IB command term
Sketch in IB exams: what the command term means
By Michael Thompson - Head of Teaching Excellence; 15 years as an IB Coordinator
In IB exams, 'sketch' means you draw a diagram or graph that shows the general shape or relationship. Label it where appropriate and include the relevant features. You do not need plotted precision, but the shape and the key features must be correct.
Paraphrased from the command-term definitions in the IB Diploma Programme subject guides (International Baccalaureate Organization).
At a glance
Data, working and diagrams
Answer shape: Visible working, read data or a labelled diagram
What 'sketch' asks you to do
A sketch is a drawn answer. You represent something with a diagram or graph that shows its general shape or the relationship between quantities. It should be labelled where appropriate and should include the features that matter. The question is not asking for a table of points or a carefully plotted curve. It wants the overall form, drawn clearly enough that a reader can see what you mean.
Shape and features, not plotted precision
The marker is looking at the shape and the features. In a graph question, that means intercepts, turning points, asymptotes and labels. Your proportions only need to be qualitatively right. A rough drawing that is correct beats a neat drawing that is wrong, so spend your time on getting the behaviour right rather than on a perfect ruler-straight line.
Labels make the sketch readable
Label the axes and any feature that carries meaning. An unlabelled curve is ambiguous, and it may earn nothing, however good the shape is. Before you move on, check that someone who has not seen the question could tell what each axis shows and which points on the curve matter.
Check the extremes and the boundaries
Many sketches go wrong at the edges. Think about what happens near zero, at large values and at the boundaries of the domain, and make your drawing behave correctly there. A curve that has the right middle section but the wrong end behaviour does not show the relationship you were asked for.
Practise the standard shapes
Each subject has standard shapes that you are expected to reproduce under time pressure. Learn them until drawing them is automatic, so that in the exam your attention goes to labelling and to the features that the specific question needs.
Where it appears
Physics
In physics, a sketch is a graph or diagram showing the general shape of a relationship. Label both axes, include the features that carry meaning, and check how the curve behaves near zero and at large values.
Physics tutoringMathematics AA
In mathematics AA, a sketch of a function should show its overall shape with intercepts, turning points and asymptotes marked. You do not plot accurately, but these features are what the marker checks.
Mathematics AA tutoringEconomics
In economics, a sketch is a labelled diagram showing the general shape or relationship. Label the axes and any curve or point that carries meaning, because an unlabelled curve is ambiguous and may earn nothing.
Economics tutoringBiology
In biology, a sketch is a diagram or graph showing the general form of a relationship. Label axes and relevant features, and make sure the behaviour at the extremes of the range is drawn correctly.
Biology tutoringCommon mistakes
- Drawing a curve without labelling the axes or the key features, which leaves the answer ambiguous and may earn nothing.
- Spending time on plotting accurate points when the question only asks for the general shape and features.
- Leaving out intercepts, turning points or asymptotes that the shape requires.
- Getting the behaviour wrong near zero, at large values or at the boundaries of the domain.
- Drawing a tidy picture whose shape is wrong, when a rough but correct one would be better.
- Meeting a standard shape for the first time in the exam instead of practising it beforehand.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a sketch have to be drawn accurately to scale?
- No. A sketch wants the shape and the features, not plotted precision. Proportions only need to be qualitatively right. Rough but correct beats neat but wrong.
- What do markers look for in a sketch graph?
- They check the features: intercepts, turning points, asymptotes and labels. The overall shape must also be right, including how the curve behaves at the extremes.
- Do I need to label my sketch?
- Yes, where appropriate. Label the axes and the features that carry meaning. An unlabelled curve is ambiguous and may earn nothing.
- How can I get faster at sketching in the exam?
- Each subject has standard shapes it expects you to reproduce under time pressure. Practise them until they are automatic, then add the labels and features the question needs.
Related command terms
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