IB 2016 Chemistry Option A or B

[niranjan1998]

Hey,

I'll be writing my IB retakes in a few days and I'm kinda behind already and I'm retaking them cause i only got a 4 in my May boards due to a mitigating circumstance. Guess Im a bit late to prep already but I wanna increase my score by atleast a point or two. I wan wondering if the study guide along with a few past papers would be enough to assure me a 5 or low 6. 

Mainly I'm not sure of which option to chose for paper 3. I did materials in the May paper but only got around 22/45 in Paper 3. I am retaking bio as well and so many of the option B topics seems similar.  I wanted to know which is a more scoring section and would be able to get me enough marks to get a 6 atleast.

I know this seems like an irresponsible question with the last minute cram prep but with the time left any help would be appreciated. I have around 2 complete weeks left for my chem exams.

Thanks

[IB`NOT`ez]

While there are some parallels between Biology's Molecular Biology Topic and Chemistry's Biochemistry Option, there are a lot more differences.

It's been on multiple Chemistry subject reports that there are always a number of candidates that relied too much on their ability in Biology to allow them to do well in Biochemistry, which they didn't. You can refer to the Biochemistry syllabus in the 2016 Chemistry Guide to be sure - approximately only 30% of the entire material, both SL and HL, would be covered in Biology and even then, there's a greater emphasis into the Chemistry aspects. 

Since you've already covered the Materials Option in the past, I think you can do better this time provided you prepare better in the next 2 weeks. The prior exposure to the content will go a long way to ensuring that you won't have to reteach yourself everything. Also I think it's good to know that at your previous 22/45 for Paper 3, the boundary for a 6 last May 2016 was a 29/45. Getting about 8-9 more marks to approximately 30-31/45 should put you in good stead for a 6. 

Good luck with your retakes! 

Edited October 29, 2016 by IB`ez

[Msj Chem]

Having taught all four of the options, I would say that option A is the most difficult of the four. Option C is, in my opinion, the easiest. So if you are thinking of doing option A or B, I would go for option B. But of course it is your decision at the end of the day. 

Whatever option you decide to do, you can find links to my videos here: