IB Physics New Syllabus: What to Test Before November 2026
Under the syllabus first assessed in 2025, IB Physics marks are lost less on formulas and more on explanation structure, units, significant figures and graph work. Here is what HL and SL students should actually test before the November 2026 papers.
The current IB Physics syllabus — first assessed in 2025 — reorganised the course into five themes studied by both HL and SL. But the deeper change for students sitting November 2026 is not the topic list. It is what earns marks. More than ever, Physics rewards clear explanation, correct units, sensible significant figures, and disciplined graph work — the things a formula sheet cannot give you.
We cover the syllabus structure in detail in our guide to the IB Physics new syllabus from 2025. This post is about the practical question every Year 2 student is asking now: with a few months left, what should I actually test?
The five themes — and where marks really move
Both HL and SL study the same five themes: A — Space, Time & Motion; B — The Particulate Nature of Matter; C — Wave Behaviour; D — Fields; and E — Nuclear & Quantum Physics. HL adds depth within each. Knowing the themes is table stakes. The marks move on how you answer, not just what you know.
The pattern we see in marking: two students can both "know" the physics, yet one scores several marks higher — purely on explanation structure, unit consistency, and how they read and annotate a graph. That gap is invisible in notes and only shows up under timed, marked conditions.
What to test #1: explanation structure
"Explain" and "Describe" questions are where the new syllabus is most punishing. A correct idea stated loosely earns partial marks; the same idea expressed as a clear causal chain earns full marks. Test yourself by writing explanations and checking them against markscheme wording — the exact vocabulary and logical steps examiners look for.
What to test #2: units, significant figures and uncertainties
These are "free" marks that students throw away under time pressure. Before November, deliberately test: consistent SI units, sensible significant figures carried through a calculation, and correct treatment of uncertainties in data-based questions. A single unit slip in a final answer can cost the mark even when the physics is right.
What to test #3: graph and data work
Paper-style questions increasingly hinge on graphs — drawing lines of best fit, reading gradients and intercepts, linearising relationships, and interpreting what a graph means physically. Practise these against real data sets, not just worked examples, and use the free Physics HL cheatsheets to reinforce the core relationships.
What to test #4: data-booklet fluency
The data booklet is provided in the exam, but fluency with it is a skill. Students lose time hunting for equations and constants they should be able to locate instantly. Test your speed: can you find the right relationship and rearrange it under pressure?
Why a marked Physics mock beats another read-through
Here is the core problem: every mark-loser above — explanation, units, graphs, data-booklet speed — is invisible when you revise passively. You only discover them when a marker reads your actual responses. That is the whole point of the Nov 2026 Physics Test Series: timed HL and SL mocks with human marking on the exact skills students commonly lose, plus a topic-by-topic score report.
There is also a timing reason to start Physics early. In the November 2026 schedule, Physics Paper 1 falls on Wednesday 4 November and Paper 2 on Thursday 5 November — several days before the Math papers. If you take both subjects, your Physics revision has to peak first.
Test these before November 2026
- Explanation structure — causal chains in markscheme language.
- Units, significant figures and uncertainties carried cleanly through.
- Graph skills: best-fit, gradients, linearisation, interpretation.
- Data-booklet speed under time pressure.
- At least one full, marked mock per paper before the real thing.
If you are still consolidating content, combine focused revision through our IB Physics tuition or the Nov 2026 crash course with a marked mock cycle. Read the syllabus and structure knowledge; use timed, marked mocks to convert that knowledge into marks.
Sitting the November 2026 IB exams? Get a marked mock, not just more notes.
Sit timed Photon mock papers, get them marked by a tutor, and receive a topic-by-topic score report so you know exactly what to fix. Open to non-Photon students — join Physics only, or bundle Math + Physics.
Frequently asked questions
When was the new IB Physics syllabus first assessed?
The current IB Physics syllabus was first assessed in 2025. It organises the course into five themes (A–E) studied by both HL and SL, with HL going into additional depth.
Why do students lose marks in IB Physics even when they know the content?
Most avoidable marks are lost on explanation structure, units and significant figures, graph interpretation, and data-booklet fluency — skills that are invisible during passive revision and only surface under timed, marked conditions.
Is there a Paper 3 in the new IB Physics syllabus?
No. Under the current syllabus, both HL and SL are assessed with Paper 1 and Paper 2 plus the internal assessment. There is no separate Paper 3 or HL options paper.
When are the IB Physics exams in November 2026?
In the official November 2026 timetable, Physics Paper 1 is on Wednesday 4 November and Paper 2 on Thursday 5 November — earlier than the Math papers. Confirm the final schedule with your school.
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