The IB Chemistry exam covers a broad range of topics and requires you to apply your knowledge to analyse unfamiliar scenarios. With the exam approaching, it's important to have a solid study plan to help you feel confident and prepared. Follow this 4-week guide to refine your understanding of IB Chemistry and practice applying that knowledge through exam-style questions.
Before the 4-Week Plan
In the weeks leading up to this focused study period, you should be taking concise notes on new content as you learn it in class. After finishing a topic, review your notes from class, textbook, and online resources to write brief summaries of the key points. Use the main syllabus headings as a guide to organise the information. This will give you a head start on the review process.
Week 1: Review Content
First, finish up any missing notes in your summaries for each syllabus topic. Be concise and only focus on the most important points to avoid getting overwhelmed.
Once your content review notes are complete, take some time to do exam-style questions for each topic without the pressure of a time limit or your notes handy. The best place to find questions grouped by topic is online question-banks. This diagnostic will show you which areas are your strongest and which require more work. If you can’t find questions grouped by topic, do a selection of past papers and take note of which questions cover each syllabus area.
Highlight any questions you struggle with and group them based on the underlying concept. Return to your summary notes, textbooks, and online resources to improve your grasp of the material. Fill in any gaps in understanding during this week.
Week 2: Refine and Expand Understanding
Continue working through past IB Chemistry exam papers, ideally starting with older ones before progressing to more recent papers. When you come across incorrect answers, record these questions and research the concepts being tested. If there are still topics you don't feel completely comfortable with, spend 30 minutes reviewing summaries and working through practice questions.
Additionally, return to any difficult questions from last week that you struggled with. See if your understanding has improved when you tackle these questions for a second time.
Week 3: Simulated Exam Practice
Complete full past papers under timed conditions without any notes to rely on. Focus on papers from the past couple of years to become familiar with the format and style of questions you're likely to face.
Maintain your record of topics or concepts that still pose a challenge. Ask your teacher or a tutor to clarify aspects you may be struggling with. Stay determined to find up any lingering gaps during this week.
Week 4: Targeted Review and Mastery
Very few students will feel 100% prepared walking into the IB Chemistry exam room. Concepts are often tested in questions using unfamiliar scenarios, which is why gaining a greater understanding of the syllabus through question-based revision is so important. This week, you should be minimising any weaknesses in your knowledge that you’ve found so far. Focus your attention on finding questions in past papers that are most challenging, and continue to improve your understanding of tricky concepts through additional research if you’re still not sure.
By the end of this week, you should be feeling confident in answering the challenging questions you’ve come across over the past four weeks of study.
Final Tips
Don't isolate yourself if feeling overwhelmed. You can enlist the help of a Learnmate tutor if you’re struggling to understand tricky concepts or decipher mark schemes.
You've now covered all the content, filled in the gaps, and put in the practice needed to succeed in the exam. Good luck!
This series on mastering IB Chemistry is brought to you by Claudia Z, a seasoned Online IB Tutor with Learnmate. Claudia's academic journey includes a stellar 99.7 ATAR and a 44 score in IB, underpinned by her ongoing Bachelor of Health Science (Premed) studies. Specialising in subjects like IB Psychology, Chemistry, and Math, Claudia offers her expertise to students aiming for excellence.
You can view her profile and, subject to her availability, request Claudia as your tutor here.
