help with ib predicted grades

so I'm in term II year 12 (1st year of IB) and I just got my IB predicted grades. I haven’t done my mocks yet (they’re in May) so these grades only reflect my work in class including things like in-class exams, essays, and other assignments.

here are my grades

for SL subjects
ESS - 5
french ab initio - 5
maths AI - 6

for HL subjects
geography - 6
history - 6
english A lang and lit - 6

TOK and CAS are well on track to pass
obviously no grades for EE and IA yet

needless to say I’m pretty damn disappointed. I’m aiming for Oxford which requires a minimum IB grade of 40. personally I’m aiming for at least 42 to put myself in a better position. in the best case scenario assuming I get a 3 for TOK and EE that will still only total up to 37 points. which is below oxford requirement

how the hell am I supposed to get into Oxford now? I can’t even reach the bloody minimum requirement. MINIMUM.

I’m so ******* ****ed off at myself - I’ve tried so hard this year and yet, to come to this. I am a hopeless laughing joke for Oxford

will I even have enough time to turn things around? it doesn’t help that the deadline for oxford applications is in october. which means the school will have to take my yr 12 grades (including mock grades) and term I year 13 grades. I really don’t have a lot of time left

Oxford has been my dream since yr 9. I got straight As and A*s at GCSEs and have done a lot of super-curriculars as well. to think that I’m gonna ruin my chances because my IB predicted grades suck, well…

this is IB. this is Oxford. the stakes are bloody high. the scope of this situation is massive. I cannot get anything below 40.

please can anyone give me some advice? any replies at all would be massively appreciated. thank you in advance

Reply 1

Lorenzovc

Original post

by based_J

so I'm in term II year 12 (1st year of IB) and I just got my IB predicted grades. I haven’t done my mocks yet (they’re in May) so these grades only reflect my work in class including things like in-class exams, essays, and other assignments.
here are my grades
for SL subjects
ESS - 5
french ab initio - 5
maths AI - 6
for HL subjects
geography - 6
history - 6
english A lang and lit - 6
TOK and CAS are well on track to pass
obviously no grades for EE and IA yet
needless to say I’m pretty damn disappointed. I’m aiming for Oxford which requires a minimum IB grade of 40. personally I’m aiming for at least 42 to put myself in a better position. in the best case scenario assuming I get a 3 for TOK and EE that will still only total up to 37 points. which is below oxford requirement
how the hell am I supposed to get into Oxford now? I can’t even reach the bloody minimum requirement. MINIMUM.
I’m so ******* ****ed off at myself - I’ve tried so hard this year and yet, to come to this. I am a hopeless laughing joke for Oxford
will I even have enough time to turn things around? it doesn’t help that the deadline for oxford applications is in october. which means the school will have to take my yr 12 grades (including mock grades) and term I year 13 grades. I really don’t have a lot of time left
Oxford has been my dream since yr 9. I got straight As and A*s at GCSEs and have done a lot of super-curriculars as well. to think that I’m gonna ruin my chances because my IB predicted grades suck, well…
this is IB. this is Oxford. the stakes are bloody high. the scope of this situation is massive. I cannot get anything below 40.
please can anyone give me some advice? any replies at all would be massively appreciated. thank you in advance

If your goal is a 40 (which is extremely high), you cannot have two subjects at a 5 and 0 at 7. If I were you, I would try to get ESS and French AB to the 7. That would be my main focus, as all the other subjects are in a good position.

