Guides · 8 articles
Surviving the IB Diploma: grades, choices and systems
The IB rewards students who understand its rules early: how the 45 points add up, what can fail a Diploma at 30 points, when predicted grades are set and who sets them, and which deadlines arrive when. These guides explain the system plainly, then give you study systems built for a two-year course rather than a two-week cram.
All ib survival guides
SurvivalAnki for IB: a flashcard setup that survives Year 2How to set up Anki for the IB Diploma: which cards to make, how many new cards a day, how to handle diagrams, and where flashcards stop and exam questions start.4 min readSurvivalFive reasons you're not getting better at IB (and what actually fixes them)An IB tutor on the five habits that keep students stuck: reviewing only before tests, giving up on the process in week three, Biology gaps, no practice questions and no flashcards.5 min readSurvivalFree IB Notion templates (revision planner, mistake log, IA planner, Biology notes)Four free Notion templates for IB Diploma students, built from the system I used for my own IB exams and use with the students I tutor. Duplicate them into your Notion in one click.3 min readSurvivalHow IB scoring works: the 45 points, the core matrix and every failing conditionSix subjects worth 7 each, 3 core points, a 24-point floor and the extra conditions that fail students with well over 24.9 min readSurvivalHow to build an IB revision plan that survives week threeThe revision plan structure I used for my own IB finals and still use with students: weekday subject rotation, activity types, a daily one-line check-in, and why most plans die in week three.4 min readSurvivalHow to choose IB subjects: the group rules, HL vs SL, and what universities needThe subject-group rules, what HL adds in Biology, Chemistry, Maths, ESS, Psychology and Global Politics, and how to check university requirements.7 min readSurvivalIB predicted grades: who sets them, what they rest on, and how to raise yoursWho sets IB predicted grades, when universities see them, and how to raise yours with evidence rather than arguments.7 min readSurvivalThe IB Diploma timeline: what happens when, month by month, over two yearsA month-by-month two-year IB timeline: CAS, IAs, EE, TOK, mocks, May exams, July results, applications and the November session.6 min read