IB Design Technology HL · 2016 to 2025 (outgoing guide)
Unit 11: Product in context
34 past paper questions from 20 papers across 14 exam sessions. See what repeats, then practise the same skills with AI marking.
HL archive · 2016 to 2025
Unit 11: Product in context
Latest exam session: May 2025
- questions
- 34
- questions
- papers
- 20
- papers
- exam sessions
- 14
- exam sessions
- micro-topics
- 4
Topics in Unit 11: Product in context
In syllabus order. The ring is the share of the marks each one carries.
11.1
Product analysis
13% of marks10 of the 78 marks across the 36 Design Technology HL papers analysed (13%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 10 questions
11.2
Life-cycle analysis
87% of marks68 of the 78 marks across the 36 Design Technology HL papers analysed (87%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 24 questions
Exam pattern
How often each micro-topic has been examined, year by year. Each label is explained under the grid.
Does it repeat?
Questions per year for each micro-topic.
fewermore
| Micro-topic | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1The five LCA stages, 2016: 1 question | 1The five LCA stages, 2017: 1 question | 2The five LCA stages, 2018: 2 questions | 2The five LCA stages, 2019: 2 questions | 9The five LCA stages, 2020: 9 questions | ·The five LCA stages, 2021: 0 questions | 2The five LCA stages, 2022: 2 questions | 1The five LCA stages, 2023: 1 question | 1The five LCA stages, 2024: 1 question | 2The five LCA stages, 2025: 2 questions | |
| ·Constructive discontent, 2016: 0 questions | ·Constructive discontent, 2017: 0 questions | ·Constructive discontent, 2018: 0 questions | 2Constructive discontent, 2019: 2 questions | 1Constructive discontent, 2020: 1 question | ·Constructive discontent, 2021: 0 questions | ·Constructive discontent, 2022: 0 questions | 2Constructive discontent, 2023: 2 questions | 1Constructive discontent, 2024: 1 question | 3Constructive discontent, 2025: 3 questions | |
| ·Cradle to grave, 2016: 0 questions | ·Cradle to grave, 2017: 0 questions | ·Cradle to grave, 2018: 0 questions | ·Cradle to grave, 2019: 0 questions | ·Cradle to grave, 2020: 0 questions | ·Cradle to grave, 2021: 0 questions | ·Cradle to grave, 2022: 0 questions | ·Cradle to grave, 2023: 0 questions | 1Cradle to grave, 2024: 1 question | 2Cradle to grave, 2025: 2 questions | |
| ·SWOT analysis, 2016: 0 questions | ·SWOT analysis, 2017: 0 questions | 1SWOT analysis, 2018: 1 question | ·SWOT analysis, 2019: 0 questions | ·SWOT analysis, 2020: 0 questions | ·SWOT analysis, 2021: 0 questions | ·SWOT analysis, 2022: 0 questions | ·SWOT analysis, 2023: 0 questions | ·SWOT analysis, 2024: 0 questions | ·SWOT analysis, 2025: 0 questions |
- Frequently testedin at least a quarter of all papers, and still appearing in the last two years
- Regularin roughly one paper in six or more
- Less commonin fewer than one paper in fifteen
Past paper generator
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Questions on Unit 11: Product in context, by exam session
Which papers asked about Unit 11: Product in context, and which question numbers. Open a paper to see them highlighted.
May 2025
6 questions across 4 papers
November 2024
2 questions across 2 papers
May 2024
1 question across 1 paper
November 2023
1 question across 1 paper
May 2023
2 questions across 2 papers
November 2022
1 question across 1 paper
May 2022
1 question across 1 paper
November 2020
4 questions across 2 papers
November 2019
2 questions across 1 paper
May 2019
2 questions across 1 paper
November 2018
2 questions across 1 paper
May 2018
1 question across 1 paper
November 2017
1 question across 1 paper
May 2016
1 question across 1 paper
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Frequently asked questions
Short answers about this page.
Which Design Technology HL exam sessions are covered for Unit 11: Product in context?
18 exam sessions from 2016 to 2025, the latest May 2025. Every Paper 1 and 2 in every timezone is read and classified in full, which gives 20 papers in this archive.
Which Unit 11: Product in context topic comes up most?
The five LCA stages (11.2.1): in 39% of papers, last seen May 25 P2 TZ2. Usually "other", worth about 4.5 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.
What is free and what needs Pro?
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 Design Technology HL paper tests across all its sittings: the marks by unit and the micro-topics it keeps coming back to.
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