IB Design Technology SL · 2016 to 2025 (outgoing guide)
Unit 10: Process in context
118 past paper questions from 32 papers across 17 exam sessions. See what repeats, then practise the same skills with AI marking.
SL archive · 2016 to 2025
Unit 10: Process in context
Latest exam session: May 2025
- questions
- 118
- questions
- papers
- 32
- papers
- exam sessions
- 17
- exam sessions
- micro-topics
- 4
Topics in Unit 10: Process in context
In syllabus order. The ring is the share of the marks each one carries.
10.1
Design for sustainability
27% of marks63 of the 231 marks across the 36 Design Technology SL papers analysed (27%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 23 questions
10.2
Design for a circular economy
73% of marks168 of the 231 marks across the 36 Design Technology SL papers analysed (73%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 95 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8Recovering and restoring, 2016: 8 questions | 2Recovering and restoring, 2017: 2 questions | 5Recovering and restoring, 2018: 5 questions | 8Recovering and restoring, 2019: 8 questions | 2Recovering and restoring, 2020: 2 questions | ·Recovering and restoring, 2021: 0 questions | 3Recovering and restoring, 2022: 3 questions | 4Recovering and restoring, 2023: 4 questions | 6Recovering and restoring, 2024: 6 questions | 13Recovering and restoring, 2025: 13 questions | |
| 4Renewable energy, 2016: 4 questions | 9Renewable energy, 2017: 9 questions | 4Renewable energy, 2018: 4 questions | 2Renewable energy, 2019: 2 questions | 2Renewable energy, 2020: 2 questions | 4Renewable energy, 2021: 4 questions | ·Renewable energy, 2022: 0 questions | 1Renewable energy, 2023: 1 question | 6Renewable energy, 2024: 6 questions | 2Renewable energy, 2025: 2 questions | |
| 2Designing sustainably, 2016: 2 questions | 4Designing sustainably, 2017: 4 questions | 1Designing sustainably, 2018: 1 question | 3Designing sustainably, 2019: 3 questions | 3Designing sustainably, 2020: 3 questions | ·Designing sustainably, 2021: 0 questions | 2Designing sustainably, 2022: 2 questions | 4Designing sustainably, 2023: 4 questions | 3Designing sustainably, 2024: 3 questions | 1Designing sustainably, 2025: 1 question | |
| ·The closed loop, 2016: 0 questions | ·The closed loop, 2017: 0 questions | 1The closed loop, 2018: 1 question | 1The closed loop, 2019: 1 question | 1The closed loop, 2020: 1 question | ·The closed loop, 2021: 0 questions | ·The closed loop, 2022: 0 questions | 2The closed loop, 2023: 2 questions | 2The closed loop, 2024: 2 questions | 3The closed loop, 2025: 3 questions |
- Frequently testedin at least a quarter of all papers, and still appearing in the last two years
Past paper generator
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Questions on Unit 10: Process in context, by exam session
Which papers asked about Unit 10: Process in context, and which question numbers. Open a paper to see them highlighted.
May 2025
11 questions across 3 papers
November 2024
6 questions across 2 papers
May 2024
8 questions across 3 papers
November 2023
4 questions across 2 papers
May 2023
7 questions across 3 papers
November 2022
1 question across 1 paper
May 2022
2 questions across 1 paper
November 2021
1 question across 1 paper
November 2020
6 questions across 2 papers
November 2019
5 questions across 1 paper
May 2019
6 questions across 2 papers
November 2018
6 questions across 2 papers
May 2018
5 questions across 1 paper
November 2017
5 questions across 2 papers
May 2017
2 questions across 2 papers
November 2016
5 questions across 2 papers
May 2016
8 questions across 2 papers
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Frequently asked questions
Short answers about this page.
Which Design Technology SL exam sessions are covered for Unit 10: Process 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 32 papers in this archive.
Which Unit 10: Process in context topic comes up most?
Recovering and restoring (10.2.4): in 58% of papers, last seen May 25 P2 TZ1. Usually "other", worth about 4.4 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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More Design Technology SL exam preparation
Every question, by paper
What each Design Technology SL paper tests across all its sittings: the marks by unit and the micro-topics it keeps coming back to.
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