SOCIAL-AND-CULTURAL-ANTHROPOLOGY · IB Diploma Programme
SOCIAL-AND-CULTURAL-ANTHROPOLOGY/21
Engaging with Ethnography
Social and Cultural Anthropology · June 2024 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: International Baccalaureate Organization
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.0 / 5
60
180 min
Key Concepts, Applied Anthropological Inquiry, and Ethnographic Methodology
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
60
Duration
180 min
Session difficulty
3.0 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
This exam series sitting is rated as 3 out of 5 stars (Medium).
The chosen passage in Paper 1 on Brazilian prisons is highly readable and rich with ethnographic material, offering straightforward opportunities to apply the key concepts of power and personhood.
However, Paper 2 demands excellent mental organization to select and unpack the right key concepts (power, materiality, or belief and knowledge) in relation to complex contemporary issues like sustainability and human rights.
Compare difficulty across recent years. Compare topic weight by year to spot recurring and returning areas.
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
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Conceptual Knowledge
Weight: 8100%Ethnographic
Weight: 675%Comparative Analysis
Weight: 563%Critical Evaluation
Weight: 338%Methodological
Weight: 113%
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
Present multiple perspectives with evidence; balance breadth and depth.
Match the expected response style for “contrast” questions.
Break into parts and explain how each contributes to the whole question focus.
Match the expected response style for “Examine” questions.
Match the expected response style for “Define” questions.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 3
Min per mark: 3
Min per mark: 3
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Anthropological thinking
30 marks this session
The practice of anthropology
15 marks this session
Belonging
15 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
Anthropological thinking
Health, illness and healing 3.
Belonging 3.
The body 3.
The practice of anthropology
Belonging
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Paper 1 (Standard Level):
Paper 2 (Standard Level):
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
Anthropological thinking
30 marks this session
Practise in RevuiThe practice of anthropology
15 marks this session
Practise in RevuiBelonging
15 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
This exam series sitting is rated as 3 out of 5 stars (Medium).
- 2Message
The chosen passage in Paper 1 on Brazilian prisons is highly readable and rich with ethnographic material, offering straightforward opportunities to apply the key concepts of power and personhood.
- 3Message
However, Paper 2 demands excellent mental organization to select and unpack the right key concepts (power, materiality, or belief and knowledge) in relation to complex contemporary issues like sustainability and human rights.
- 4Message
Compare difficulty across recent years. Compare topic weight by year to spot recurring and returning areas.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
June 2024 2024
Social and Cultural Anthropology
This exam series sitting is rated as 3 out of 5 stars (Medium). The chosen passage in Paper 1 on Brazilian prisons is highly readable and rich with ethnographic material, offering straightforward opportunities to apply the key concepts of power and personhood. However, Paper 2 de
This exam series sitting is rated as 3 out of 5 stars (Medium).
The chosen passage in Paper 1 on Brazilian prisons is highly readable and rich with ethnographic material, offering straightforward opportunities to apply the key concepts of power and personhood.
However, Paper 2 demands excellent mental organization to select and unpack the right key concepts (power, materiality, or belief and knowledge) in relation to complex contemporary issues like sustainability and human rights.
- Total marks
- 60
- Duration
- 180 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.0 / 5
Session analysis
This exam series sitting is rated as 3 out of 5 stars (Medium). The chosen passage in Paper 1 on Brazilian prisons is highly readable and rich with ethnographic material, offering straightforward opportunities to apply the key concepts of power and personhood. However, Paper 2 demands excellent mental organization to select and unpack the right key concepts (power, materiality, or belief and knowledge) in relation to complex contemporary issues like sustainability and human rights.
Updated Jun 14, 2026
Paper breakdown
Paper 1 (Standard Level):
Paper 2 (Standard Level):
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
67% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Global Issues / Big Question Essay
25·2·42%
Option-Based Comparative Essay
15·1·25%
Comparative Essay
10·1·17%
Data Analysis Essay
6·1·10%
Short Answer
(Definition & Application)
4·1·7%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Difficulty trend
Compare difficulty across recent years.
Time vs marks
Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.
Paper 1 Q1 & Q2 (Pa
0.33 m/minPaper 1 Q3 or Q4 (C
0.33 m/minPaper 1 Q5 (Why Ant
0.33 m/minTotal marks
30
Total time
90 min
Avg pace
0.33
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Development (Change/Power vs. Modernization)
85%85%
Classifying the World (Boundaries and Morality)
80%80%
Difficulty Verdict
This exam series sitting is rated as 3 out of 5 stars (Medium). The chosen passage in Paper 1 on Brazilian prisons is highly readable and rich with ethnographic material, offering straightforward opportunities to apply the key concepts of power and personhood. However, Paper 2 demands excellent mental organization to select and unpack the right key concepts (power, materiality, or belief and knowledge) in relation to complex contemporary issues like sustainability and human rights.
Examiner notes & key calculations
- The 'Common Sense' Trap: Defining core anthropological concepts (such as power or society) using everyday language rather than recognized anthropological frameworks. For example, power should be discussed in terms of structural violence, hegemony, resistance, or symbolic violence.
- Lack of Symmetry in Comparison: Devoting 80% of an essay to the provided passage and only 20% to the comparative ethnography. Symmetrical, balanced comparison is expected.
- Disconnecting Q5: Treat the 'Big Question' (Why does anthropology matter?) as the absolute backbone of your response. Every paragraph must explicitly circle back to this meta-question, using the comparative examples as evidence rather than just telling their stories.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 2h 30min
- Total marks
- 45
- Weighting
- 50%
- Question types
- Real-world Issue Essay, Area of Inquiry Essay
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.