International Baccalaureate · IB Diploma Programme
IB Diploma Programme Chemistry
Chemistry for IB Diploma Programme (syllabus DP Chemistry) — what the qualification covers, and the study material Marlbridge publishes for it.
- Syllabus
- DP Chemistry
- Qualification
- IB Diploma Programme
At a glance
- Qualification
- IB Diploma Programme Chemistry
- Spec code
- DP Chemistry
- Does Marlbridge teach it?
- Yes
- Are resources available?
- Yes — 9 published
- Is enrolment open?
- Enquire to join — no online enrolment yet
- Where was this verified?
- 2026-09-04, official International Baccalaureate specification
Compiled and maintained by the Marlbridge Academic Team, checked against the official International Baccalaureate specification on 2026-09-04.
Spotted something wrong on this page? Report an error — see the corrections policy.
The qualification
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Chemistry
IB DP Chemistry is concerned with identifying patterns that help explain matter at the microscopic level, allowing its behaviour to be predicted and controlled at a macroscopic level, combining representative models and explanatory theories with an emphasis on scientific inquiry, at Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL). — International Baccalaureate, official syllabus page
First assessment 2025. Sourced from the freely public official subject brief plus the freely public official specimen exam papers, both directly fetched and read this session -- no licensed subject guide was needed. Six structure/reactivity topics plus an experimental programme including a scientific investigation. See the matching assessment record for the sourced paper-by-paper breakdown, modeled at Higher Level only.
Specifications change between examination series. Always confirm the current syllabus and assessment structure on the International Baccalaureate syllabus page for your examination year.
Assessment structure
Component-based qualification
| Component | Duration | Marks | Weighting | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Paper 1 -- Section A: Multiple Choice and Section B: Data-Based Questions and Questions on Experimental Work (HL) | 2h | 75 | 36% | Multiple choice |
| Paper 2: Paper 2 -- Short-Answer and Extended-Response Questions (HL) | 2h 30m | 90 | 44% | Written exam |
| Internal Assessment: Internal Assessment -- Scientific Investigation (HL) | — | 24 | 20% | Practical |
Source: official International Baccalaureate specification, verified 2026-09-04. Higher Level only. The freely public official specimen-paper PDF (for first examinations 2025) was directly fetched and read this session, confirming real printed mark totals for the Higher Level papers -- Paper 1 (Section 1A multiple-choice, 40 marks, and Section 1B data-based questions and questions on experimental work, 35 marks, sat together in one 2-hour session, 75 marks combined, 36% of the final grade, calculator and data booklet permitted) and Paper 2 (short-answer and extended-response questions, 2 hours 30 minutes, 90 marks, 44%, calculator and data booklet permitted) -- but the same document could not be fully extracted through available tooling past the Higher Level Paper 2 markscheme, before reaching the Standard Level papers, which the document's own table of contents confirms it also contains. Standard Level is therefore not included here rather than estimated from the Higher Level figures. The Internal Assessment (an individual scientific investigation reported as a written report, maximum 3,000 words) is marked against four criteria -- Research Design, Data Analysis, Conclusion, Evaluation -- worth 6 marks each, 24 marks total, 20% of the final grade, internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB; this mark total was independently corroborated against a current, actively maintained third-party IB revision resource rather than read directly from the partially inaccessible primary specimen document. Weighting and duration figures throughout are read directly from the official public subject brief.
Assessment FAQs
How is International Baccalaureate Chemistry (DP Chemistry) assessed?
International Baccalaureate Chemistry (DP Chemistry) is assessed through: Paper 1 (Paper 1 -- Section A: Multiple Choice and Section B: Data-Based Questions and Questions on Experimental Work) — 2h, 75 marks, 36% of the qualification; Paper 2 (Paper 2 -- Short-Answer and Extended-Response Questions) — 2h 30m, 90 marks, 44% of the qualification; Internal Assessment (Internal Assessment -- Scientific Investigation) — no fixed duration, 24 marks, 20% of the qualification. It is a component based qualification. Source: official International Baccalaureate specification, verified 2026-09-04.
The subject
Chemistry teaching and study resources, organised by level and topic.
Syllabus topics
The 6 topics below are the official subject content of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Chemistry, for the First assessment 2025 examination series, reproduced from the International Baccalaureate syllabus document.
A topic listed here is part of the syllabus. It does not mean Marlbridge has published material for it — topics with resources are marked. Marlbridge currently has resources for 2 of 6 topics.
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1 Structure 1 -- Models of the particulate nature of matter
3 Marlbridge resources- IB DP Chemistry Structure 1: Models of the Particulate Nature of Matter
- Structure 1 -- Models of the Particulate Nature of Matter: Practice Questions
- Structure 1 -- Models of the Particulate Nature of Matter: Revision Notes
Introduction to the particulate nature of matter · The nuclear atom · Electron configurations · Counting particles by mass: The mole · Ideal gases
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2 Structure 2 -- Models of bonding and structure
Syllabus topic · no resource yet -
3 Structure 3 -- Classification of matter
Syllabus topic · no resource yet -
4 Reactivity 1 -- What drives chemical reactions?
Syllabus topic · no resource yet -
5 Reactivity 2 -- How much, how fast and how far?
Syllabus topic · no resource yet -
6 Reactivity 3 -- What are the mechanisms of chemical change?
3 Marlbridge resources
Source: International Baccalaureate Organization, Diploma Programme Subject Brief -- Sciences: Chemistry, first assessment 2025, published January 2022 — First assessment 2025 series. Verified 2026-09-02. Always check the current syllabus for your examination year.
