Paper 2 is the Data Response question which means that students will be given an article or a set of data (or both) upon which to base their answers.  Paper 2 consists of two questions that come from all units of the syllabus.  Students must answer one of the two questions and will have 105 minutes to do so.  Students may use a calculator.  For High Level students the Paper 2 is worth 30% of their composite score, while for Standard Level students it is worth 40%. 

Each question on Paper 2 has seven parts, parts (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g).   Part (a) and (b) are further divided into two parts (i and ii).  These two parts will ask you for specific definitions and calculations.  Parts (c), (d), (e), and (f), ask students to analyze an economic situation.  Part (g) asks students to not only evaluate an economic real-life example but also provide a judgment of sound economic policy to address the situation.  Paper 2 is worth 40 marks.

The exam starts with a five-minute reading period that students should use to decide which of the two questions to answer, to read the given article and date, and time to plan their approach to answering the question.   

Advice: First all, be sure to answer the question that is asked.  Choose which question to answer based on Part (g) because it is worth 15 of the 40 marks.  Provide a topic sentence to each part of your answer. Be sure to define all economic terms you use with precision.  Strive to embed at least one of the Nine Central Themes into your answer.  They show deep understanding of the big picture.