Reply 2

Toptutor_richard

Original post

by based_J

so I'm in term II year 12 (1st year of IB) and I just got my IB predicted grades. I haven’t done my mocks yet (they’re in May) so these grades only reflect my work in class including things like in-class exams, essays, and other assignments.
here are my grades
for SL subjects
ESS - 5
french ab initio - 5
maths AI - 6
for HL subjects
geography - 6
history - 6
english A lang and lit - 6
TOK and CAS are well on track to pass
obviously no grades for EE and IA yet
needless to say I’m pretty damn disappointed. I’m aiming for Oxford which requires a minimum IB grade of 40. personally I’m aiming for at least 42 to put myself in a better position. in the best case scenario assuming I get a 3 for TOK and EE that will still only total up to 37 points. which is below oxford requirement
how the hell am I supposed to get into Oxford now? I can’t even reach the bloody minimum requirement. MINIMUM.
I’m so ******* ****ed off at myself - I’ve tried so hard this year and yet, to come to this. I am a hopeless laughing joke for Oxford
will I even have enough time to turn things around? it doesn’t help that the deadline for oxford applications is in october. which means the school will have to take my yr 12 grades (including mock grades) and term I year 13 grades. I really don’t have a lot of time left
Oxford has been my dream since yr 9. I got straight As and A*s at GCSEs and have done a lot of super-curriculars as well. to think that I’m gonna ruin my chances because my IB predicted grades suck, well…
this is IB. this is Oxford. the stakes are bloody high. the scope of this situation is massive. I cannot get anything below 40.
please can anyone give me some advice? any replies at all would be massively appreciated. thank you in advance

Hey there, I totally get how you’re feeling right now—IB can be such a rollercoaster, and when you’ve worked hard for so long, it’s really tough to feel like it hasn’t paid off the way you hoped. It’s easy to feel defeated when things don’t align with your dream school’s requirements, especially when you’re aiming for something as prestigious as Oxford.
But here’s the thing: those predicted grades are just that—predictions. They’re not set in stone. You still have plenty of time to prove yourself, and while it’s understandable to feel frustrated, remember that the mocks and your upcoming work in Year 13 will play a big role in shifting those predictions up.
It’s also important to keep in mind that Oxford looks at more than just raw numbers. They’ll be considering the effort you’ve put in, your super-curriculars, your personal statement, and how you handle the pressure of a competitive environment. If they see you’re working hard to improve and that you’ve got the motivation and drive to succeed, it can still make a big difference.
You’ve done well in your GCSEs, and that shows you’ve got the academic ability to reach your goals. Don’t discount your efforts just because of one round of grades. Reach out to your teachers for feedback on where you can improve. Even small tweaks in how you approach your subjects could make a big difference in the next term.
As for the October deadline, it’s a long way off! You’ve got time to work hard, keep pushing, and make adjustments to the areas you need to. Stay focused on the long-term goal, and use this as motivation to step up. It might feel like a lot right now, but it’s not the end of the road. You’ve got this! And remember, you’re not alone in this struggle—lots of people are right there with you, feeling the pressure and finding ways to keep pushing forward.
Take a deep breath, keep grinding, and reach out for support when you need it. It’s totally possible to turn this around. Good luck—you’ve got the potential!

Reply 3

Jinglebells234

Original post

by based_J

so I'm in term II year 12 (1st year of IB) and I just got my IB predicted grades. I haven’t done my mocks yet (they’re in May) so these grades only reflect my work in class including things like in-class exams, essays, and other assignments.
here are my grades
for SL subjects
ESS - 5
french ab initio - 5
maths AI - 6
for HL subjects
geography - 6
history - 6
english A lang and lit - 6
TOK and CAS are well on track to pass
obviously no grades for EE and IA yet
needless to say I’m pretty damn disappointed. I’m aiming for Oxford which requires a minimum IB grade of 40. personally I’m aiming for at least 42 to put myself in a better position. in the best case scenario assuming I get a 3 for TOK and EE that will still only total up to 37 points. which is below oxford requirement
how the hell am I supposed to get into Oxford now? I can’t even reach the bloody minimum requirement. MINIMUM.
I’m so ******* ****ed off at myself - I’ve tried so hard this year and yet, to come to this. I am a hopeless laughing joke for Oxford
will I even have enough time to turn things around? it doesn’t help that the deadline for oxford applications is in october. which means the school will have to take my yr 12 grades (including mock grades) and term I year 13 grades. I really don’t have a lot of time left
Oxford has been my dream since yr 9. I got straight As and A*s at GCSEs and have done a lot of super-curriculars as well. to think that I’m gonna ruin my chances because my IB predicted grades suck, well…
this is IB. this is Oxford. the stakes are bloody high. the scope of this situation is massive. I cannot get anything below 40.
please can anyone give me some advice? any replies at all would be massively appreciated. thank you in advance

