IB Economics HL Exam Dates 2026: Nov 2026 & May 2027 Papers
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IB Economics HL Exam Dates 2026 and May 2027: Times and Revision Plan
IB Economics HL Paper 2 is on 10 Nov 2026 (PM), with Papers 1 and 3 on 11 Nov 2026 (AM). Get the provisional May 2027 dates, HK/SG start times, the paper weightings and a countdown revision plan.
Teachn.io Team·11 min read
Last updated: 19 October 2026
Short answer: Here are the IB Economics HL exam dates 2026. In the November 2026 session, Paper 2 is on Tuesday 10 November 2026 (afternoon), and Paper 1 plus Paper 3 are on Wednesday 11 November 2026 (morning), per the official IB November 2026 schedule. For May 2027, the IB's schedule (marked "FINAL VERSION", but so far only found as , not on ibo.org) puts Paper 2 on and Paper 1 plus Paper 3 on . Treat the May dates as provisional until ibo.org or your IB coordinator confirms them.
If you're sitting in November, that's just over three weeks from today (19 October 2026). If you're sitting in May, you have roughly seven months. Below you'll find the full schedule, how the papers work, a countdown plan for each session, and what to do on exam day.
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What are the IB Economics HL exam dates 2026 (and May 2027)?
November 2026 runs from Friday 23 October to Friday 13 November 2026 (IB). Economics sits in Week 3.
May 2027 was announced by the IB as starting Friday 23 April 2027 and ending Wednesday 19 May 2027, "subject to confirmation" (IB May 2026 schedule, last page). The school-hosted May 2027 copy has its last papers on Tuesday 18 May, so the end date differs slightly. One more reason to check with your coordinator. Economics is in Week 3 there too.
Which other papers are on the same days?
Economics doesn't sit alone. Check these days against your own subjects:
10 Nov 2026: Maths AA and AI Paper 2 (HL and SL) are in the morning, and Economics Paper 2 is that afternoon (IB). If you take Maths, that's a double day. Pack lunch and plan a real break.
11 Nov 2026: Chemistry Paper 1 is in the afternoon, after the Economics morning (IB).
11 May 2027: Biology Paper 2 is in the morning, before Economics Paper 2 in the afternoon (school-hosted copy).
What time do the exams start in Hong Kong and Singapore?
The IB doesn't use one global clock. Every school is placed in an exam zone (A, B or C), and each zone has set local start times for the morning and afternoon sessions. The IB says your school's zone doesn't change between sessions, and that start times are local and aren't adjusted for daylight saving (IB November 2026 schedule, p.6).
In the IB's table, zone A has a row marked "8" with a 09:30 morning start and a 13:30 afternoon start. The table's numbers run from 12 down to −10, which lines up with UTC offsets. Hong Kong and Singapore are both UTC+8, so 09:30 / 13:30 is very likely your timing. Still, confirm your school's zone and start times with your IB coordinator. The same table appears in the May 2027 school-hosted copy.
How is IB Economics HL assessed (first assessment 2022)?
Component
What it is
Duration
Marks
Weighting (HL)
Paper 1
Extended response. Answer 1 question from a choice of 3
1h 15m
25
20%
Paper 2
Data response, includes quantitative questions. Answer 1 question from a choice of 2
1h 45m
40
30%
Paper 3 (HL only)
Policy paper, quantitative and qualitative. 2 compulsory questions, 30 marks each
1h 45m
60
30%
Internal assessment (IA)
Portfolio of 3 commentaries on news extracts, max 800 words each, each using a different key concept
Here's the practical bit: Paper 2 and Paper 3 together are 60% of your HL grade, and both are data-heavy. If your calculations and data reading are shaky, fix those first.
How do the papers fit the schedule?
Day 1 is Paper 2 on its own in the afternoon. Day 2 is a heavy morning. The IB lists Paper 1 (1h 15m) and Paper 3 (1h 45m) in the same morning session, so you'll write for 3 hours that morning. Ask your coordinator whether your school runs them back-to-back or with a short break.
What this means for you:
Paper 2 is first, so drill it first. Practise definitions, diagrams and the extended "using the text/data and your knowledge" answer.
Train for a 3-hour morning. At least twice before the real thing, sit Paper 1 and Paper 3 in one go, starting at the same time your school will.
Paper 3 comes second on Day 2, when you're tired. It's a calculation-heavy policy paper, so make the calculations automatic before exam day.
How should you revise for the November 2026 exams?
Counting from 19 October, you have about 22 days until Paper 2. Don't try to relearn the whole course. Aim for exam technique and your weakest units.
Week 1 (19–25 Oct): find the gaps
Do one Paper 2 and one Paper 3 from past papers, untimed. Mark them with the markscheme.
