Models of the particulate nature of matter
20% of marks184 of the 900 marks across the 11 Chemistry HL papers analysed (20%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 121 questions
Unit 2
Structure 2: Models of bonding and structure
12% of marks110 of the 900 marks across the 11 Chemistry HL papers analysed (12%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 86 questions
Unit 3
Structure 3: Classification of matter
15% of marks133 of the 900 marks across the 11 Chemistry HL papers analysed (15%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 100 questions
Unit 4
Reactivity 1: What drives chemical reactions?
11% of marks101 of the 900 marks across the 11 Chemistry HL papers analysed (11%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 66 questions
Unit 5
Reactivity 2: How much, how fast and how far?
22% of marks201 of the 900 marks across the 11 Chemistry HL papers analysed (22%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 143 questions
Unit 6
Reactivity 3: What are the mechanisms of chemical change?
19% of marks171 of the 900 marks across the 11 Chemistry HL papers analysed (19%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 125 questions
Papers in Chemistry HL
Each paper across every sitting. The ring is the share of the marks it carries.
6 sittings · calculator
Paper 1
50% of marks450 of the 900 marks in the Chemistry HL archive were set in Paper 1, across 6 sittings. · 372 questions
Most tested Concentration of solutions
5 sittings · calculator
Paper 2
50% of marks450 of the 900 marks in the Chemistry HL archive were set in Paper 2, across 5 sittings. · 269 questions
Most tested Factors affecting rate and the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution
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 77 micro-topics for the next sitting. Numbers are questions per year.
fewermore
| Micro-topic | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 19Functional groups and nomenclature, 2025: 19 questions | 2Functional groups and nomenclature, 2026: 2 questions | |
| 19Factors affecting rate and the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution, 2025: 19 questions | 2Factors affecting rate and the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution, 2026: 2 questions | |
| 13Coloured complexes and d-orbital splitting (HL), 2025: 13 questions | 1Coloured complexes and d-orbital splitting (HL), 2026: 1 question | |
| 9Oxidation states and identifying redox, 2025: 9 questions | 1Oxidation states and identifying redox, 2026: 1 question |
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Frequently asked questions
Short answers about this page.
Which Chemistry HL exam sessions are covered?
3 exam sessions from 2025 to 2026, the latest May 2026. Every Paper 1 and 2 in every timezone is read and classified in full, which gives 11 papers in this archive.
Which IB Chemistry HL topic comes up most?
Functional groups and nomenclature (3.2.3): in 100% of papers, last seen May 26 P1 TZA. Usually "identify", worth about 2.5 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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Every question, by paper
What each Chemistry HL paper tests across all its sittings: the marks by unit and the micro-topics it keeps coming back to.
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Predicted questions
The question types most likely in the next Chemistry HL sitting, built from this same archive.
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Every formula you are given in the exam, with when to use it and the traps around it.
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