hey i got an offer this year for geo and I also do IB. I applied with 776 in SL and 776 in HL and 3 in core points
i would really focus on boosting youre HL grades. You need 766 i think for applications. Get ESS up and that will help geography as they are pretty related. You really do need to get a 7 in geography at least (it is considered an easy subject) . I know the IB is a lot to manage but it is so much work and only lasts 18 months. Then you get a really long well deserved break for summer!! I would really focus on getting those grades up based on content and tests- prove to your teachers you are a level 6/7 student- During your yr12 summer you really need to get those IAs out the way - the earlier they are done the less stress you will have and that may also boost your grade as it is worth usually around 20% of your grade. Oxford aren’t too worried about predicted grades as most schools inflate them anyway so it wouldn’t be a fair entry requirement so having high scores in your GCSEs puts you in a strong position. You’ve got time until your application so lock in now.

At the end of the day you need the grades because everyone else will have them too. Keep working hard and good luck!!! Feel free to ask me any questions I did ESS, French, English lit SL and Maths, Geo, Poltics HL

Reply 4

based_J

Original post

by Jinglebells234

hey i got an offer this year for geo and I also do IB. I applied with 776 in SL and 776 in HL and 3 in core points
i would really focus on boosting youre HL grades. You need 766 i think for applications. Get ESS up and that will help geography as they are pretty related. You really do need to get a 7 in geography at least (it is considered an easy subject) . I know the IB is a lot to manage but it is so much work and only lasts 18 months. Then you get a really long well deserved break for summer!! I would really focus on getting those grades up based on content and tests- prove to your teachers you are a level 6/7 student- During your yr12 summer you really need to get those IAs out the way - the earlier they are done the less stress you will have and that may also boost your grade as it is worth usually around 20% of your grade. Oxford aren’t too worried about predicted grades as most schools inflate them anyway so it wouldn’t be a fair entry requirement so having high scores in your GCSEs puts you in a strong position. You’ve got time until your application so lock in now.
At the end of the day you need the grades because everyone else will have them too. Keep working hard and good luck!!! Feel free to ask me any questions I did ESS, French, English lit SL and Maths, Geo, Poltics HL

Thank you so so much for your detailed message!! I have been struggling quite a lot and in doubt of myself. I know I've still got a bit of time left to boost my grades, but it really isn't much and I'm worried my efforts ultimately won't pay off. Your advice are really helpful - thank you - and it's incredible to hear from a to-be Oxford student too (seriously, congratulations. that's a huge huge achievement).

I do in fact have some subject specific questions, which I will send in a separate message (on this thread) if that's ok. We take so many of the same subjects 😃 thank you so much again for being so helpful and for reaching out. Massively appreciated 🤗

Reply 5

based_J

Original post

by Jinglebells234

hey i got an offer this year for geo and I also do IB. I applied with 776 in SL and 776 in HL and 3 in core points
i would really focus on boosting youre HL grades. You need 766 i think for applications. Get ESS up and that will help geography as they are pretty related. You really do need to get a 7 in geography at least (it is considered an easy subject) . I know the IB is a lot to manage but it is so much work and only lasts 18 months. Then you get a really long well deserved break for summer!! I would really focus on getting those grades up based on content and tests- prove to your teachers you are a level 6/7 student- During your yr12 summer you really need to get those IAs out the way - the earlier they are done the less stress you will have and that may also boost your grade as it is worth usually around 20% of your grade. Oxford aren’t too worried about predicted grades as most schools inflate them anyway so it wouldn’t be a fair entry requirement so having high scores in your GCSEs puts you in a strong position. You’ve got time until your application so lock in now.
At the end of the day you need the grades because everyone else will have them too. Keep working hard and good luck!!! Feel free to ask me any questions I did ESS, French, English lit SL and Maths, Geo, Poltics HL

For ESS

•

what was your main revision method? for me personally my teachers tell me I'm not so good at exam skills but my knowledge is solid. how did you approach past papers and how often did you do them?

