IB Design Technology HL · 2016 to 2025 (outgoing guide)
Unit 8: Production in practice
42 past paper questions from 25 papers across 16 exam sessions. See what repeats, then practise the same skills with AI marking.
HL archive · 2016 to 2025
Unit 8: Production in practice
Latest exam session: May 2025
- questions
- 42
- questions
- papers
- 25
- papers
- exam sessions
- 16
- exam sessions
- micro-topics
- 4
Topics in Unit 8: Production in practice
In syllabus order. The ring is the share of the marks each one carries.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ·Systems per product, 2016: 0 questions | ·Systems per product, 2017: 0 questions | 1Systems per product, 2018: 1 question | 1Systems per product, 2019: 1 question | 1Systems per product, 2020: 1 question | ·Systems per product, 2021: 0 questions | 1Systems per product, 2022: 1 question | ·Systems per product, 2023: 0 questions | 2Systems per product, 2024: 2 questions | 1Systems per product, 2025: 1 question | |
| 4Craft to automated, 2016: 4 questions | 2Craft to automated, 2017: 2 questions | 6Craft to automated, 2018: 6 questions | 4Craft to automated, 2019: 4 questions | 1Craft to automated, 2020: 1 question | ·Craft to automated, 2021: 0 questions | ·Craft to automated, 2022: 0 questions | 5Craft to automated, 2023: 5 questions | 1Craft to automated, 2024: 1 question | ·Craft to automated, 2025: 0 questions | |
| ·Scale of production, 2016: 0 questions | ·Scale of production, 2017: 0 questions | ·Scale of production, 2018: 0 questions | 1Scale of production, 2019: 1 question | ·Scale of production, 2020: 0 questions | ·Scale of production, 2021: 0 questions | ·Scale of production, 2022: 0 questions | ·Scale of production, 2023: 0 questions | 1Scale of production, 2024: 1 question | 1Scale of production, 2025: 1 question | |
| 1Designing the system, 2016: 1 question | 1Designing the system, 2017: 1 question | 1Designing the system, 2018: 1 question | ·Designing the system, 2019: 0 questions | ·Designing the system, 2020: 0 questions | 3Designing the system, 2021: 3 questions | ·Designing the system, 2022: 0 questions | 2Designing the system, 2023: 2 questions | ·Designing the system, 2024: 0 questions | 1Designing the system, 2025: 1 question |
- Risingappearing more often in the last two years than before
- Regularin roughly one paper in six or more
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Questions on Unit 8: Production in practice, by exam session
Which papers asked about Unit 8: Production in practice, and which question numbers. Open a paper to see them highlighted.
May 2025
3 questions across 2 papers
November 2024
3 questions across 2 papers
May 2024
1 question across 1 paper
November 2023
1 question across 1 paper
May 2023
6 questions across 3 papers
November 2022
1 question across 1 paper
May 2021
1 question across 1 paper
November 2020
2 questions across 2 papers
November 2019
4 questions across 2 papers
May 2019
2 questions across 1 paper
November 2018
3 questions across 1 paper
May 2018
4 questions across 2 papers
November 2017
1 question across 1 paper
May 2017
2 questions across 2 papers
November 2016
3 questions across 2 papers
May 2016
2 questions across 1 paper
Every Unit 8: Production in practice question, unlocked
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Frequently asked questions
Short answers about this page.
Which Design Technology HL exam sessions are covered for Unit 8: Production in practice?
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 25 papers in this archive.
Which Unit 8: Production in practice topic comes up most?
Systems per product (8.1.1): in 19% of papers, last seen May 25 P1 TZ1. Usually "other", worth about 2.1 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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