1. Sample E
Student work
Examiner comments
Marks awarded Marks available
Criterion A 3 5
Criterion B 3 5
Criterion C 7 10
Criterion D 6 10
Total 19 30
Examiner comments
Criterion A
Clear use of language and the response can be followed easily. The language is appropriate to
philosophy but it can be repetitive in vocabulary and the structure is a little loose. It is not
always precise or focused.
Criterion B
There is very limited reference to the course (very little directly) and examples are lacking,
though occasionally in evidence. The issues raised in the text are dealt with clearly and fully,
but the student fails to follow the response through with real examples and illustrations from
the experience of doing philosophy in the course.
Criterion C
There is a clear understanding of how philosophical activity is carried out and the response to
the text is relevant. References to the text are made throughout and the student deals with the
issues raised by the text at all times. The understanding is not always strong or subtle, but it is
in evidence. It is a basic and sometimes effective account.
Criterion D
There is an attempt at a personal response, but without the use of personal illustration or
reference to the experience of doing philosophical activity through the course, the response is
limited. Philosophical activity is satisfactorily evaluated in that basic insights are expressed,
but it does not rise above the level of “satisfactory”.

2. The piece is clear and easy to follow. There is a sustained attempt to address the issues raised
in the text throughout the piece, and references to the text are in evidence throughout. Where
this piece is lacking is in the student’s failure to refer to the personal experience of
philosophical activity through reference to the experience of doing the HL course. There are
few personal illustrations, and as a result the piece becomes more of a textual commentary
than a personal exploration prompted by issues raised in the text. The piece is occasionally
repetitive and contains assertions without justification, explanation or example.
Sample F
Student work
Examiner comments
Marks awarded Marks available
Criterion A 4 5
Criterion B 3 5
Criterion C 6 10
Criterion D 6 10
Total 19 30
Examiner comments
Criterion A
Expression is clear and coherent and the response is well organized; the language is
appropriate to philosophy and used effectively.
Criterion B
Appropriate issues are raised based on the reading of the text. Examples support the response,
and there are references made to the philosophy course, although only in a limited and
general sense.
Criterion C

3. Some relevant references to the text are offered. A satisfactory understanding of the way the
text presents philosophy as an activity, and of the way that activity is carried out, is evident,
albeit in a limited fashion.
Criterion D
A personal response to the perspectives raised in the text is evident. The evaluation of
philosophical activity as it is raised in the text is satisfactory. However, the implications of
the issues raised in the text are not explored in a convincing or compelling manner.
The student offers, in the opening paragraphs of the response, a general outline of the text’s
position on philosophy as an activity. However, this outline focuses only on the obvious
elements raised in the text. While there is a clear identification of how the position of the text
relates to the student’s experience of studying philosophy during the course, these references
are limited in scope and very general in nature. The student attempts to evaluate and analyse
the perspectives on doing philosophy raised in the text. However, these attempts are not
convincing or are not fully developed, and tend to focus on the more evident aspects of the
issues raised rather than exploring their implications. The student does attempt to go beyond
what the text says about philosophical activity, filling in what the student sees as a weakness
of the perspective described in the text. In short, there is a limited appreciation of the full
meaning and significance of what the text offers, and of the application of those insights to
the experience of doing philosophy throughout the whole of the philosophy course.
Sample G
Student work
Examiner comments
Marks awarded Marks available
Criterion A 4 5
Criterion B 3 5
Criterion C 7 10
Criterion D 7 10
Total 21 30
Examiner comments
Criterion A

