IB Philosophy HL · 2025
Unit 10: Prescribed philosophical texts
192 past paper questions from 4 papers across 3 exam sessions. See what repeats, then practise the same skills with AI marking.
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HL archive · from 2025
Unit 10: Prescribed philosophical texts
Latest exam session: November 2025
- questions
- 192
- questions
- papers
- 4
- papers
- exam sessions
- 3
- exam sessions
- micro-topics
- 43
Topics in Unit 10: Prescribed philosophical texts
In syllabus order. The ring is the share of the marks each one carries.
10.1
Language, Truth and Logic — Ayer
8% of marks200 of the 2400 marks across the 11 Philosophy HL papers analysed (8%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 16 questions
10.2
The Analects — Confucius
8% of marks200 of the 2400 marks across the 11 Philosophy HL papers analysed (8%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 16 questions
10.3
Meditations on First Philosophy — Descartes
8% of marks200 of the 2400 marks across the 11 Philosophy HL papers analysed (8%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 16 questions
10.4
Black Skin, White Masks — Fanon
8% of marks200 of the 2400 marks across the 11 Philosophy HL papers analysed (8%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 16 questions
10.5
On the Genealogy of Morality — Nietzsche
8% of marks200 of the 2400 marks across the 11 Philosophy HL papers analysed (8%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 16 questions
10.6
Creating Capabilities — Nussbaum
8% of marks200 of the 2400 marks across the 11 Philosophy HL papers analysed (8%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 16 questions
10.7
The Revolt of the Masses — Ortega y Gasset
8% of marks200 of the 2400 marks across the 11 Philosophy HL papers analysed (8%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 16 questions
10.8
The Republic, Books IV–IX — Plato
8% of marks200 of the 2400 marks across the 11 Philosophy HL papers analysed (8%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 16 questions
10.9
The Ethics of Authenticity — Taylor
8% of marks200 of the 2400 marks across the 11 Philosophy HL papers analysed (8%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 16 questions
10.10
Tao Te Ching — Lao Tzu
8% of marks200 of the 2400 marks across the 11 Philosophy HL papers analysed (8%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 16 questions
10.11
The Second Sex — de Beauvoir
8% of marks200 of the 2400 marks across the 11 Philosophy HL papers analysed (8%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 16 questions
10.12
On Liberty — Mill
8% of marks200 of the 2400 marks across the 11 Philosophy HL papers analysed (8%) were on this topic. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 16 questions
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 43 micro-topics for the next sitting. Numbers are questions per year.
fewermore
| Micro-topic | 2025 |
|---|---|
| 8Ren — benevolence and humaneness, 2025: 8 questions | |
10.5.5The ascetic ideal | 8The ascetic ideal, 2025: 8 questions |
| 8Justice in the soul and the city, 2025: 8 questions | |
| 6The verification principle, 2025: 6 questions |
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Questions on Unit 10: Prescribed philosophical texts, by exam session
Which papers asked about Unit 10: Prescribed philosophical texts, and which question numbers. Open a paper to see them highlighted.
November 2025
24 questions across 1 paper
May 2025
48 questions across 2 papers
Specimen 2025
24 questions across 1 paper
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Frequently asked questions
Short answers about this page.
Which Philosophy HL exam sessions are covered for Unit 10: Prescribed philosophical texts?
3 exam sessions from 2025, the latest November 2025. Every Paper 2 in every timezone is read and classified in full, which gives 4 papers in this archive.
Which Unit 10: Prescribed philosophical texts topic comes up most?
Ren — benevolence and humaneness (10.2.1): in 36% of papers, last seen Nov 25 P2. Usually "explain / justify", worth about 25 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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