•

for key words/phrases, I assume you would use something like flashcards, but if there is some other way/s to effectively memorise key definitions I would really appreciate it if you could share some tips

French

•

ok so for this I'm super confused because I've never learnt a foreign language as a properly assessed subject in school before

•

my questions will be a bit general, I hope you don't mind as my french revision is kinda all over the place right now

•

how often did you practice reading, writing and listening? what are some online resources you'd recommend for this?

•

speaking can be quite challenging to revise especially if you've got no one around who speaks french (obviously I have my teacher, but she's only available during class time). how did you approach this and how often did you practice? again, some online resources would be really helpful

English lit

•

how often should you practice essays? this is a large part of the english paper after all

•

any tips for making your analysis stand out in the unseen text? what are some general advice for approaching this overall?

•

for literary texts - how did you revise key themes, characters, quotes, etc. I have a notion page where I compile all the useful information and then refer back to them when I'm revising or writing essays. I would love to hear your approach

•

what did you do to keep yourself interested in the texts? don't get me wrong - I love lit, but IB lit can feel a bit overwhelming sometimes. I always try to remain interested in the texts I'm studying but it's not always easy especially when you hear about it twenty times a month (so it can get a bit boring here and there). I don't want to study with a 'I have to study' kind of attitude - I believe that, whenever possible, being engrossed in what you're being taught is very important

Maths

•

how did you choose your IA topic and what are your top tips for approaching the IA? also what are some common mistakes that people tend to make?

•

what GDC hacks saved you time that you would recommend?

•

any additional online resources would be massively appreciated as well 🙂

Geo

•

for paper 2 - which optional themes did you do, and which did you think were the easiest to score high in?

•

how did you make revision notes for geo, if at all?

•

what was your approach to answering the 12 marker in HL paper 3?

•

what are your top tips on approaching the IA, and what are some common mistakes that people tend to make?

and finally, how did you manage the workload? this is a pretty generic question so answer it in any way you feel is appropriate. I'm also interested to hear if you know any underrated study skills that are really helpful

Thank you so so much for reading this, and I absolutely don't expect you to answer every single question. I appreciate any time and energy you dedicate into helping a confused student whom you don't know 🤗 I hope you have a great time at Oxford

Reply 6

aurum-corvid

Original post

by based_J

so I'm in term II year 12 (1st year of IB) and I just got my IB predicted grades. I haven’t done my mocks yet (they’re in May) so these grades only reflect my work in class including things like in-class exams, essays, and other assignments.
here are my grades
for SL subjects
ESS - 5
french ab initio - 5
maths AI - 6
for HL subjects
geography - 6
history - 6
english A lang and lit - 6
TOK and CAS are well on track to pass
obviously no grades for EE and IA yet
needless to say I’m pretty damn disappointed. I’m aiming for Oxford which requires a minimum IB grade of 40. personally I’m aiming for at least 42 to put myself in a better position. in the best case scenario assuming I get a 3 for TOK and EE that will still only total up to 37 points. which is below oxford requirement
how the hell am I supposed to get into Oxford now? I can’t even reach the bloody minimum requirement. MINIMUM.
I’m so ******* ****ed off at myself - I’ve tried so hard this year and yet, to come to this. I am a hopeless laughing joke for Oxford
will I even have enough time to turn things around? it doesn’t help that the deadline for oxford applications is in october. which means the school will have to take my yr 12 grades (including mock grades) and term I year 13 grades. I really don’t have a lot of time left
Oxford has been my dream since yr 9. I got straight As and A*s at GCSEs and have done a lot of super-curriculars as well. to think that I’m gonna ruin my chances because my IB predicted grades suck, well…
this is IB. this is Oxford. the stakes are bloody high. the scope of this situation is massive. I cannot get anything below 40.
please can anyone give me some advice? any replies at all would be massively appreciated. thank you in advance

