Exam preparation
A practical exam-preparation plan for IB Mathematics
How to turn the subject guide into a realistic study plan for the weeks before your IB Mathematics papers.
IBMathematics4 min read
Good exam preparation is mostly good planning. Start from the subject guide rather than from a pile of old notes, so that nothing on the syllabus is missed.
1. Turn the syllabus into a checklist
List every topic from the guide. Next to each, mark it red, amber or green honestly, based on whether you could solve an unseen question on it today.
2. Practise both calculator and non-calculator work
The papers include sections where a calculator is allowed and sections where it is not. Practise both, and learn which topics you are expected to handle without technology.
3. Work in three loops
- Learn or repair the topic from your notes and examples.
- Do a short set of exam-style questions without help.
- Review every lost mark and write down the reason: concept, method, arithmetic slip or misreading.
4. Leave time for full papers
Save the last stretch for complete, timed papers. They train pacing, which is a skill in its own right.