IB Economics HL · 2022 to 2025
Unit 1: Introduction to economics
7 past paper questions from 6 papers across 4 exam sessions. See what repeats, then practise the same skills with AI marking.
Original Exam Vault questions with AI markscheme feedback for this topic.
HL archive · 2022 to 2026
Unit 1: Introduction to economics
Latest exam session: May 2026
- questions
- 7
- questions
- papers
- 6
- papers
- exam sessions
- 4
- exam sessions
- micro-topics
- 3
Topics in Unit 1: Introduction to economics
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 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2Opportunity cost and trade-offs, 2022: 2 questions | ·Opportunity cost and trade-offs, 2023: 0 questions | ·Opportunity cost and trade-offs, 2024: 0 questions | 1Opportunity cost and trade-offs, 2025: 1 question | 1Opportunity cost and trade-offs, 2026: 1 question | |
| ·Scarcity and choice, 2022: 0 questions | ·Scarcity and choice, 2023: 0 questions | ·Scarcity and choice, 2024: 0 questions | 2Scarcity and choice, 2025: 2 questions | ·Scarcity and choice, 2026: 0 questions | |
| ·The three basic economic questions, 2022: 0 questions | ·The three basic economic questions, 2023: 0 questions | ·The three basic economic questions, 2024: 0 questions | 1The three basic economic questions, 2025: 1 question | ·The three basic economic questions, 2026: 0 questions |
- Risingappearing more often in the last two years than before
- Occasionalin about one paper in ten
- Less commonin fewer than one paper in fifteen
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Questions on Unit 1: Introduction to economics, by exam session
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Frequently asked questions
Short answers about this page.
Which Economics HL exam sessions are covered for Unit 1: Introduction to economics?
8 exam sessions from 2022 to 2026, the latest May 2026. Every Paper 2 in every timezone is read and classified in full, which gives 6 papers in this archive.
Which Unit 1: Introduction to economics topic comes up most?
Opportunity cost and trade-offs (1.1.2): in 13% of papers, last seen May 26 P2 TZA. Usually "explain / justify", worth about 3.3 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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