IB retake study plan: 12 weeks to rebuild your score

Before week 1: define one measurable target

Translate 'improve my IB grade' into a subject, level, current grade, target grade and approximate mark gap. Add the university or Diploma consequence so the plan has a clear stopping point.

Confirm the current syllabus and paper structure with the school. A beautifully organized plan for an old curriculum is still the wrong plan.

• Current and target grade.
• Paper structure and allowed materials.
• Exam dates and timetable clashes.
• Weekly hours that are genuinely available.

Weeks 1-2: diagnose before relearning

Sit a recent paper or representative set under controlled conditions before revising. Mark it strictly and tag every lost mark: missing knowledge, misunderstood command term, weak method, careless arithmetic, time pressure or incomplete answer.

Build a syllabus map with green, amber and red topics. Red means you cannot begin reliably; amber means you can start but lose method or explanation marks; green means you can reproduce the skill under time.

• Keep raw marks by topic and paper.
• Write the reason for each error in one sentence.
• Choose the three highest-value red areas first.

Weeks 3-4: rebuild the foundations

Relearn the minimum theory needed to answer questions, then use it immediately. A short concept review followed by ten carefully chosen problems is more diagnostic than rereading a chapter for two hours.

For content-heavy subjects, use active recall and short written explanations. For Maths and sciences, write full methods, units and conclusions. For essays, plan arguments and evidence before writing complete responses.

• One retrieval session per topic.
• One set of worked examples without notes.
• One corrected second attempt after 48 hours.

Weeks 5-6: move from topics to linked questions

IB papers combine ideas. Start mixed sets that force you to select the method rather than being told which chapter is being tested.

Use mark schemes to learn the standard of evidence, not to memorize sentences. Rewrite incomplete answers in your own words and state which missing idea earned the mark.

• Two mixed sets per week.
• Update the error log after marking.
• Repeat every question lost through method or command terms.

Weeks 7-9: past papers with feedback loops

Alternate timed sections with untimed repair sessions. Timed work reveals pacing; untimed work lets you build the reasoning that pacing depends on.

Track percentage by paper and topic. If a score rises only because one familiar topic returned, the improvement is not yet stable. Look for two or three consecutive sets above the required range.

Weeks 10-11: full exam simulation

Sit complete papers at the scheduled time of day with the permitted calculator, booklet and stationery. Follow the real reading time and stop when time ends.

Mark the paper after a short break, then calculate where marks were lost by cause. A full mock is useful only when it changes the following week's work.

• At least two full timed simulations per subject where feasible.
• Practise the order in which you will answer sections.
• Set a time checkpoint for each major part.
• Plan food, travel and sleep around the actual timetable.

Week 12: reduce risk, not confidence

Do not attempt to relearn the entire course. Repair the small set of recurring errors that still cost predictable marks, review definitions and formulas, and complete short confidence-building sets.

Protect sleep and routine. Last-minute exhaustion damages recall, reading accuracy and calculation more reliably than one extra night improves them.

• Finalize ID and exam-location details.
• Pack approved equipment.
• Review the error log, not every notebook.
• Stop full papers early enough to recover before the exam.

The weekly dashboard

At the end of each week, record completed sets, raw marks, percentage, topics improved, recurring error types and the next three priorities. This is enough data to change the plan without turning revision into spreadsheet maintenance.

If marks are flat for two weeks, change the method: more feedback, smaller question sets, explicit concept repair or external teaching support. More of an ineffective activity is not progression.

• Output: questions completed and corrected.
• Outcome: marks under timed and untimed conditions.
• Quality: repeated error rate.
• Decision: continue, change method or narrow priorities.