Structured practice using IB-style questions and mark schemes

IB exams have a distinct style and structure, and students need targeted practice with genuinely IB-style questions to perform well, not just generic exam-style content. I use official IB past papers and specimen papers to give students realistic practice, working through questions in the same format, timing and complexity they’ll encounter in the real exam.

Alongside this, I use the official IB mark schemes to show students precisely how marks are awarded, including how partial credit works and what level of detail is expected for different types of questions. This structured, exam-specific practice ensures students aren’t just learning the content, but are also fully prepared for how that content will actually be assessed.

Focus on command terms and how IB examiners assess answers

IB exam questions rely heavily on specific command terms, such as “state,” “explain,” “outline,” “evaluate” and “discuss,” and each one requires a different type of response and level of detail. A common reason students lose marks isn’t a lack of knowledge, but a failure to answer in the way the command term actually demands. For instance, providing a one-line answer when “explain” requires a reasoned, developed response.

I explicitly teach students what each command term means in practice, using real past paper questions to show the difference between a response that meets the criteria and one that falls short. This helps students structure their answers correctly from the outset, ensuring they’re not losing easy marks simply due to misunderstanding what the question is actually asking for.