What each exam — IB and AP — actually asks of you.
For 2025–2026 the IB has rolled out a new syllabus and new assessment styles. In particular, the Paper 2 has been substantially changed. As you consult old assessments please remember that while they will be helpful in your exam preparation, the 2026 SL exams may not perfectly imitate their predecessors.
The AP side of this hub collects the AP Comparative Government and Politics exam — the College Board course that runs closest to our content. Its shape is different: two timed sections of equal weight, a multiple-choice section and a four-question free-response section, and only one of those free-response tasks is an essay. The pages below show what each section asks of you.
External and internal assessment for the Diploma course.
Two sections of equal weight (50% / 50%). The free-response section holds four tasks — only the last is an essay.
Benson S. Hawk, JD
Humanities Department · Newark Academy
IB Global Politics · 2026–2027