Hey! We seem to have pretty similar subject spreads. I got a 38 and the main reason for that was my core. Never slack on your EE and TOK, as frustrating as they can be. I was told by my teachers that I was projected to get As in both and instead both got Cs. That's not to say completely distrust your supervisors and teachers, but keep a healthy sense of suspicion. If the cores (or your IAs, for that matter) ever feel too easy, get a second opinion. If they feel tough, then that's good. Lean into it, let it fuel you, and push through.

I feel like I never truly got a good grasp on my skill level at all in my IB journey. The month before the exams, I was awarded the top in cohort award for English Language and Literature, but EngLangLit HL ended up being my only 6 in a 776 HL spread-- one of the other HLs being History of all things. The humanities/arts are painfully subjected, and what your school teacher thinks may be completely different from what the IB marker thinks.

My point is that you shouldn't let yourself get bogged down my IBY1 predicteds. You've got plenty of time before the final exams. Truck through the next few months. I was always afraid I'd never get into my dream uni-- but here I am with an unconditional offer from Edinburgh. You got this!! 💛

Reply 7

miffy876

Original post

by based_J

so I'm in term II year 12 (1st year of IB) and I just got my IB predicted grades. I haven’t done my mocks yet (they’re in May) so these grades only reflect my work in class including things like in-class exams, essays, and other assignments.
here are my grades
for SL subjects
ESS - 5
french ab initio - 5
maths AI - 6
for HL subjects
geography - 6
history - 6
english A lang and lit - 6
TOK and CAS are well on track to pass
obviously no grades for EE and IA yet
needless to say I’m pretty damn disappointed. I’m aiming for Oxford which requires a minimum IB grade of 40. personally I’m aiming for at least 42 to put myself in a better position. in the best case scenario assuming I get a 3 for TOK and EE that will still only total up to 37 points. which is below oxford requirement
how the hell am I supposed to get into Oxford now? I can’t even reach the bloody minimum requirement. MINIMUM.
I’m so ******* ****ed off at myself - I’ve tried so hard this year and yet, to come to this. I am a hopeless laughing joke for Oxford
will I even have enough time to turn things around? it doesn’t help that the deadline for oxford applications is in october. which means the school will have to take my yr 12 grades (including mock grades) and term I year 13 grades. I really don’t have a lot of time left
Oxford has been my dream since yr 9. I got straight As and A*s at GCSEs and have done a lot of super-curriculars as well. to think that I’m gonna ruin my chances because my IB predicted grades suck, well…
this is IB. this is Oxford. the stakes are bloody high. the scope of this situation is massive. I cannot get anything below 40.
please can anyone give me some advice? any replies at all would be massively appreciated. thank you in advance

hey!! currently in ib2 (so cooked for exams)
during the beginning of ib1, teachers tend to hold u to a higher standard. I remember all the grade boundaries and everything being much higher than when i entered ib2. However dont feel disheartened by this!! Teachers are super harsh with grades to motivate u to work harder. Trust me on this... i was around pg 36 in the middle of ib1. It wasnt until the very end of ib1 and start of ib2 where i was then getting 7s and got my predicted up to 43!!

Also you havent finished your courseworks yet... coursework can take up to 30% of your grade and that will definitely pull ur grades up!! Work hard on them... they matter a great deal its honestly a huge relief for exams when u know u have courseworks sitting at 7s so u dont need to get perfect grades.

for oxbridge, they typically ask for 40 as you said, but they also have very specific requirements eg. English at a 7, HLs 776, etc etc. so id definitely focus on ur higher levels since theyre usually the harshes with conditions based off your HLS.

and last thing; the ib is SUPER strategic and systematic. Every paper is the same with recycled questions and recycled content. Keep practicing and learn the little tricks of ib and youll easily get up to the 40s!
dont give up and keep working hard!!

ps. I take ESS and maths ai (hl)- if u need any help feel free to ask!!

