2026-09-08 6 min read IBretake Editorial Team

IB retakes after a syllabus change: exams, IA and what to check

If you retake IB exams after a course has changed, your old textbook, exam papers and coursework may not match the requirements of the new session. The IB says returning candidates must comply with revised subject requirements. This does not mean that every old IA is automatically rejected, or that every mark can automatically be carried forward. Your accepting coordinator must establish the correct entry and component arrangements.

Compare the original exam session with the intended retake session, using the first-assessment date rather than the year teaching starts. The table covers eight subjects and separates current course versions from announced future changes. It is a planning comparison checked on 8 September 2026, not an individual eligibility decision or a complete list of every syllabus amendment.

First teaching is not first assessment

A course may start teaching roughly two years before its first exams. A page describing a new mathematics course taught from 2027 therefore does not mean that a May 2027 retake uses that new course: the announced first assessment is May 2029. Conversely, a science retake after the 2025 change should not simply follow the structure of a 2024 paper.

Record three separate facts: your original subject and level, the course version for your proposed session, and the school-confirmed treatment of each existing component. Do not infer a special last-chance old-syllabus sitting from a publication date. Transitional arrangements, if applicable, need confirmation for your particular entry.

IB assessment FAQ · IB curriculum update timetable

Eight subjects: dates and practical consequences

Years below identify the first assessment of the cited course version. They are not registration deadlines. The mathematics rows distinguish the 2021 courses from the announced May 2029 changes; the psychology row describes the new 2027 course, not a blanket rule for every returning candidate.

IB Biology: first assessment 2025 · IB Chemistry guide: first assessment 2025 · IB Physics: first assessment 2025 · IB Mathematics AA/AI: first assessment 2021 · IB Mathematics AA: announced changes · IB Mathematics AI: announced changes · IB Psychology: first assessment 2027 · IB Economics curriculum · IB Economics subject brief · IB Business Management: first assessment 2024 · IB Biology retake: papers, topics and practical revision advice · IB Chemistry retake: papers, topics and practical revision advice · IB Physics retake: papers, topics and practical revision advice · IB Maths AA retake: papers, topics and practical revision advice · IB Maths AI retake: papers, topics and practical revision advice · IB Economics retake: papers, topics and practical revision advice

Subject	First assessment	What to compare before a retake
Biology	2025	Four organizing themes across four levels of organization; scientific investigation. Map old revision notes to the current course and check the investigation requirements.
Chemistry	2025	Structure and reactivity organize the course. Papers 1 and 2 contribute 36% and 44%; the scientific investigation contributes 20% at both SL and HL.
Physics	2025	Five organizing themes connect through forces, energy and particles. Check the current paper structure, data-analysis tasks and scientific investigation instead of relying on old topic options.
Mathematics AA	2021; update May 2029	The announced 2029 revision changes exploration criteria and reduces marks on external papers. For 2026–2027, do not replace current guidance with the future assessment model.
Mathematics AI	2021; update May 2029	The announced revision retains the exploration but changes its criteria and reduces marks on external papers. Confirm AI, not AA, and the correct calculator-based assessment model.
Psychology	2027	The new course uses four contexts and an IA research proposal. That IA contributes 30% at SL and 20% at HL. Ask specifically how an earlier course entry is treated.
Economics	2022	Nine key concepts and three IA commentaries frame the course. There are two external papers at SL and three at HL. Do not reuse temporary 2022 assessment adaptations as current rules.
Business Management	2024	The business research project has a 1,800-word maximum; HL Paper 3 concerns a social enterprise. Match preparation to the current paper and project model.

An existing IA mark and a new IA submission are different requests

Ask two separate questions: can the existing assessed component be carried forward for this entry, and would submitting new work be possible under the school's arrangements? Keeping a mark is not the same as uploading the old document again. Nor does finding an exam seat establish who will supervise, authenticate and assess any new work.

