Paper 1 and 3 Done! My Honest Thoughts on the IB Business May 2025 Exams

The May 2025 IB Business exams are behind us and the 24 hour period of silence after exams publicly has passed, and I wanted to take some time to reflect on Papers 1 and 3 for Time Zone 2/B. Remember, there are three time zones/exams for IB students. So if this doesn’t sound like the exam you or your students had, it’s because there are a few different versions. But without further ado, here are my thoughts on the exams.

Paper 1: A Clear and Accessible Case Study

Overall, I thought Paper 1 was very approachable for students. The case study was clear, and the questions were direct, reflecting much of the content students would have practiced in class. One question that stood out as a bit more challenging was the one asking for two ways that market share can be measured. This is something I regularly go over with my students and is even included in the Kaboom review game for Unit 4. However, I recognize that this might have been a deeper cut for students who hadn’t gone over it in detail. Understanding both volume and value as measures of market share is crucial, and it's definitely something I’ll be emphasizing even more in future reviews.

The 10-mark questions were also well-constructed. Many of my students opted for the question about takeovers, which seemed like the most straightforward option. On the other hand, there was some ambiguity regarding the Ansoff Matrix question. I’m not entirely sure what the IB was looking for in terms of structure. Should students have chosen two different growth strategies and provided a pro and con for each? Or would it have been better to choose one and analyze it in more detail with two pros and two cons? I’m leaning towards the first approach, as that would allow for a more balanced evaluation. This lack of clarity might explain why most of my students chose the takeover question instead.

I was thrilled to hear from my students that many of the questions in my Paper 1 Preparation Pack actually appeared on the exam! They commented on how well it prepared them, which is always great feedback to receive. I strive to create resources that are both targeted and practical, and it’s good to know they paid off during the exam.

Paper 3: A Few Surprises and a More Guided Approach

Now, Paper 3 definitely brought some surprises. The most significant one was that Maslow's hierarchy of needs was NOT allowed for Question 1. This was a real shocker for me and my students. For the past two years, I have specifically recommended Maslow as it’s the simplest to apply and has been consistently mentioned in markschemes. This sudden shift caught many students off guard, especially since the company in the case study didn’t seem to prioritize employee satisfaction in any noticeable way. Even as I think back, it’s hard to see how another motivational theory would fit comfortably with the scenario presented.

Another interesting twist came in Question 2, where students were asked to consider only two specific types of resources and focus on challenges related to financial and human resource management. I actually think this was helpful for students who sometimes struggle to identify challenges among a lot of information. By narrowing the scope, I believe it allowed weaker students to process their ideas more effectively.

As always, Question 3 focused on the sustainability of the company. This part of the exam was straightforward, though I know that crafting a clear and specific action plan can be challenging for some students. With the company facing so many issues, it should have been easy to identify what needed improvement but translating that into a structured plan can sometimes be tricky. 

Your Thoughts?

Those are my main takeaways from the May 2025 Time Zone 2/B IB Business exams for Paper 1 and Paper 3. If you were in my time zone, what did you think? Were there any questions that caught you by surprise? If you were in a different time zone, I’d love to hear what stood out for you too. Feel free to share your thoughts. I’d love to discuss it!

If you want to be fully prepared for the November exams or the next May session, make sure to check out my resources which help prepare students in a fun and engaging way.

Stay tuned for my thoughts on Paper 2, coming soon!