How Long Do I Need to Revise for IB?

Staring at your IB syllabus and wondering when you should actually start revising? You're not alone. Loads of students put off revision planning because they're not sure how much time they really need.

There's no magic number that works for everyone. Your revision timeline depends on your subjects, your target grades, and how confident you feel with the content. But having a clear plan makes everything far less overwhelming.

This guide breaks down realistic revision timelines for different situations, so you can figure out when to start and how to make the most of your study time.

Key Takeaways

• Start revising at least 3-6 months before your IB exams to give yourself proper time to cover everything without stress.

• Tailor your revision plan to your specific subjects, goals, and schedule rather than following what everyone else is doing.

• Quality beats quantity every time - focused, active revision sessions are way more effective than just reading notes for hours.

• Even if you're starting late, you can still achieve great results by focusing on high-impact strategies like past papers and mark schemes.

When Should I Start Revising for IB?

The ideal time to start serious revision is 3-6 months before your first exam. For May exams, that means getting started around December or January.

Starting early gives your brain time to properly encode information into long-term memory. Cramming might work for a test, but IB exams test two years of learning.

Early revision also means you're ready for your mock exams, which usually happen a few months before the real thing. Good mock performance builds confidence.

You'll have less stress if you spread revision over months rather than weeks. Those final weeks before exams should be for fine-tuning, not learning everything from scratch.

Starting early also gives you buffer time for when life happens - illness, family events, or just days when your brain refuses to cooperate.

How Much Time Should I Spend Revising Per Subject?

• For HL subjects, aim for roughly 40-60 hours of focused revision time in total. This doesn't include your normal homework and classwork.

• SL subjects typically need 30-40 hours of dedicated revision. They cover less content and have shorter exams, so you don't need quite as much time.

These are rough targets, not rigid rules. A subject you find really challenging might need more time, whilst one where you're already strong might need less.

Spread this time over weeks and months. Doing 2 hours every week for 20 weeks is way better than trying to cram 40 hours into exam week.

Adjust based on your current level. If you're consistently scoring 6s or 7s in class, you'll need less revision than if you're struggling to pass.

Don't forget that some of your "revision" time will be embedded in homework and assignments throughout Year 2. You're not starting from zero.

Revision Timelines for Different Scenarios

6-Month Plan (Ideal Start)

• Start in November or December, giving yourself a full six months until May exams. This is the dream scenario.

• In the early months, focus on consolidating knowledge from Year 1 and the start of Year 2. Create comprehensive notes and flashcards.

• Balance revision with your Internal Assessment deadlines. Don't let revision derail your IA work, which counts for 20% of most subjects.

• Use spaced repetition by revisiting topics regularly rather than studying them once and moving on. Your brain needs multiple exposures to retain information. Use the Save My Exams guide to making a spaced repetition timetable.

• By February, you should be doing regular practice questions on each topic. By March, start full past papers under timed conditions.

• April is for intensive practice, identifying weak areas, and addressing them systematically. May is for final review and confidence building.

3-Month Plan (Realistic Start)

• Starting in January or February? You've still got plenty of time if you're organised and consistent.

• Create a weekly timetable allocating specific time to each subject. Balance your weakest subjects with those you're confident in.

• Use active recall from day one. Don't waste time re-reading notes - test yourself constantly using flashcards, practice questions, and past papers. 

• By mid-March, you should be attempting full past papers. By April, you're analysing mark schemes to understand exactly what examiners want.

• Focus your remaining time on topics that appear frequently in exams and areas where you're weakest. Not all syllabus content is equally important.

1-Month Plan (Last-Minute Revision)

• Starting in April? It's tight, but you can still make significant improvements with the right approach.

• Forget about making beautiful notes. Jump straight into past papers to identify your weak areas immediately.

• Use mark schemes religiously. Understanding how examiners award marks is your fastest route to improvement.

• Create quick flashcards for key facts, formulas, and definitions you keep forgetting. Review them daily.

• Prioritise your weakest subjects and the topics most likely to appear in exams based on past paper patterns.

• Be realistic. You probably can't go from a 3 to a 7 in a month, but you can definitely improve by a grade or two with focused effort.

How to Create Your Personal IB Revision Plan

Count how many weeks you have until your first exam. Be realistic - don't include the week of actual exams in your revision time.

Estimate how many hours you can genuinely revise each week. Factor in school, homework, sleep, downtime, and other commitments.

List all topics for each subject using the syllabus. Identify which topics you're confident with and which need serious work.

Allocate revision time based on difficulty and importance. Weak areas get more time, but don't completely neglect strong topics.

Build in flexibility. Life happens, and rigid plans fall apart. Leave buffer time for unexpected events or topics that take longer than expected.

Schedule specific topics for specific days. "Revise Biology" is too vague. "Complete past paper questions on photosynthesis" is much better.

Tips for Sticking to Your Revision Plan

Set small, daily goals rather than massive weekly targets. "Study 2 hours" feels more achievable than "Cover three topics by Friday."

Use active revision techniques that force your brain to work. Blurting everything you remember, retrieval practice, and teaching concepts to others beat passive reading. Check out our guide to active recall and our guide to the blurting method. 

Try the Pomodoro method - 25 minutes focused work, 5 minutes break. Short, intense sessions often work better than marathon study sessions.

Track your progress by ticking off topics from your syllabus. Seeing visual progress is incredibly motivating.

Study groups can help if they're focused. But if your friends turn every study session into a social hour, you're better off alone.

Use Save My Exams IB revision resources. These include everything you need, from flashcards to past papers. 

Reward yourself for hitting targets. Finished a tough past paper? Take the evening off guilt-free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 2 weeks enough to revise for IB exams?

Two weeks is definitely not ideal, but it's better than nothing. Focus exclusively on past papers and mark schemes to understand what examiners want. Prioritise your weakest subjects and highest-weighted papers. You won't have time to learn everything, so be strategic about what you focus on.

How many hours should I revise each day for IB?

During term time, aim for 2-3 hours of focused revision daily outside of homework. During study leave, 5-6 hours of quality revision is realistic for most students. More than 8 hours usually leads to diminishing returns as your brain gets tired. We explain why in our article on whether you can revise too much. Remember, quality matters more than quantity.

Should I revise during school holidays?

Yes, school holidays are brilliant opportunities for revision without the pressure of daily homework. Use them to cover major topics or work through past papers. However, don't sacrifice all your downtime - your brain needs rest too. Aim for a few focused hours each day rather than all day every day.

Final Thoughts

Successful IB revision isn't about who starts earliest or studies longest. It's about having a clear, realistic plan that you can actually stick to.

If you're starting with six months to go, brilliant. If you're starting with three months, that's still plenty of time. Even if you're starting late, focused effort on the right things can make a real difference.

The key is adapting your approach to your situation rather than panicking because you didn't start when someone told you to.

Use your time wisely by focusing on active revision techniques, practice papers, and understanding mark schemes rather than just reading notes.

Remember, the goal isn't perfect preparation - it's feeling confident and ready on exam day. Start where you are, use what you have, and make it work for you.