IB DP Digital Society Paper 2 Question 3 [6 Marks] — The Definitive Guide

lukewatsonteach
Nov 11, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Mar 23

About This Digital Society Guide

This 6-Mark Question Guide for IB DP Digital Society students and teachers was developed through systematic analysis of real IB Digital Society exam papers, mark schemes, and examiner feedback. By reverse-engineering actual student responses across the full mark spectrum, we've identified the precise patterns that separate 6/6 responses from those scoring 4/6 or below.

What is Paper 2 Question 3?

Paper 2 Question 3 is always a compare and contrast question worth [6 marks]. You will always be working with Source C and Source D. Your job is to analyse what both sources reveal about the impacts and implications for citizens arising from a specific digital technology. This question is the same for SL and HL.

The Question Pattern

Every Paper 2 Question 3 follows the same structure. Only the technology changes.

"Compare and contrast what Source C and Source D reveal about the [focus area] for citizens arising from the use of [technology]."

Real examples from past papers:

"Compare and contrast what Source C and Source D reveal about the impacts and implications for citizens arising from the use of drones." [6]
"Compare and contrast what Source C and Source D reveal about the impacts and implications for citizens arising from the use of street view imagery (SVI) applications." [6]
"Compare and contrast what Source C and Source D reveal about the privacy and security impacts for the data of a person using the One2Seven Smart Medicine Cabinet." [6]

Notice what never changes: Source C and Source D. Citizens. Compare and contrast.

Notice what does change: The technology. The specific focus (impacts and implications, privacy and security, opportunities and dilemmas).

Two Essential Terms You Must Know

The question will always ask about impacts and implications. These are not the same thing.

Impacts = effects and outcomes (what is already happening)
Implications = opportunities and risks (what could follow)

⚠️ Addressing only one of these will limit your marks. Your research starts here — what is the difference, and how do you demonstrate both in a response?

The C.A.R.E Framework

Use C.A.R.E to structure your response.

Letter	What to do
C	Compare — identify a similarity across both sources
A	And Contrast — identify a key difference between the sources
R	Reference — name Source C and Source D explicitly throughout
E	Extend — push beyond the sources to citizens in general

One rule to remember: Organise your response by theme, not by source. Never finish Source C and then move to Source D. Weave both sources through every point you make.

The Markband Ladder

Marks	What it looks like
1–2	Points from one or both sources identified but not linked. No direct comparison or contrast. Sources may be implicit.
3–4	Impacts AND implications stated. Comparisons and contrasts are linked to citizens mentioned in the sources. Sources may be implicit.
5–6	Impacts and implications developed beyond the specific sources to explore broader effects and risks for citizens in general. Explicit references to Source C and Source D throughout.

Ask yourself: Am I writing about the specific people mentioned in the sources... or am I writing about citizens more broadly?

If you are only writing about the people in the sources, you are not yet at 5–6 marks.

One Page. No Introduction. No Conclusion.

Paper 2 Question 3 is not a mini-essay. You do not need an introduction or a conclusion... save that structure for the 8-mark and 12-mark questions.

You have one page. Use it like this:

COMPARE ~⅓ page: Find a similarity across both sources. State the impact or implication. Name Source C and Source D explicitly.
AND CONTRAST ~⅓ page: Find a key difference. State the impact or implication. Name Source C and Source D explicitly.
EXTEND ~⅓ page: Develop your points in depth. Push beyond the sources to explore the broader impacts and implications for citizens as stakeholders. Consider different perspectives. Always ask: so what does this mean for people beyond these specific examples?

Approximately 250 words. Two well-developed thematic points. Explicit source references throughout. That is enough for 6/6.

Three Things NOT to Do

❌ Finishing Source C before starting Source D
❌ Addressing impacts OR implications — not both
❌ Writing "the first article" or "this source" instead of "Source C" or "Source D"

Your Analytical Toolkit

These words are your lenses. They come directly from the mark schemes and the course examiners use this language, so you should too.

Layer 1 — Always relevant:

Analytical vocabulary:

impacts
implications
opportunities
risks
dilemmas
advantages
disadvantages
effects
outcomes
stakeholders
citizens
perspectives

The 7 Course Concepts:

Change
Expression
Identity
Power
Space
Systems
Values & Ethics

Layer 2 — Read the question first:

The question will tell you which lens to prioritise. Not every question asks for the same thing:

"impacts and implications" → focus on effects/outcomes AND opportunities/risks
"opportunities and dilemmas" → focus on what could go right AND the difficult trade-offs
"privacy and security impacts" → focus specifically through those two lenses

⚠️ This is a toolkit, not a checklist. The question tells you which tools to pick up. Your job is to apply them... not list them.

Now It's Over to You

This guide gives you the direction. The thinking is yours.

Study the question pattern — what stays the same, what changes?
Practise distinguishing impacts from implications using sources you find yourself
Apply C.A.R.E to a past paper question and evaluate your own response against the markband ladder
Ask your teacher for feedback on one attempt before the exam

DigiSoc Tip: The examiner can only reward what is clearly on the page. Structure makes your thinking visible. C.A.R.E gives your response shape... your knowledge and analysis give it marks.