6-Week IB Exam Revision Plan

Quick answer: Use weeks 1–2 to diagnose and repair the most important gaps, weeks 3–4 for mixed and timed exam questions, week 5 for selective full papers, and week 6 for error correction, retrieval and exam logistics. Review results every week and move time toward the weaknesses that are still costing marks.

The six-week schedule at a glance

Week	Main focus	Evidence that the week worked
1	Map exams, syllabus gaps and current performance	A ranked topic list based on questions, not confidence
2	Repair high-priority knowledge and method gaps	Short topic sets completed with fewer repeated errors
3	Mix topics and introduce timed sections	Accuracy and completion time recorded by question type
4	Practise assessment decisions under time pressure	A smaller, more specific error log
5	Complete selected full papers and targeted corrections	Paper-level timing plus a list of marks that can still be recovered
6	Retrieve essentials, redo errors and prepare logistics	Stable recall, rested routines and confirmed exam details

This is a six-week execution plan, not a promise that every syllabus point can receive equal attention. If you need to choose between different preparation windows first, use the 30, 60 and 90-day IB study plan. For the study methods used inside each block, see the broader IB exam preparation guide.

Before week one: build the plan from evidence

Start with four inputs:

1. Exam dates and paper order. Record the date, session, paper and any school instructions. Confirm current details with your coordinator and the official IB assessment and exams page.
2. Available study blocks. Add school, coursework, travel, sleep and rest before allocating revision. A realistic plan survives ordinary weeks; an overloaded plan fails after one disruption.
3. A syllabus map. Mark each topic green, amber or red, then test a sample. Confidence alone is not evidence.
4. Assessment demands. Note the question types, command terms, calculations, evidence, essays or practical interpretation each paper requires.

Use the StudyIB subject hubs to browse syllabus-organised topics and the IB Question Bank to check whether your rating matches what you can actually answer.

Week 1: diagnose and prioritise

The goal is not to create perfect notes. It is to discover where the next hour can return the most marks.

For each subject, complete a short set of representative questions without notes. Record:

• the topic and question type;
• whether the problem was knowledge, understanding, method, reading, communication or timing;
• the marks lost; and
• the smallest action that would prevent the same loss.

Rank topics using three factors: current weakness, importance to the assessment and how realistically the gap can be improved in six weeks. An early exam or a prerequisite topic may deserve attention before a larger but less recoverable weakness.

By the end of week one, every planned block should name an output—for example, “complete and mark eight probability questions” rather than “revise Maths.”

Week 2: repair high-priority gaps

Use short explanations, worked examples or study notes only to fix a problem exposed in week one. Then close the source and retrieve or apply the idea.

A useful repair block follows this sequence:

1. explain the missing concept in your own words;
2. study one correct example when needed;
3. mark it and identify the exact cause of any error; and
4. schedule a delayed redo.

Practice testing and distributed practice are among the better-supported learning techniques in the evidence review Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques. That does not mean every block should be a full paper: the practice should match the skill you are repairing.

Week 3: mix topics and begin timed sections

Move from isolated practice to small mixed sets. Switching between topics forces you to identify the required method instead of following the pattern of the previous question.

Introduce timing gradually:

• first measure how long a section takes without cutting yourself off;
• compare that time with the paper's mark and time structure;
• identify where reading, planning or checking is slow; and
• repeat a similar section with one specific pacing goal.

For essay subjects, practise outlines, evidence selection and timed paragraphs as well as complete responses. For Mathematics and sciences, show the steps, units, reasoning and interpretation that make marks awardable.

Week 4: practise decisions under pressure

Continue mixed timed sections, but make review at least as important as completion. Classify lost marks and turn each category into a response:

Cause	Next action
Missing knowledge	Retrieve the fact, definition, formula or example again after a delay
Weak understanding	Explain why the relationship or method works, then test it in a new context
Wrong method	Compare decision cues across two similar-looking questions
Command-term error	Rewrite the task in plain language before answering
Communication	Make reasoning, evidence, units or working explicit
Timing	Practise a smaller section with a checkpoint and stopping rule

Do not copy an entire markscheme answer into the error log. Record the decision or knowledge that would change your next attempt.

Week 5: use full papers selectively

Full papers test endurance, pacing and transitions between question types, but they consume time. Choose papers or paper combinations that answer a useful diagnostic question.

After each attempt:

1. mark it consistently;
2. separate knowledge errors from exam-execution errors;
3. redo high-value questions without the answer beside you;
4. add recurring issues to a final retrieval list; and
5. adjust the next week's blocks.

One carefully reviewed paper is more useful than several unreviewed attempts. Keep topic-level practice for weaknesses that a full paper reveals.

Week 6: consolidate rather than cram

Reduce novelty. Retrieve essential formulas, definitions, evidence, processes and command-term responses; redo recurring errors; and complete a small number of representative timed questions.

Confirm practical details through your school: timetable and exam zone, arrival time, permitted equipment, calculator requirements and what happens between papers. Protect sleep and keep the final evening lighter than the preceding days.

The final 24 hours should not become an attempt to relearn the course. Use a short checklist, prepare materials and arrive able to think.

A repeatable weekly timetable

Adapt the number of blocks to your workload and energy. The important part is the balance of outputs.

Day	Block 1	Block 2
Monday	Weak-topic repair	Delayed retrieval from last week
Tuesday	Exam questions in subject A	Marking and error correction
Wednesday	Weak-topic repair in subject B	Essay outline or worked problems
Thursday	Mixed timed section	Review and redo
Friday	Maintenance practice in a stronger subject	Light cumulative retrieval
Saturday	Longer timed section or selected paper	Detailed marking and next actions
Sunday	Catch-up or rest	Plan the next week from results

Leave at least one flexible block. When a school deadline or difficult paper disrupts the week, move a low-priority task rather than removing sleep.

If you are behind

Do not compress every missed task into the remaining days. Re-rank the plan:

• protect imminent coursework and exams;
• select the few weaknesses most likely to affect marks;
• keep maintenance practice for stronger subjects;
• remove decorative notes and repeated passive rereading; and
• ask a teacher where your diagnosis is uncertain.

The plan is working when practice results improve, repeated errors decline and most blocks are completed without regularly borrowing from sleep. Hours alone are not the outcome.

Related StudyIB resources

• Check current dates and official timetable links in the IB exam schedule 2026.
• Review how assessment verbs shape answers in the IB command terms guide.
• Open a relevant IB subject study guide before moving into topic-level practice.
• Use the IB Question Bank to diagnose, practise and revisit errors.
• Follow the six-step IB past-paper workflow when moving from an attempt to marking, repair and reattempt.

StudyIB is an independent learning platform and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Baccalaureate Organization. Confirm assessment details with your school and current official IB materials.