Finished the Specimen Papers? Free Teacher-Made IB Computer Science Mock Papers (2027)

If you sit IB Computer Science in 2027, you have probably hit the same wall as everyone else. The new syllabus has no past papers yet, and the IB's specimen papers give you one Paper 1 and one Paper 2 at your level. Once you have done those two, what do you practise with?

I teach IB Computer Science, so I wrote more. This page has two complete sets of teacher-made IB Computer Science mock papers, Set 1 and Set 2, at SL and HL, each with a full mark scheme. That is eight more exam papers, free to download and built to the same format as the specimen papers.

What are these IB Computer Science mock papers?

They are two full sets of mock exams for the new IB Computer Science syllabus, which is the 2025 subject guide with first exams in May 2027. Each set has all four papers (SL Paper 1, SL Paper 2, HL Paper 1 and HL Paper 2), and every paper comes with its own mark scheme.

They follow the specimen papers closely: the same cover and instructions, the same mark totals and timings, the same sections, the same command terms, and answer boxes sized to the marks available. Every question is mapped to a statement in the subject guide, and the model code answers were tested in both Java and Python.

They are independent practice papers written by Shuttle Learning, not official IB papers.

What is in each paper?

Section A of each Paper 1 is set in one fictional company: an animation and visual-effects studio in Set 1, and a digital advertising agency in Set 2. Paper 2 uses fresh scenarios too, including a festival ratings app, a museum collection, study-room bookings and parcel tracking, so nothing is copied from the specimen papers.

Between them, the two sets assess 101 of the 112 syllabus statements in the guide.

Download the IB Computer Science mock papers

Set 1

Set 2

Sit the papers for your own level: SL students take the two SL papers, and HL students take the two HL papers. Do not open a mark scheme until you have finished the paper.

Which mock paper should I do first?

Start with Set 1, and sit Paper 1 and Paper 2 within a day or two of each other so you practise the stamina of a real exam session. Then mark both papers, spend a week or two fixing what they showed up, and sit Set 2. Doing it this way gives you two honest readings of where you are, with time to improve in between.

How should I sit a mock paper?

Treat it like the real thing. Print the paper, work somewhere quiet, set a timer, and write your answers inside the answer boxes. Keep your notes, your phone and the mark scheme out of reach until the time is up.

Worked example: planning your time on SL Paper 1

The real papers are set at 1.5 minutes per mark: 50 marks in 75 minutes at SL, and 80 marks in 120 minutes at HL. Use that rate to plan as you go.

• Step 1: A 2-mark "outline" question should take about 3 minutes. A 4-mark question should take about 6.

• Step 2: Section B is worth 12 marks, so leave yourself about 18 minutes for it. Its 6-mark "to what extent" question needs about 9 of those.

• Step 3: If a question runs well past its time, leave a gap, move on, and come back at the end. A blank 2-mark question costs you far less than an unfinished Section B.

At HL the rate is the same, so Section B's 24 marks need about 36 minutes.

Do I need the case study for Paper 1?

Yes. Section B of every Paper 1 is based on the real pre-released case study for 2027, Generative AI for image creation: a diffuse vision. Ask your teacher for a clean copy of the IB's case study booklet before you sit Paper 1, exactly as you will need one in the exam. The HL questions also draw on the parts of the case study marked as HL only.

Section A does not need the case study, so you can still sit it on its own if the booklet is not to hand.

Java or Python: which Paper 2 should I answer?

Every Paper 2 contains both versions. Option A is in Java and Option B is in Python, with the same questions in each, just as in the specimen papers. Answer only the option your school teaches; the mark scheme gives a model answer in both languages.

There is no IB pseudocode in the new exams, so you write real code. Read each stem carefully, because some questions tell you which built-in functions you may not use.

How do I mark my own mock paper?

The mark schemes follow IB conventions. Each line ending in a semicolon is one creditworthy point, a slash (/) separates alternative wordings, words in brackets are not needed for the mark, and "[2] max" caps the marks for that part. "FT" means follow-through: if you got an earlier answer wrong but used it correctly later, you still earn the later marks.

The longer "to what extent" answers in Section B are marked with markbands, which describe what an answer at each level looks like. Read the bands, decide which one your answer fits best, and if you can, ask a teacher or a friend to mark those answers too. Be strict with yourself. If you would need to argue for a mark, you probably did not earn it.

What else can I do after the specimen papers and mock papers?

