A retake should not repeat the same preparation with more hours. Its advantage is evidence: you already know the exam format, your previous grade and the types of questions that exposed the weakest parts of your preparation.
Use weeks 1-2 to diagnose and map the syllabus, weeks 3-6 to rebuild weak content, weeks 7-9 for mixed past-paper sets, weeks 10-11 for timed full papers, and week 12 to fix recurring errors and protect sleep. Measure marks and error types, not hours alone.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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