(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 8

based_J

Thank you so much for all the replies everyone!! I honestly did not expect this much support and understanding 🥹🥹🥹 you’ve all been a great help - thank you for sharing your IB stories and advice. It’s always nice to hear from people who have been through the process (and succeeded!)

Reply 9

based_J

Original post

by miffy876

hey!! currently in ib2 (so cooked for exams)
during the beginning of ib1, teachers tend to hold u to a higher standard. I remember all the grade boundaries and everything being much higher than when i entered ib2. However dont feel disheartened by this!! Teachers are super harsh with grades to motivate u to work harder. Trust me on this... i was around pg 36 in the middle of ib1. It wasnt until the very end of ib1 and start of ib2 where i was then getting 7s and got my predicted up to 43!!
Also you havent finished your courseworks yet... coursework can take up to 30% of your grade and that will definitely pull ur grades up!! Work hard on them... they matter a great deal its honestly a huge relief for exams when u know u have courseworks sitting at 7s so u dont need to get perfect grades.
for oxbridge, they typically ask for 40 as you said, but they also have very specific requirements eg. English at a 7, HLs 776, etc etc. so id definitely focus on ur higher levels since theyre usually the harshes with conditions based off your HLS.
and last thing; the ib is SUPER strategic and systematic. Every paper is the same with recycled questions and recycled content. Keep practicing and learn the little tricks of ib and youll easily get up to the 40s!
dont give up and keep working hard!!
ps. I take ESS and maths ai (hl)- if u need any help feel free to ask!!

Thank you so much for your lovely reply - and congrats on getting a 43! I do have some questions for ESS - I have posted them above (in response to a different account) but I will post them again here for your convenience:

• what was your main revision method? for me personally my teachers tell me l'm not so good at exam skills but my knowledge is solid. how did you approach past papers and how often did you do them?
• for key words/phrases, I assume you would use something like flashcards, but if there is some other way/s to effectively memorise key definitions I would really appreciate it if you could share some tips

Thank you so much again for all your useful advice

Reply 10

Jinglebells234

Original post

by based_J

For ESS

•

what was your main revision method? for me personally my teachers tell me I'm not so good at exam skills but my knowledge is solid. how did you approach past papers and how often did you do them?

•

French

•

ok so for this I'm super confused because I've never learnt a foreign language as a properly assessed subject in school before

•

my questions will be a bit general, I hope you don't mind as my french revision is kinda all over the place right now

•

how often did you practice reading, writing and listening? what are some online resources you'd recommend for this?

•

English lit

•

how often should you practice essays? this is a large part of the english paper after all

•

any tips for making your analysis stand out in the unseen text? what are some general advice for approaching this overall?

•

Maths

•

how did you choose your IA topic and what are your top tips for approaching the IA? also what are some common mistakes that people tend to make?

•

what GDC hacks saved you time that you would recommend?

•

any additional online resources would be massively appreciated as well 🙂

Geo

•

for paper 2 - which optional themes did you do, and which did you think were the easiest to score high in?

•

how did you make revision notes for geo, if at all?

•

what was your approach to answering the 12 marker in HL paper 3?

•

what are your top tips on approaching the IA, and what are some common mistakes that people tend to make?

and finally, how did you manage the workload? this is a pretty generic question so answer it in any way you feel is appropriate. I'm also interested to hear if you know any underrated study skills that are really helpful
Thank you so so much for reading this, and I absolutely don't expect you to answer every single question. I appreciate any time and energy you dedicate into helping a confused student whom you don't know 🤗 I hope you have a great time at Oxford

this might be a chunky
I learn by writing so most my revision is done through writing out content and making clear concise notes following the spec

ESS- I used savemyexams for most content notes so I have a good base for all my knowledge- any content that I felt wasn’t covered I checked on the spec and then added the appropriate info. i did this in a folder separate to classwork because i had a rubbish ESS teacher. This means that if i ever feel like I’ve forgotten content I can quickly look back and read it. I’ve only recently started doing past papers and my marks have gone up by about 10/15 because I learnt exam technique so for example the 7 marker you need 7 distinct points whereas the 9 marker is an essay. making notes is easy enough for me to remember key words but the ones i forget i just rewrite the key term and its definition- repetition helps me. Some people use anki which is an online flashcard but if i had to use online flashcards I would definitely use Quizlet instead.

