Many IB students in work incredibly hard but see only small gains in their results. The issue is rarely effort. It is strategy. Some study methods feel productive but don't actually help you learn, while others feel difficult but create real mastery.
This guide outlines the practical techniques that actually work for high-content subjects like HL Chemistry, Biology, and Maths.
1. Replace Re-Reading with Retrieval
Re-reading your notes is the most common way students study. It is also the least effective. When you read a highlighted page, your brain recognizes the text and makes you feel like you know it. This is called the "illusion of competence." In an exam, you don't have the text in front of you. You have to pull the information out of your brain.
The solution is Active Retrieval. This means closing the book and trying to write down everything you remember on a blank sheet of paper. It feels uncomfortable because you will struggle to remember details. That struggle is good. It signals to your brain that this information is important and strengthens the neural pathways needed to access it under pressure.
2. Anki & Image Occlusion
Anki is a flashcard app that uses an algorithm to show you cards right before you are about to forget them. This is called Spaced Repetition. For IB Science students, the most powerful feature is "Image Occlusion."
You can take a screenshot of a diagram like the Krebs Cycle or the anatomy of the heart and cover up the labels. Anki will then test you on these specific labels. This builds a visual memory of the structure, which is vital for Biology HL and Anatomy.
3. The Feynman Technique
If you can't explain a concept simply, you don't understand it well enough. The Feynman Technique forces you to identify your blind spots. Write the name of a complex topic (like "Redox Titrations") at the top of a page. Then, try to explain it in your own words as if you were teaching a Year 10 student.
You will likely hit a point where you get stuck or start using jargon to cover up gaps in your knowledge. That is exactly where you need to go back to the textbook. Once you can explain it simply from start to finish without looking at notes, you have mastered it.
4. Past Papers for Diagnosis, Not Just Practice
Doing past papers is standard advice. However, most students waste them. They do the paper, check their score, and move on. The real value of a past paper is the diagnosis.
When you mark your paper, you need to categorize every mistake. Was it a content gap? Did you misinterpret the question? Was it a silly calculation error? If you keep a "Mistake Log" of these errors, you will start to see patterns. Fixing these specific patterns is the fastest way to improve your grade.
5. Interleaving Your Study
Most students study in blocks. They might do three hours of Chemistry, then the next day do three hours of Maths. This is inefficient. Real exams mix topics together. Interleaving means mixing up your practice within a single session.
For example, do two Chemistry stoichiometry questions, then switch to a Biology data analysis question, then do a Maths calculus problem. This forces your brain to constantly "reload" different rules and strategies. It is much harder than block practice, but it builds the kind of flexible thinking you need for the external exams.
6. Using AI as a Tutor
AI tools can be incredibly useful if used correctly. Don't ask it to write your essays. Use it to check your understanding. Paste a paragraph of your notes into the chat and ask it to quiz you on the key concepts. Or, ask it to generate ten variations of a specific math problem you are struggling with. Use it as a tool to test yourself, not as a crutch to do the work for you.
7. Active Outputs
Writing summaries is often passive work. You look at the book, rewrite the sentence, and feel productive. Replace this with "Active Outputs." This means creating something new from memory.
Draw a concept map linking two different topics, like Kinetics and Equilibrium. Write a 5-minute explanation of a ToK concept without looking at your notes. Your study session should end with evidence that you can do something you couldn't do before, not just a pile of neat notes.
8. Consistency Over Intensity
Cramming works for short-term memory, but the IB is a two-year marathon. You cannot cram for the final exams. The most successful students are the ones who build a system.
This doesn't mean studying for 6 hours a day. It means having a routine. A simple system might look like: 30 minutes of Anki every morning, one past paper on Saturday, and reviewing your Mistake Log on Sunday. Small, consistent actions compound over two years to create massive results.
Note for Year 12s: Implementing these systems takes time. Start with just one technique, like Active Retrieval, and master it before adding more. The goal is to build a study habit that serves you through university and beyond.