Any student in IB mathematics has undoubtedly heard that diligent revision and practice exams are the keys to high scores on the IB mathematics exams. But you may be wondering, how much do practice exams really help? The truth is; it depends on how you’re using them.
Many candidates have reported that the practice exams help a lot. In the practice tests, the setting will be incredibly similar to your real exams, creating a form of familiarity before the real thing comes. You will probably be seated in the same examination room and work under similar schedule to the real exams. All these come together to contribute to the success of the exam.
If you are still not sure how much important taking practice exams before an IB Math test could be, keep reading this post to see a few of them. We also gave some top tips to help with the practice exams.
Practice Exams are Great for Familiarity
If you ask nearly all IB mathematics graduates, you’ll get similar answers. The greatest benefit to the practice exams is being able to familiarize yourself with the exam format before test day. Half the battle in scoring well on your IB math exams is time management and test-taking strategies. This is where the practice exams are worth their weight in gold.
Anyone who suffers from exam anxiety will appreciate the familiarity of routine. Practice exams provide a mock environment that can elicit similar stress levels. As you work your way through practice exams, you’ll get familiar with the question format and timing needed to complete the real exam.
At the same time, the practice exams let you know what requirements to expect during the real exam. For instance, the use of calculators may not be allowed in paper one. The practice test will help you know how much this can impact your efficiency and you can quickly work on that before the real exams come.
But, Practice Exams Aren’t Ideal for Benchmarking your Performance
Many students feel that they can accurately gauge how well or not well they will perform on their IB mathematics exams by scoring their practice exams. While it’s possible, there is a significant amount of time between the practice exams and the real deal so keep in mind that you’ll likely perform much better on the real test day.
So don’t let the resulting outcome of the test weigh you down. If you got average on the test, chances are that you will perform much better during the real exams. And that’s one of the reasons the test is created in the first place. It is designed to help wake complacent students up from their sleep and encourage average students to do more in their studies towards the exam.
Best Tips for IB Practice Exams
The practice exams are a trial run of the real thing. While they do not factor into your final scores, students should take their mock exams seriously as a fundamental step towards preparing for the real exam.
This means that you should keep up on your revision work so that you are prepared for your mock exams. But it also means that you shouldn’t panic if you haven’t been able to cover the full syllabus by the practice exam date. You’ll have several more weeks to complete your study before the real exams. Below are some tips to bear in mind concerning the practice test:
- Expect a similar format and structure for the practice exams and the real exams.
- Focus on your time management, learning to work questions efficiently.
- Learn the language before exam day so that you know exactly what each question is asking.
- Dedicate at least two hours daily to regular revision.
- Seek out supplemental support from a tutor and/or peer study group.
- Plan to be well-rested, relaxed, and alert on exam day.
The Bottom Line on IB Practice Exams
While the IB practice exam may not be a true indicator of future performance on your final exams, it is a useful step in preparation for those exams. Essentially you should treat both the practice exams and the final exams with the same level of seriousness.
Sometimes the simple act of repeating a familiar experience is enough to ease any test-taking anxiety that you might feel on exam day. For extra resources to help you in your IB mathematics journey, check out the full library at Revision Village today. There are tons of useful resources for you there.