List your three weakest syllabus areas, for example 2.11 market power, 3.5 monetary policy or 4.5 exchange rates.
Make a one-page diagram sheet. Every diagram you might need, labelled properly.
Week 2 (26 Oct–1 Nov): timed practice
Two timed Paper 2s and one timed Paper 3.
For Paper 1, plan (don't fully write) five essays. Spend 10 minutes per plan, with real-world examples ready.
Re-do every calculation you got wrong until you get it right twice.
Week 3 (2–8 Nov): rehearse the real days
Do one full rehearsal of Day 1 (Paper 2, afternoon) and Day 2 (Paper 1 + Paper 3, morning) at your real start times.
Keep a short "mistakes list" and read it every night.
9 Nov: light day. Read your diagram sheet and mistakes list. Pack your bag. Sleep early.
10–11 Nov: exam days. See the exam-day checklist below.
How should you revise for the May 2027 exams?
You have about 29 weeks. That's enough time to do this properly.
Now to December 2026: content and IA
Finish your IA portfolio on your school's deadlines. It's 20% of your grade, so it's the easiest marks to protect early.
Go unit by unit through Micro, Macro and Global. After each unit, do the past-paper questions for that unit.
Start a repeat-question log: note which topics keep showing up in past papers.
January–February 2027: topic papers
Do two to three timed questions a week, mixing Paper 1, 2 and 3 styles.
Build a bank of real-world examples. Local ones stick best. For example, Hong Kong's Linked Exchange Rate System works well for exchange-rate questions. Collect Singapore examples too, and check each one against an official source.
March–April 2027: full papers
Do one full timed paper every week. At least twice, do Paper 1 + Paper 3 back-to-back.
Re-check the final May 2027 schedule on ibo.org or with your coordinator.
Final two weeks: sharpen, don't cram
Re-do old mistakes. Do quick diagram drills. Sleep properly.
What should you do on exam day?
Check the start time the night before (likely 09:30 or 13:30 in HK/SG, but confirm with your school).
Bring an approved calculator. Paper 2 and Paper 3 include quantitative questions (IB Economics guide). Check your school's list of approved calculators.
Paper 1: choose your question quickly, plan for a few minutes, and use a real-world example.
Paper 2: do the short definition and diagram parts quickly so you have time for the final long answer.
Paper 3: show every step of your working, and write units and labels. For the policy recommendation, pick one policy and justify it with the data.
On Day 2: eat a proper breakfast. Three hours is a long morning.
When do results come out?
The IB has published standard release dates:
November session: results are issued to schools on 16 December from 9pm GMT and released to candidates at staggered times by time zone (IB Assessment FAQ). For November 2026, 9pm GMT on 16 December is 5am on 17 December in Hong Kong and Singapore. Your exact time is on the PIN report from your coordinator.
May session: results are released on the candidate website from 12:00 GMT on 6 July (IB Assessment FAQ). The IB's university page says May results are "issued on 5 July" (IB). Ask your coordinator which date applies to you.
So no, November results don't come in January. They come before Christmas.
FAQ
When is the IB Economics HL exam in November 2026?
Paper 2 is on Tuesday 10 November 2026 (afternoon). Paper 1 and Paper 3 are on Wednesday 11 November 2026 (morning) (IB).
When is the IB Economics HL exam in May 2027?
The IB's May 2027 schedule, so far only found as school-hosted copies, shows Paper 2 on Tuesday 11 May 2027 (afternoon) and Paper 1 plus Paper 3 on Wednesday 12 May 2027 (morning) (copy). It isn't on ibo.org yet, so confirm with your coordinator.
Are Paper 1 and Paper 3 on the same day?
Yes. In both sessions, the IB lists HL Paper 1 (1h 15m) and Paper 3 (1h 45m) in the same morning session.
What time does the IB Economics exam start in Hong Kong or Singapore?
The IB's zone table lists 09:30 (morning) and 13:30 (afternoon) for the row that matches UTC+8 (IB). Your coordinator confirms your school's zone.
How much is each IB Economics HL paper worth?
Paper 1 is 20%, Paper 2 is 30%, Paper 3 is 30% and the IA portfolio is 20% (IB subject brief).
When do November 2026 IB results come out?
The IB issues November results to schools on 16 December from 9pm GMT, and candidates see them at staggered times by time zone (IB).
How can Teachn.io help before the exam?
Teachn.io is a tutoring platform with real teachers in the loop, plus AI help. Start with our IB Economics HL course, which follows the syllabus unit by unit. On Teachn.io you also get concise lecture notes, past papers and a repeat question tracker, so you can see which topics keep coming up. When you're stuck on a Paper 3 calculation or an essay plan, Nio, the AI help built into the course, can walk you through it, and mentors can step in when you need a real person.
