Quick Guide To The Updated IB DP Biology Syllabus (2023)

As they say, ‘the only constant is change’. We have written about the changes to A Level General Paper and updates to O Level English earlier, and now it’s time to talk about the latest change in the education world: the world renowned International Baccalaureate is revamping some of its subject syllabi to keep up with the times. In this article, we bring you through changes to the new IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) biology course, which was launched this year to be taught to the first batch of students in August 2023. The first IBDP biology exam following the new assessment format will happen in May 2025.

If you are starting on the new DP Biology syllabus and feeling a bit lost, do not fret! Future Academy’s IB tutors are here to help you navigate the new course format and ensure you get the revision and practice that you need to conquer the subject.

Overview of IBDP Biology new syllabus:

• The new syllabus will be implemented from August 2023
• The first exam with the new syllabus will take place in May 2025
• Changes include a reduction in subject content and more emphasis on conceptual understanding and skills
• The external assessments (written papers) will contain 2 papers instead of 3
• The Internal Assessment is now called the Scientific Investigation
• The interdisciplinary Group 4 Project is now called the Collaborative Science Project

Changes to teaching syllabus

In terms of subject content, students need not worry too much about there being massive changes. Most of the topics remain the same, with just a few adjustments. There is a slight reduction (about 5% less) in subject content. Although the Options component has been removed, some of the content from there has been moved to the core content.

The organisation of the topics has changed slightly, but this change directly affects the teachers more so than the students. The topics are no longer arranged linearly in the sequence of teaching. Instead, the roadmap is outlined to showcase the interconnectedness of topics, and teachers have some flexibility to decide the order for teaching the topics. For students, it provides room for making connections between topics, spurring critical thinking and transference of knowledge and skills across different areas.

Overall, these changes have been implemented to place a greater emphasis on skills and the intertwined nature of concepts, contexts, and content. The skills involved are outlined in the diagram below:

Changes to the assessment format

External assessment

The new assessment format consists of two written papers instead of 3. The Options component has been removed along with Paper 3, and some of the Options topics have been moved to the core content instead.

Paper 1 now consists of two parts, 1A and 1B. 1A is a multiple choice paper, and 1B contains data-based questions with questions relating to investigative skills and lab skills. The use of calculators is now allowed in Paper 1.

Paper 2 consists of data-based short answer and extended response questions. Paper 2 is now longer, which makes the total length of the two written papers the same as the length of the 3 papers in the old syllabus.

Internal assessment

The Internal Assessment (IA) is now called the Scientific Investigation. While the activity remains largely the same, the grading criteria has a shift in focus.

The revised grading system will place a greater emphasis on higher-order thinking skills with equal weightage given to 4 criteria: research design, data analysis, conclusion, and evaluation.

In the new syllabus, students may also collaborate in small teams, working together to carry out the investigation. However, each student should have a different research question (with different independent or dependent variable) and write up their own individual report.

Conclusion

It may sound like a lot of changes to the IBDP Biology syllabus, but most of it is really a shift in focus away from content knowledge to more emphasis on higher order thinking. Students who are worried about adjusting to the new assessment format are welcome to consult our IB tutors here at Future Academy. Our IB and IP Biology Tutors are experts in the field who will be happy to guide you along and help you gain confidence in the subject. Not in the IB programme yet? We also offer Secondary Biology Tuition to those who need help preparing for their O Levels!

While you are here, why not also check out our posts on the Top IB Schools in Singapore, or learn more about the IB Subject Combinations you can take in Singapore?