French- Sorry I am someone who pushes the grade boundaries up because I’m fluent. This means I don’t revise for french reading and listening. For my speaking and writing I use a ‘formula’ of sorts. I remember key phrases which I can adapt and change given any question such as starting “si je pouvais, je voudrais…”. Idioms are really important for the IB so things like ‘cela ne coute pas les yeux de la tête’ (it’s not expensive) can be an example. This should always be included. Using 5/6 tenses, idioms, personal opinion, external opinion, key fact about french/francophone culture should be in all your oral responses and writing. With the oral, memorise your answers, with the writing learn the different styles ie the letter, the speech etc. I think inthinking has good resources for these but it might require a subscription?? Just speak to yourself in French, ask a french teacher, ask to practice with someone in your class. Type out your answers on google translate and get it to read it aloud so you know what it should sound like?

English lit- okay I hated English in yr12 but I love it now. We learn 3 core texts at my school but I am only learning 2 because I literally cannot physically learn 3 texts in detail so I am only focusing on Streetcar Named desire and Chronicle of a Death foretold. As they are different texts but do have similar broader themes, I can use these texts for all the questions- I am not sure if narrowing bases to two texts is a good idea or not if the texts are too similar or too different so this might not be applicable. You need to know the texts well. One way I learn them is I get a pdf version and read it through highlighting key quotes (I ended up with like half the book highlighted) but this means you know what goes on a bit better- even if you don’t learn many quotes, knowing the text can be enough for a 6/7. I do concepts for English so I’ll look at key themes in texts and then literally just splurge info on a page- using internet research where I need more depth or to fill in any blanks. For example I’ll do the theme of gender. Then ill break gender into different categories like gender inequality or machismo or hypocrisy within gender roles. Etc these often do overlap so there is a lot repeated. I learn the authorial intent which helps. I’m going to do some more revision of the actual texts and the week before my exam Ill start doing essay plans. I absolutely love English lit because the texts I do have lots of social commentary about gender, duty vs honour, social class etc and I like to think about the real life applications of these concepts- like the authors were critiquing their society- a society which shares values of our society now still ie in terms of gender inequality. Read some masters dissertations on your text and that might give you greater insight- sadly this might not be available depending on your text. Key point here would be knowing the text inside out- then learn authorial intent and why the text was written, what is it critiquing, and then learn quotes.

Maths- I want to die doing maths. Just do practice questions over and over again- obviously only if you do actually know the topic- if you keep getting things wrong go back to your notes. I used save my exams for my notes. I did a 3 day revision course at Sevenoaks school which I would highly recommend if you can afford it because it has genuinely saved my IB grade. Unfortunately my IA flopped majorly i think I’ve gotten like 13/20 becasue my teacher screwed me over completely but I would something like modelling/mapping. So looking at trajectories of a ball or using sin to model sleep cycles. The IA is only 20% of the grade and yes it’s a lot but you only need 15/16 for it to be good. Rarely do maths IAs get 18+ so don’t spend so much time on it and ignore everything else. PhysicsandMaths tutor is good for practice questions so is DrFrost. Savemyexams has helped fro content notes at well as the organicchemistrytutor on YouTube (I think that’s what the channel is called). For paper 2 you will need to constantly use the GDC, questions are designed knowing students have GDCs so know how to plot graphs- (always use graph rather than equation solver), binomial and normal distributions like literally everything. There are plenty of YouTube videos.

