We all know studying the International Baccalaureate (IB) isn’t easy; scoring that perfect 7 takes enormous work, but it’s not impossible. Did you recently receive your mock results and were not pleased with them? We’ve rounded some key tips from our IB toppers on how you can improve your IB scores.

1. Avoid distraction

Most of us are used to listening to songs while studying or doing homework, some even prefer to relax and watch TV while revising. It often happens that unknowingly we reach out to our phones during study time and start texting friends on WhatsApp, or scroll through reels on Instagram. We all enjoy activities that can brighten up uninteresting work. However, the problem is that it takes up all your attention leading you to complete distraction. Studying while being distracted will definitely not help you score better. In order to increase your concentration, try mild soft instrumental music in the background.

2. Plan your day for studying

It is important to develop an efficient and productive strategy that helps reduce confusion and give a clear direction for studying. Here is what you can do –

1. Spend equal amounts of time on each subject. Avoid making a mistake of using all of your time on one subject.

2. Be specific with time. You can spend one hour each on three to four subjects per day. This gives you a specific four hours of study time. The easier subjects can be given less time. 

3. Put up an organized time table. Having a proper routine scheduled for your study is really important.

3. Practise tests

When studying, you probably might choose a study method that suits you. But what really helps is testing yourself. Practising questions from past IB papers will prove to be more helpful than all the other study methods. In fact, self-testing is the fastest way to learn anything you study. Pick up those past papers and practice, practice, practice!

4. Avoid cramming

Don’t rely on long study sessions, cramming won’t help you remember more of what you’ve learned. The majority of us believe that studying for more hours straight might improve and help us recall the material. However, it might just confuse and make you mentally tired. The best way to remember is to space out your study and take pauses. Studying all night is not worth it, no matter how much you decide to stay up all night studying, it is a bad idea. Being up late doesn’t just leave you exhausted, it also affects your concentration, leaving you tired with no idea what to do.

Bonus Tip

Acknowledge that you need help. Seek expert guidance from a tutor who can give you the individualized attention you need. IB is quite demanding and rigorous and a little nudging, supporting and guidance can really help improve your IB scores. 

Conclusion

Plan your study early, you don’t want to study two months of content in two days. Try to be proactive and ask for help. While you can study and practise by yourself, it is always good to have someone help you understand the concepts and monitor your tests. If you want an expert’s guidance to help you with their strategies to ace your IB exams you can read our IB page which shares details about our courses.