If you’re in an IB school, chances are you already know that the May exams are coming up. This may be the most important period in your IB career. It’s definitely what the IB Diploma Programme has been building up to, and the only way you’re getting out of taking the exams this May…is if your school plans to give them in November. So without a good grade on the exam, all the time you’ve invested in the IB is pointless.
Now that we’ve scared you, here’s some good news: there’s still plenty of time to prepare for your exams, as long as you go ahead and get started. And more good news: you don’t have to do it alone. There are quite a few quality resources to help you prepare for the big test. Here are some of the best ones we’ve found
Oxford Study Courses, based in the UK, is an established “social enterprise”, according to their website, that provides study courses for IB students. You’ll find plenty of resources on their site, including articles written by IB consultants, online courses and links to buy IB revision materials. If you need to review in depth, this is a really good place to start.
Unlike OSC, IB Survival is a web forum only. It is run by IB alumni, for the benefit of fellow alumni, current students and educators. The value of this site is the chance to consult with more than 35,000 members at all levels of the IB system. If you have a simple question or need clarification on some procedure, you’ll almost certainly get an answer here, or at least some advice on where to find it. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to help someone else too!
Free Exam Papers offers just that: sample papers from a wide range of standardized tests, including IB. These can be very useful for practice and studying. It’s a little hard to navigate, but there’s a lot of content once you figure out how to use it.
Though these are all useful websites, you shouldn’t expect to use them as a substitute for hard work. Doing well in the upcoming exams will take more than last-minute cramming. You need to start studying early and stick with it all the way through.
So now that you’re forewarned, get out there and hit the books! We’ll be rooting for you!