The percentages in the comparison are subject- and version-specific. There is no universal rule that all SL IAs count for 30% and all HL IAs for 20%: the cited Chemistry guide specifies 20% at both levels, while the new Psychology brief specifies 30% at SL and 20% at HL. Use the exact subject guide rather than transferring a weighting from another course.

IB Chemistry guide: first assessment 2025 · IB Psychology: first assessment 2027 · Can you improve an IB IA score before a retake?

Ask the coordinator	Why it matters
Which course version and entry route apply?	Establishes the requirements for your actual session, not an assumed transition rule.
Which existing component marks can be carried forward?	Separates confirmed transfer arrangements from hoped-for reuse.
If new work is required, who can supervise and authenticate it?	Exam hosting alone does not provide academic supervision.
What are the school's component and registration deadlines?	An exam date is not a coursework submission deadline.

Three transition checks worth doing before you pay

Science: a hypothetical candidate with a 2024 Chemistry result considering November 2026 should compare the 2025 course's structure, papers and investigation with their old preparation. Familiar content does not prove identical assessment requirements. Obtain the coursework decision before assuming this is an exams-only retake.

Psychology: a candidate comparing November 2026 and May 2027 should explicitly ask about the first-assessment-2027 course and any applicable transition arrangements. The new IA is a research proposal. Do not assume an earlier practical report can be treated as that proposal, or invent an automatic exemption for repeat candidates.

Mathematics: a 2027 teaching announcement can easily be mistaken for a 2027 exam change. The public update schedule places first assessment in May 2029. A 2026 or 2027 candidate should use the course applicable to that exam session, while someone planning a much later retake should revisit the official updates before buying resources.

IB curriculum update timetable

Build a small, verifiable preparation file

Make a one-page comparison rather than starting by buying a new stack of books. For each paper or component, list the current format, allowed resources, topics to retain, topics to relearn and questions requiring school confirmation. Use a specimen paper or current-course material to test your preparation, not only papers from your original sitting.

Set dates only when a source supports them. Your school's registration cutoff, component deadline and reporting time are individual arrangements, so this guide does not invent a universal last booking day. The official session calendars help plan papers, but they do not confirm acceptance or entries.

IB retake registration checklist: documents and deadlines · May vs November IB retakes: choosing the right session · November 2026 exam calendar · May 2027 exam calendar

Save the original session, exact subject name, level and results statement.
Find the first-assessment year on the relevant official guide or brief.
Obtain a written decision about existing coursework and any new supervision.
Check exam language, school availability and your intended session.
Compare current paper formats and grade requirements with your preparation.
Keep school and university deadlines separate from the exam calendar.

A concise email to your coordinator

Subject: IB retake — [subject and level], [original session] to [target session]

I took [subject and level] in [original session] and am considering [target session]. Could you confirm the applicable course version and entry route, which existing component marks may be carried forward, and whether any new work or supervised attendance is required? Please also confirm your registration and component deadlines, exam language and whether your school can accept this entry. I can provide my results statement securely; I will not send my candidate-portal PIN.

What IBretake can help with

Once the academic requirements are clear, IBretake can help search for a school to host the selected retake exams in your chosen countries. It does not provide tutoring, new IA or coursework supervision, or a guarantee that an old component is transferable. The accepting school confirms the academic and administrative arrangements. If new coursework is essential and no school can supervise it, resolve that gap before treating an exam booking as a complete plan.

IB retake score improvement: what one or two higher grades actually change · IB retakes: the complete 2026-2027 guide

Retake questions

Does a syllabus change always mean redoing the IA?

Do not make that assumption in either direction. Ask the accepting coordinator to confirm the treatment of your specific component and entry under the applicable rules.

Do the mathematics changes apply to May 2027 exams?

The cited public curriculum update schedule gives May 2029 as first assessment for the announced new mathematics courses. First teaching in 2027 is not first assessment in 2027.

References

Editorial review

Reviewed against the cited official IB and admissions sources. IBretake does not claim examiner, IB coordinator or alumni credentials unless a named credential is shown.

See something outdated? Email support@ibretake.com so the editorial team can check and correct it.

Ready to check real school availability?

Start a retake search