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PHILOSOPHY · IB Diploma Programme

PHILOSOPHY/22

(Prescribed Texts)

Philosophy · 2024 · Variant 2

Relative difficulty

Demanding · 3.5/5

Analysis source: International Baccalaureate Organization

Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.

Relative difficulty

3.5 / 5

Total marks

75

Duration

165 min

Most tested topic

Consciousness and Technology-mediated Identity

Cohort performance

Session statistics from official examination reports

Total marks

75

Duration

165 min

Session difficulty

3.5 / 5

Key examiner messages

Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise

1

The May 2024 examination papers sit comfortably in the medium-to-hard range (4 stars out of 5).

2

While the prompts themselves were clearly framed and followed traditional philosophical lines, the level of critical evaluation required to reach the top markbands remains exceptionally high.

3

The stimuli in Paper 1 Section A offered a balanced choice between abstract consciousness and contemporary technological identity.

Question difficulty map

How candidates performed on each question in this series

No data available in official reports

Assessment objectives

Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary

No data available in official reports

Method marks watchlist

Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost

No data available in official reports

Recurring mistakes across years

Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject

No data available in official reports

Question choice intelligence

Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)

No data available in official reports

Level exemplars

What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like

No data available in official reports

Grade & admission context

How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards

Report type

IB subject report — grade distributions, IA weighting, and HL/SL distinctions

Level 7

Excellent — top band for competitive university offers

Level 6

Very good — strong HL performance

Level 5

Good — solid pass at higher level

Level 4

Satisfactory — minimum for many university credits

Level 3

Mediocre

Level 2

Poor

Level 1

Very poor

Deep insights

What top candidates did

Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series

No data available in official reports

Command word playbook

How to match each command word to the expected response style

No data available in official reports

Time traps

Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks

No data available in official reports

Syllabus traceability

Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session

Being human (Core theme)

25 marks this session

Epistemology (Optional themes)

25 marks this session

Ethics (Optional themes)

25 marks this session

MCQ trap analytics

Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary

No data available in official reports

Topic heatmap across years

Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject

Mark intensity

LowHigh
Topic
2023
2024
2025
Σ

Being human (Core theme)

25
25
25
75

René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy

25
25

John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

25
25

Epistemology (Optional themes)

5
5

Ethics (Optional themes)

5
5

Difficulty trend

How session difficulty has shifted across recent years

202320242025
2023 2023 · 3.5/52024 2024 · 3.0/52025 June 2025 · 3.8/5

Paper comparison

Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session

Paper 1 (Standard Level):

50 marks105 min

Paper 2 (Standard Level):

25 marks60 min

Marks you can still earn

Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit

No data available in official reports

Practise what examiners flagged

Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app

Self-diagnostic checklist

Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise

  • 1Message

    The May 2024 examination papers sit comfortably in the medium-to-hard range (4 stars out of 5).

  • 2Message

    While the prompts themselves were clearly framed and followed traditional philosophical lines, the level of critical evaluation required to reach the top markbands remains exceptionally high.

  • 3Message

    The stimuli in Paper 1 Section A offered a balanced choice between abstract consciousness and contemporary technological identity.

Teacher briefing pack

One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review

2024 2024

Philosophy

The May 2024 examination papers sit comfortably in the medium-to-hard range (4 stars out of 5). While the prompts themselves were clearly framed and followed traditional philosophical lines, the level of critical evaluation required to reach the top markbands remains exceptionall

  • The May 2024 examination papers sit comfortably in the medium-to-hard range (4 stars out of 5).

  • While the prompts themselves were clearly framed and followed traditional philosophical lines, the level of critical evaluation required to reach the top markbands remains exceptionally high.

  • The stimuli in Paper 1 Section A offered a balanced choice between abstract consciousness and contemporary technological identity.

Total marks
75
Duration
165 min
Session difficulty
3.5 / 5

Session analysis

The May 2024 examination papers sit comfortably in the medium-to-hard range (4 stars out of 5). While the prompts themselves were clearly framed and followed traditional philosophical lines, the level of critical evaluation required to reach the top markbands remains exceptionally high. The stimuli in Paper 1 Section A offered a balanced choice between abstract consciousness and contemporary technological identity.

Updated Jun 14, 2026

Paper breakdown

Paper 1 (Standard Level):

50 marks105 min

Paper 2 (Standard Level):

25 marks60 min

Top chapters

Being human (Core theme)25 marks
Epistemology (Optional themes)25 marks
Ethics (Optional themes)25 marks

Difficulty Verdict

The May 2024 examination papers sit comfortably in the medium-to-hard range (4 stars out of 5). While the prompts themselves were clearly framed and followed traditional philosophical lines, the level of critical evaluation required to reach the top markbands remains exceptionally high. The stimuli in Paper 1 Section A offered a balanced choice between abstract consciousness and contemporary technological identity.

Exam tips

Paper format

Duration
1h
Total marks
25
Question types
Prescribed Text Part A (Explanatory), Prescribed Text Part B (Evaluative)

Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.

PHILOSOPHY/22 — IB Diploma Programme Philosophy (2024) | Revui