4. The student expresses himself clearly and coherently and the response is well organized. The
language is appropriate to philosophy and is used effectively.
Criterion B
Appropriate issues are raised based on the reading of the text. Examples support the response
and there are brief references to the philosophy course, although only in a limited and/or
general sense.
Criterion C
Effective and relevant references to the central ideas of the text are made. There is a good
understanding of what doing philosophy is and means as these issues are raised in the text.
There is a good understanding of the ways in which philosophical activity is carried out.
Criterion D
A relevant personal response is developed regarding the philosophical activity raised in the
text. There is a convincing evaluation of philosophical activity present throughout the
response.
The student has presented a clear, precise, coherent and well-organized response, in which
philosophical language is used effectively. The response makes sufficient and relevant
references to the main ideas presented in the text, and goes on to support and illustrate further
the significance and the practical utility of doing philosophy. One of the noticeable
weaknesses of this response is the student’s failure to make concrete and specific references
to the experience of doing philosophy throughout the whole course. One of the strengths of
this response is the student’s ability to provide clear examples of how philosophy is done in a
variety of life situations. The student manages to formulate a personal response to several of
the issues raised in the text and offers a convincing evaluation of philosophical activity as
raised in the text. However, the student does not always develop the evaluation of the
implications of points raised or made in the response.
Sample H
Student work
Examiner comments
Marks awarded Marks available
Criterion A 5 5

5. Criterion B 5 5
Criterion C 9 10
Criterion D 10 10
Total 29 30
Examiner comments
Criterion A
Highly effective expression using language that is precise and appropriate to philosophy. The
piece is easy to follow and clear, coherent ideas are sustained throughout.
Criterion B
A very impressive use of personal examples drawn from the experience of doing philosophy
throughout the course. The student uses excellent examples and illustrations that
compellingly support the exploration of the issues raised in the text. There is considerable
insight on display, as the student brings personal experience of philosophical activity to bear
on the reading of the text.
Criterion C
There is clear and convincing reference to the text, illustrating a deep understanding of the
issues raised and a personal awareness of how philosophical activity is carried out. The
student could have referred to the text more directly in the response through more obvious
quotation or citation.
Criterion D
The student sustains an impressive evaluation of philosophical activity as raised by the text
and a relevant personal response throughout. The responses are insightful, compelling,
interesting and clearly forged through a personal reflection of doing philosophy by following
the HL course. There are specific and indirect examples to back this up and the voice of the
student is apparent throughout.
This is an extremely effective, impressive piece that combines a relevant response to the
issues raised in the text with compelling references to the experience of doing philosophy
through studying the HL course. Personal examples, both specific and more general, are used
throughout, and these support a focused and sustained response to the text extract. The risk of
merely commentating on the text is avoided and this enables personal insights to accompany
the exploration of the issues raised. The level of understanding matches the level of personal
response, and a clear articulation of philosophical activity is achieved.

6. Criterion B 5 5
Criterion C 9 10
Criterion D 10 10
Total 29 30
Examiner comments
Criterion A
Highly effective expression using language that is precise and appropriate to philosophy. The
piece is easy to follow and clear, coherent ideas are sustained throughout.
Criterion B
A very impressive use of personal examples drawn from the experience of doing philosophy
throughout the course. The student uses excellent examples and illustrations that
compellingly support the exploration of the issues raised in the text. There is considerable
insight on display, as the student brings personal experience of philosophical activity to bear
on the reading of the text.
Criterion C
There is clear and convincing reference to the text, illustrating a deep understanding of the
issues raised and a personal awareness of how philosophical activity is carried out. The
student could have referred to the text more directly in the response through more obvious
quotation or citation.
Criterion D
The student sustains an impressive evaluation of philosophical activity as raised by the text
and a relevant personal response throughout. The responses are insightful, compelling,
interesting and clearly forged through a personal reflection of doing philosophy by following
the HL course. There are specific and indirect examples to back this up and the voice of the
student is apparent throughout.
This is an extremely effective, impressive piece that combines a relevant response to the
issues raised in the text with compelling references to the experience of doing philosophy
through studying the HL course. Personal examples, both specific and more general, are used
throughout, and these support a focused and sustained response to the text extract. The risk of
merely commentating on the text is avoided and this enables personal insights to accompany
the exploration of the issues raised. The level of understanding matches the level of personal
response, and a clear articulation of philosophical activity is achieved.