Study resources
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Study Guides
IB DP Chemistry Reactivity 3: Mechanisms of Chemical Change
Proton transfer, electron transfer, electron sharing and electron-pair sharing reactions -- Reactivity 3, the largest single component in the IB Diploma Programme Chemistry syllabus, first assessment 2025, and how it draws on the Structure strand.
Chemistry · International Baccalaureate · IB
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Study Guides
IB DP Chemistry Structure 1: Models of the Particulate Nature of Matter
Particle theory, the nuclear atom, electron configurations, the mole and ideal gases -- Structure 1, the first content component of IB Diploma Programme Chemistry, first assessment 2025, and the particle-level model every later component assumes.
Chemistry · International Baccalaureate · IB
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Revision Notes
IB DP Chemistry Reactivity 3: Mechanisms of Chemical Change -- Revision Notes
Condensed revision notes on IB Diploma Programme Chemistry's Reactivity 3 -- proton transfer, electron transfer, electron sharing and electron-pair sharing reactions -- the largest single component in the syllabus, with self-test questions.
Chemistry · International Baccalaureate · IB
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Revision Notes
Structure 1 -- Models of the Particulate Nature of Matter: Revision Notes
Condensed SL-level recall notes on Structure 1 -- particle theory, the nuclear atom, electron configurations, the mole and ideal gases -- for IB Diploma Programme Chemistry.
Chemistry · International Baccalaureate · IB
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Study Guides
IB Diploma Programme Chemistry: Syllabus Guide
The Structure and Reactivity strands of the IB Diploma Programme Chemistry syllabus, with every numbered sub-topic (Structure 1-3, Reactivity 1-3) and recommended teaching hours, for first assessment 2025.
Chemistry · International Baccalaureate · IB
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Revision Notes
How DP Chemistry Is Assessed: Revision Notes
Condensed recall notes on the assessment structure -- papers, weightings, the structure-and-reactivity framework and the internal assessment -- for IB Diploma Programme Chemistry.
Chemistry · International Baccalaureate · IB
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Subject Guides
IB Diploma Programme Chemistry: Subject Overview
An overview of IB Diploma Programme Chemistry -- identifying patterns that explain matter at the microscopic level, its emphasis on scientific inquiry, and the aims shared across all three DP sciences subjects.
Chemistry · International Baccalaureate · IB
Revision material
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Revision Notes
IB DP Chemistry Reactivity 3: Mechanisms of Chemical Change -- Revision Notes
Condensed revision notes on IB Diploma Programme Chemistry's Reactivity 3 -- proton transfer, electron transfer, electron sharing and electron-pair sharing reactions -- the largest single component in the syllabus, with self-test questions.
Chemistry · International Baccalaureate · IB
-
Revision Notes
Structure 1 -- Models of the Particulate Nature of Matter: Revision Notes
Condensed SL-level recall notes on Structure 1 -- particle theory, the nuclear atom, electron configurations, the mole and ideal gases -- for IB Diploma Programme Chemistry.
Chemistry · International Baccalaureate · IB
-
Revision Notes
How DP Chemistry Is Assessed: Revision Notes
Condensed recall notes on the assessment structure -- papers, weightings, the structure-and-reactivity framework and the internal assessment -- for IB Diploma Programme Chemistry.
Chemistry · International Baccalaureate · IB
Exam preparation
-
Practice Questions
IB DP Chemistry Reactivity 3: Mechanisms of Chemical Change -- Practice Questions
Original practice questions with full worked answers covering proton transfer, electron transfer, electron sharing and electron-pair sharing reactions, for IB Diploma Programme Chemistry Reactivity 3.
Chemistry · International Baccalaureate · IB
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Practice Questions
Structure 1 -- Models of the Particulate Nature of Matter: Practice Questions
Original practice questions with full worked answers covering particle theory, the nuclear atom, electron configurations, the mole and ideal gases, for IB Diploma Programme Chemistry Structure 1.
Chemistry · International Baccalaureate · IB
Chemistry at other qualifications
These are separate qualifications with different syllabuses and assessments — not different names for the same course. Check which one your school enters you for.
- Pearson Edexcel A Level Chemistry Syllabus YCH11
- Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Chemistry Syllabus 4CH1
- AQA GCSE Chemistry Syllabus 8462
- AQA A Level Chemistry Syllabus 7405
- OCR GCSE Chemistry Syllabus J248
- OCR A Level Chemistry Syllabus H432
- OxfordAQA IGCSE Chemistry Syllabus 9202
- OxfordAQA A Level Chemistry Syllabus 9620
- Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry Syllabus 0620
- Cambridge O Level Chemistry Syllabus 5070
- Cambridge A Level Chemistry Syllabus 9701
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