How to Study for the IB Biology Exam (both HL and SL)

1. Study in advance. Biology is the most extensive class in the International Baccalaureate in terms of what you have to remember, especially if you are taking the higher level class. In order not to be overwhelmed, start studying early.
   1. If you have not done this, don’t panic. You know more than you think, just by attending classes and keeping up with work you probably refreshed a lot of the material. Read over certain aspects you don’t understand, watch crash course videos, and try to learn as much as you can. However, do not overdo it, since you don’t want to try to cram so much information that you start getting confused.
2. Try to understand what you’re studying instead of just memorizing the material. Learning information is much more useful than just memorizing it, since you can reason through questions on Papers 1 and 2 more easily if you understand what they’re asking instead of just regurgitating the facts. This includes asking your teacher, rereading certain aspects of the book, or even searching for more information online. Different explanations might work better for you than others, so don’t fret.
3. Draw pictures, maps, diagrams, anything that’ll help you understand what’s going on. Paper 2 should be okay, if you do other practice papers you will notice that certain questions or topics come up every single exam. Paper 1 is harder, both because they’ll try to have trick questions and they’ll ask a wider variety of questions. Yet, don’t worry, you’ll do fine!
4. Remember the IB is just another representation of what you’ve learned, so go show it off!

How to Pass IB History HL

IB History HL might be one of the hardest classes in the International Baccalaureate. The main problem is that it’s almost impossible to reach a 7. Yet, there are certain tips you can remember to both write essays in class and prepare for the examination at the end of the year that will help you reach closer to this high score.

The first thing to do is to know the general timeline of events. Certain dates should not be confused, such as the outbreak of World War I, 1914, and the date it ended, 1919. Drawing out an overall timeline in your notes (while you’re studying), for both domestic and international conflicts, could be the best way to approach this.

Numerical values in and of themselves are very helpful. You should try to remember other dates, such as the years certain rulers (the ones you are studying) came to power. Any data you remember, such as the number of deaths that occurred under certain dictators or the dimensions of new technologies, should be included in the essays you write in Paper 1, 2 and 3. These will not only impress your examiner, but give you several extra points.

However, dictating numbers, years and dates will not earn you the seven you should be aiming for. To really score well, analysis is required. Therefore, you should also try to remember certain historian’s views, since name-dropping their ideas can also help impress your examiner. For example, I found it very useful to remember John Keynes’s economic ideas about the Great Depression. Furthermore, supplying different historians’ opinions helps delve into the analysis portion of the markscheme, earning you higher marks on Papers 1, 2 and 3 as well as the Internal Assessment.

And, don’t forget to study in advance, the best way to completely understand what is occurring during these years of history, without having to cram last-minute.

The International Baccalaureate

206 Days Left

I cannot keep my stress at bay

Because of the Extended Essay,

Even if the exams are in May

It was still due yesterday

(Mine was done today).

I’m glad this year is my last

Only 8 months left of class

And for math, for stats

A D is all I need to pass.

Although how about CAS?

But that coordinator can just kiss my … feet

Because my hours are complete

And I didn’t even cheat

Which I guess is pretty neat

I didn’t need to use deceit.

For today, my schedule sucks

I haven’t started, I’m stuck

For the test I’m a lame duck

I guess I’ll just need some luck.

I’ll get the test and think “Oh… hell

Maybe I’ll do well?”

So, no longer will I dwell

Since I must study about cells

That don’t ring any bells.

I bid this poem, farewell.