By Mia Smith, Y12
As many of you know, the IB exams for May 2021 have been adapted due to Covid-19. However, we have just found out that the IB exams for May 2022 are also being changed. Although our school remains largely unaffected academically by the pandemic, the IB is an international curriculum and many schools around the world are either closed or doing online learning, therefore the IB has had to alter the 2022 exams.
Firstly, there have been many changes for Group 1 and 2 subjects. Language A courses (both Literature and Language and Literature) have had paper two removed, which was the comparative essay. For language acquisition courses, the papers have been amended. Language AB initio’s paper one has been adapted so that students only have to respond to one question from Task A or B. Paper two’s listening comprehension has been removed, and for the IA it has been amended so that students can be shown five visual stimuli, one from each of the five themes. For Language B courses, the listening comprehension from Paper 2 has been removed. The Internal Assessment at SL has been amended so that students can be shown five visual stimuli, one from each of the five themes, whilst at HL teachers may share two extracts from the same literary text with students.
Group 3 subjects have also had some changes made. In Economics, Paper two has been amended so that students only answer one question from either Section A or Section B. In History, students only have to answer one question in paper two. For the HL course, Paper three now consists of two essays (each from a different section), instead of three. For Geography, Option F has been removed, so therefore in paper one you only have to answer questions based on one Option. For Paper two, Section C has been removed. Finally, Philosophy has had Section B removed from Paper one.
For the Group 4 subjects (the Sciences), the requirement of the Group 4 project has been removed. Then, in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Sports science, paper three has been removed. In Computer science, it is paper two that has been taken away. The only Group 4 course offered at LGB that has had no amendments is Environmental systems and societies.
The Group 6 subjects (the arts) have also had some adaptations made. For Dance, the Composition and analysis assessment has been removed. In Music, paper one has been removed, for both SL and HL. For Standard level, the creating assessment has been amended so that students only have to submit one piece. The solo performing has been changed, and students now submit 10 minutes, whilst the group performing assessment requires students to submit 13-20 minutes. At higher level, students need to submit two pieces for the creating assessment, and submit 13 minutes for the Solo performing. In Theatre, the collaborative project has been removed. Finally, in Visual Arts, the art-making forms table requirements and penalties has been removed from the process portfolio. At SL, the exhibition now consists of 4-6 resolved works, whilst at HL students must complete 7-10 resolved works.
Lastly, to the dismay of many, there have been no adaptions made to the Mathematics courses (at both SL and HL).
