Practice Exam Questions

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As well as the Engagement Activity and the Global Political Challenges videos (HL Only), both SL and HL students also have to take two end of course exams. ​Both Papers 1 and 2 are based on the content, concepts, and skills from the four core units of the DP Global Politics course:

Paper 1 is a source-based paper lasting 1 hour 15 minutes and is worth 25 marks. Students have to answer four questions. Three of the questions are short-answer questions, whilst the fourth question is an essay question.

​For SL students, the paper makes up 30% of the final course grade. For HL students it is worth 20% of the final course grade.

​Paper 2 is an extended-response paper and requires SL students to answer 2, and HL students to answer 3 questions. Each individual essay is worth 25 marks. Students can choose between two questions for each topic.

​For SL students, the paper lasts 1 hour 45 minutes, is worth 50 marks, and makes up 45% of the final course grade. For HL students, the paper lasts 2 hours 45 minutes, is worth 75 marks, and makes up 40% of the final course grade. ​

Nov 2020	Evaluate the claim that positive peace can never be fully achieved.	​Examine the claim that humanitarian intervention is a violation of state sovereignty.
May 2020	Exam cancelled due to COVID!	Exam cancelled due to COVID!
Nov 2019	Evaluate the claim that conflict resolution is not always possible through negotiations and treaties.	To what extent do you agree with the claim that positive peace requires sustainable development?
May 2019	To what extent do you agree with the claim that addressing structural violence is increasingly important to achieving lasting peace?	Evaluate the claim that conflict resolution is not always possible through negotiations and treaties.
Nov 2018	With reference to just war theory, evaluate the decision of a government to go to war in one conflict.	“In order to be able to solve a conflict it is necessary to understand its conflict dynamics.” Discuss this claim with reference to either an interstate or intrastate war you have studied.
May 2018	Discuss which type of conflict is most threatening to efforts to build a lasting peace in the world.	Evaluate the claim that third-party intervention in a conflict is a valuable tool for peacemaking.
Nov 2017	Examine the claim that contrasting material interests are the main cause of conflicts.	Discuss the view that non-violent methods are the only way to achieve lasting change in conflicts between the state and non-state actors.
May 2017	Compare and contrast two different approaches to peacemaking in one armed conflict you have studied.	Discuss the view that peace is more than simply the absence of war.
May 2016	Evaluate the success of third-party involvement in transforming one intra-state conflict away from violence and towards positive peace.	“The use of violence can never be legitimate.” Discuss the validity of this claim, with reference to at least one violent conflict you have studied.
May 2015	Peacebuilding is arguably more important than peacemaking, yet it is given much less funding and attention. To what extent do you agree with this claim?	Discuss why non-violent protest is sometimes able to achieve success against even the most powerful of opponents.
May 2014	“Transforming armed conflict towards peace relies on an interrelationship of peacemaking, peace keeping and peace building.” Discuss.	“If a person died from tuberculosis* in the eighteenth century it would be hard to conceive of this as violence since it might have been quite unavoidable, but if he dies from it today, despite all the medical resources in the world, then violence is presentˮ (Galtung). To what extent do you agree with the view that those in power have an obligation to identify and prevent structural violence?
Specimen Paper	Examine the view that peace can be defined as the absence of physical violence.	Evaluate the claim that humanitarian intervention is a justifiable intrusion into the sovereignty of a state.