Geography - Assuming you mean p1 I do freshwater, extreme environments and tourism- unfortunately i ****zed out during tourism so I was not in so I didn’t really do it so I am only going to learn fresh water and extreme environments for my exam. P2 is the core themes which you have to do and P3 is the HL extension. I think you need to make points clear so a paragraph for each point. I do use the PEEL paragraph technique- not really rigidly but naturally as i do an intro, write i make a clear point then explain it a but further then evidence it using any case studies then make sure I’ve linked back to question as some paragraphs can get a bit winding especially on globalisation questions. The IA wasn’t that bad- I wrote mine in a week because I was unable to work over summer so I had to do it super quickly. make sure you use different ways to present your data, for each data analysis explain the trend, any anomalies and the reason why it follows that trend. My IA was on To what extent does the River xyz follow the Bradshaw model in terms of discharge, velocity and 2 other variables. For geography use the spec to make sure you’ve got all the required cases studies. For paper 2+3 just learn case studies and key concepts.

I cannot remember what i did in yr 12 so i dont know what i did then. I would make the most of the summer break to ensure you’ve got all the notes on the content you’ve done so far and to get IAs and EE out the way. The IB is so manageable if you get the IAs all done and basically submitted by January at the latest. Don’t tell yourself you’ll get work done over holidays- like don’t leave work and say I’ll do it later, you won’t. Do it immediately and then over the break do any extras or anything you need to redo with more detail or more neatly. I try and aim for at least 2 hours of work once I get home- this typically ends up being like nothing on one day then 3 hours the next then 1 hour so although its not constitent just remember you get 3 months at the end of the IB to do whatever so just get through this bit. On weekends I try and do like 5 hours of work minimum over the two days in total- so i did 1 hour then 4 because I worked Saturdays . This really fluctuates but I always think about those Brampton manor kids or the international students willing to pay 4x the price for a place.
I know some people work a lot more, some work a lot less so it really depends on how you mange it.
I like to do things by chunks, so rather than 1 hour of maths then 1 hour of English I would just do 2 hours of maths- obviously taking breaks but I learn better if i cover like a whole topic.
Delete TikTok. Like you really have to. I love reels and probably spend too much time watching reels- but when I download tt I’m on it non stop and like 15 minutes goes by so quickly. I delete it during term time and usually download it for the first few days of half term until I realise how much time I’ve wasted.
Then the simple things like eating healthy ish and exercising- I either go for a swim/run/walk everyday. Sometimes it’s only a 20 minute walk but it’s so important to get some exercise done even if it is just walking. This gives you time for yourself. And by walking i mean going on a walk not walking from the station to school. Start off small with the habits like trying to do 1 hour a day etc and then build it up to avoid burning out. If i try to work for 6 hours one day, I end up doing no work the next. Use half terms for socialising. I met up with most my friends over half term because that’s when I’m less stressed. I do go out probably once a week or every two weeks so you can still socialise but do just factor that in when looking at your workload/timetable.
These are obviously all tips for me, it may not work for you but this is just one way of going about it- you really do have to find what works for you.
Underrated study skill is I’m a chugger so I drink everything really fast apart from monsters because they make me burp and I have a hatred for burping it really eeks me out so I have to drink them really slowly. I will sit down and not get up until I’ve finished my monster and I pretend im some scientist who has finally discovered the missing piece to a lifelong investigation. Now this is my strangest study hack but unfortunately i do have to use it when no part of me wants to revise at all. Or if you can tell yourself how many people out there would kill to get an education like you get the chance to, or you can remember people like Trump or Farage or Le Pen love the uneducated as they can spew all the lies they want so you need to keep those braincells working.

lol i love writing these because i needed this last year-

Ps the IB formulates questions very differently to A level, although I would maybe use a level practice questions where I can- have a look at some IB past papers- unfortunately you definitely want to avoid these until yr13 as that’s when they will be most effective but look at the papers and mark schemes, without necessarily doing them to see what questions want from you, what key terms do they ask for, how are marks given etc.