Two sets of mocks are a big step up from two specimen papers, but they are not the only way to practise. Here are six more.

Revise what these mocks do not test. A mock samples the syllabus, just as the real exam does, so some statements are not assessed in either set. Make sure you also cover the fetch, decode and execute cycle in A1.1 Computer hardware and operation, compilers and interpreters in A1.4 Translation (HL), transmission media in A2.3 Data transmissions, relational database features in A3.1 Database fundamentals, denormalisation in A3.2 Database design, data warehouses and distributed databases in A3.4 Alternative databases (HL), and feature selection in A4.2 Data preprocessing (HL).

Fix your weakest topics first. After each paper, pick the two or three topics where you lost the most marks and work through their IB Computer Science revision guides. Each guide has a printable revision sheet for a final pass.

Redo the specimen papers. A few weeks after your first attempt, sit them again under timed conditions without looking at your old answers. It is a fair test of whether your revision has stuck.

Practise code on paper. Paper 2 rewards students who can write and trace code without running it. Complete trace tables by hand, write a sort or search from memory using B2.4 Programming algorithms, and, at HL, draw linked lists and binary search trees from B4.1 Abstract data types.

Use old past papers with care. Papers from before 2027 were written for the old syllabus. Questions on networks, databases, algorithms and OOP can still be useful topic practice, but the old papers include topics that have been removed and use a different structure, so do not treat one as a mock.

Learn the command terms. "Define", "outline", "explain" and "discuss" ask for different things. A 4-mark "outline two" question wants two separate points, each with a short expansion.

Common mock exam mistakes in IB Computer Science

• Spending 10 minutes on a 2-mark question. Keep to about 1.5 minutes per mark.

• Writing one point for a 4-mark question. Look at the marks and give that many creditworthy points.

• Giving a definition when the command term is "explain" or "discuss".

• Using a built-in function the question has ruled out, such as Python's sum() or Java's streams.

• Answering both the Java and the Python option. Only one option is credited, so doing both just wastes time.

• Writing Section B answers that never mention the case study. Tie each point to Visionary Studios and its challenges.

• Marking your own paper generously. Give the mark only if the mark scheme clearly allows it.

Quick recap

• The new IB Computer Science syllabus has no past papers yet; the specimen papers give one Paper 1 and one Paper 2 at each level.

• These two free sets of teacher-made mock papers add eight more papers, at SL and HL, each with a mark scheme.

• Plan your time at 1.5 minutes per mark, and take a clean copy of the case study into Paper 1.

• In Paper 2, answer one option only: Java or Python.

• After each paper: mark it, log the gaps, fix the topics, go again.

Frequently asked questions

Are there past papers for the new IB Computer Science syllabus?

Not yet. The first exams on the new syllabus are in May 2027, so the only official papers so far are the IB's specimen papers. Teacher-made mock papers, like the two free sets on this page, are the closest practice to the real exam until then.

Are these official IB Computer Science papers?

No. They were written independently by Shuttle Learning to the 2025 IB Computer Science guide and the format of the specimen papers. They are not produced or endorsed by the International Baccalaureate.

Are the mock papers free?

Yes. All eight question papers and all eight mark schemes are free PDF downloads, with no sign-up needed.

Do I need the case study to do Paper 1?

Yes, for Section B. Section B of every Paper 1 is based on the IB's 2027 case study, Generative AI for image creation: a diffuse vision, so ask your teacher for a clean copy of the booklet before you start.

How long should I spend on each question?

About 1.5 minutes per mark, which is the rate the real papers are set at: 50 marks in 75 minutes at SL and 80 marks in 120 minutes at HL. A 4-mark question should take roughly 6 minutes.

Can I answer Paper 2 in Python instead of Java?

Yes. Every Paper 2 has a Java option and a Python option with the same questions. Answer only the option your school teaches; the mark scheme gives model answers in both languages.

Looking for an IB Computer Science tutor?

Hi, I'm Yuness, the tutor behind Shuttle Learning. I work one to one with IB Computer Science students at SL and HL, and I deliberately take on only a handful each year so every student gets my full attention. Most go on to earn the 6s and 7s they were aiming for, in the final exams and the IA alike. If you would like that kind of support, book a free 15-minute call and tell me what you are stuck on. You can also explore the full IB Computer Science guide library while you are here.

These are independent practice papers written by Shuttle Learning. International Baccalaureate and IB are registered trademarks of the International Baccalaureate Organization, which has not produced, reviewed or endorsed them.