IB Economics HL: How Are Papers 1, 2 and 3 Actually Weighted?

IB Economics HL: How Are Papers 1, 2 and 3 Actually Weighted?

IB Economics HL is assessed through three external exam papers — an extended-response paper (20%), a data-response paper (30%), and an HL-exclusive policy paper (30%) — plus an internally assessed portfolio of three commentaries worth the remaining 20%.

Key takeaways

• HL sits an extra paper SL doesn’t: Paper 3, a policy paper worth 30% of the final grade, on top of Papers 1 and 2 which both HL and SL complete.

• Paper 1 (extended response) is the shortest at 1 hour 15 minutes but still carries real weighting at 20%.

• Paper 2 (data response) runs 1 hour 45 minutes and is worth 30%.

• The internal assessment is a portfolio of three commentaries based on different syllabus units, using real published news extracts — not a single long essay.

• Four assessment objectives apply across all papers: knowledge and understanding, application and analysis, synthesis and evaluation, and use and application of appropriate skills.

How Is IB Economics HL Assessed?

Component

Format

SL time

HL time

Weighting

Paper 1

Paper 1A: multiple-choice; Paper 1B: data-based and experimental-work questions

1.5 hrs

2 hrs

36%

Paper 2

Short-answer and extended-response questions

1.5 hrs

2.5 hrs

44%

Scientific Investigation (IA)

Self-designed open-ended investigation, written report

10 hrs

10 hrs

20%

External assessment (Papers 1–3) makes up 80% of the final grade at HL, with the internal portfolio making up the remaining 20%.

What Does the HL Extension Add to IB Economics?

HL students sit Paper 3, an exclusive policy paper, on top of everything SL students complete — and are also assessed on HL extension topics woven into Papers 1 and 2, not held in a separate section. This means HL Economics isn’t simply “SL plus one extra exam” — the extension content shows up throughout your existing papers as well as in the dedicated Paper 3.

What Is the IB Economics Internal Assessment Portfolio?

Instead of a single research project, IB Economics uses a portfolio of three commentaries, each based on a different syllabus unit (excluding the introductory unit) and built around a real, published news media extract analysed using different key economic concepts. If you’re building your first commentary and want a refresher on core micro concepts like opportunity cost or the production possibility curve — exactly the kind of thing your commentary needs to apply, not just define — our existing Scarcity, Choice and PPC guide covers that foundation in depth.

What Are the Assessment Objectives in IB Economics?

Four objectives apply across the whole course: knowledge and understanding of specified content and current economic issues; application and analysis of economic data and real-world situations; synthesis and evaluation, including constructing arguments and making policy recommendations; and use of appropriate skills, including diagrams, data interpretation and correct terminology. HL students are additionally expected to demonstrate all four objectives specifically against the HL extension topics, not just the shared SL/HL syllabus.

Common Mistakes in IB Economics Exams

The most common one is treating Paper 3 as “just another data question paper” rather than what it actually is — a policy paper specifically asking you to weigh up and recommend between different policy options, which needs an evaluative structure closer to Paper 1’s extended-response style than Paper 2’s data-response format. A second, in the internal portfolio specifically, is choosing three commentaries that end up analysing the same underlying concept from slightly different angles rather than genuinely different units — the requirement is explicitly for different units, and overlapping commentaries cost marks on breadth. If you want to see how Paper 1’s extended-response marking differs from Paper 3’s policy-recommendation marking on real past questions, our IB Past Papers by Subject guide points you to where to find both. Since Business Management shares real content overlap with Economics on markets and government intervention, it’s worth spotting where a concept you’ve already nailed in one subject transfers directly to the other.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many papers does IB Economics HL have? Three — Paper 1 (extended response), Paper 2 (data response), and the HL-exclusive Paper 3 (policy paper).

What’s the difference between IB Economics HL and SL papers? SL sits Papers 1 and 2 only; HL sits all three, with HL extension content also woven into Papers 1 and 2.

How much is the IB Economics internal assessment worth? 20% of the final grade, based on a portfolio of three commentaries on different syllabus units.

What is IB Economics Paper 3? An HL-exclusive policy paper, worth 30% of the final grade, based on all syllabus units.

Does the IB Economics IA use real news articles? Yes — each of the three commentaries is built around a published extract from the news media.

How long is IB Economics Paper 2? 1 hour 45 minutes, worth 30% of the final grade.

Are IB Economics HL and SL taught from the same syllabus units? Yes — HL adds extension topics on top of the shared SL/HL syllabus rather than replacing it.

Written by sortmyprep | Reviewed by IB Economics Examiner | Last updated: September 15, 2026