How To Improve IB Grades: Step-by-Step Guide

Feeling the pressure to boost your IB grades? You're not alone. Whether you're aiming for a university offer or simply want to reach your academic potential, improving your IB grades is completely achievable with the right approach. 

This guide outlines how to improve your IB grades across the IB Diploma Programme using practical, proven strategies. Let’s get started!

Key Takeaways

• Small improvements across several subjects can significantly raise your final score.

• Internal Assessments are a major opportunity to secure marks before final exams.

• Exam technique and mastery of command terms matter as much as content knowledge.

• Core TOK and Extended Essay points can shift you across grade boundaries.

• Strategic time management beats last-minute cramming every time.

Understand How the IB Is Graded

Before improving your grades, you need to understand how the IB scoring system works. The diploma is marked out of 45 points:

Six Subjects (42 points): You take six subjects—three HL and three SL. Each is graded from 1–7, giving a maximum of 42 points.

Internal Assessments (IAs): Typically 20–30% of each subject grade. Teachers mark them; IB examiners moderate them for global consistency.

External Exams: Usually 70–80% of each subject grade. This is where exam technique matters enormously.

Core Points (3 max): TOK + Extended Essay contribute up to three bonus points. Even a B/B combination earns 2 points, which can make a decisive difference.

You need at least 24 points to pass, with restrictions on the number of 2s and 3s allowed. CAS completion is also required.

Understanding this structure helps you target your efforts effectively.

Our articles can tell you more about how IB grades work, how the IB Internal Assessments are graded, and how the IB Extended Essay is graded.

Step 1: Identify Where You're Losing Marks

To improve, you must understand exactly where marks are slipping.

• Review past tests and mocks: Look beyond the final mark. Identify the types of questions you consistently miss: careless errors, misread command terms, weak analysis, or incomplete explanations.

• Analyse IA feedback: Teacher comments highlight precisely where you're falling short of the mark bands. Treat these comments as a roadmap.

• Create a subject-by-subject weakness tracker: Note patterns such as “weak on genetics calculations” or “struggle with Paper 2 essays.”

Save My Exams tools like the Target Test can help you identify strengths and weaknesses in your performance patterns. The key is honest reflection on where gaps lie. This might be tough, but it empowers you to work out how to really improve.

Step 2: Focus on High-Impact Subjects

Some subjects or components will yield bigger improvements with less effort.

• Prioritise HL subjects: HL and SL both offer 7 points max, but HL improvements carry more weight academically and often matter more to universities.

• Target grade boundaries: If you're near the next boundary—63% and you need 65%—focus there. Small gains can mean full-grade jumps.

• Use the 80/20 rule: Spend 80% of your effort on the 20% of content that gives the biggest return. For instance, improving Paper 2 performance in History may yield more marks than refining strengths on Paper 1.

Aim for achievable, strategic improvements rather than trying to fix everything simultaneously. Save My Exams has tailored resources written by experts that will support your IB revision, from revision notes to flashcards to past papers.  On average, students who use Save My Exams report improving by 2.6 grades.

Step 3: Improve Your Internal Assessments (IAs)

Your IAs give you time, teacher support, and the ability to refine your work—making them one of the easiest places to secure marks.

• Study feedback carefully: Instead of simply reading comments, interrogate them. If a teacher notes “needs more analysis,” look at the rubric to understand what stronger analysis looks like.

• Know the assessment criteria inside out: Read the descriptors for the top bands and ensure your IA addresses each one. In Biology, for example, you must demonstrate personal engagement, strong methodology, meaningful data processing, and critical evaluation.

• Ask targeted questions: Teachers can guide but not write your IA. Ask specific questions like “How can I focus my research question further?” or “Does my evaluation show sufficient depth?”

• Understand moderation: Strictly marked IAs can be moderated up, but your goal should be to exceed expectations so the moderation process works in your favour.

Choose IA topics you genuinely enjoy, especially in subjects like English, where engagement shows clearly in the final mark. We have plenty of advice on choosing good IA topics.

Step 4: Master IB Exam Technique

Content knowledge is only half the battle. IB exams reward students who understand their conventions and expectations.

Use past papers consistently: They show exactly how questions are phrased and what the examiners expect. Aim to complete 5–10 past papers per subject under timed conditions.

Learn command terms: Misinterpreting terms like “analyse,” “discuss,” or “evaluate” is one of the most common ways students lose marks. Each term signals a different depth and structure of response.

Structure your answers effectively:

• Start with a clear introduction.

• Use paragraphs with topic sentences.

• Link every point back to the question.

• Show working and units in sciences.

Practise under strict timing: This helps determine what you can realistically express within exam constraints. For example, History Paper 2 requires two essays in 90 minutes. Practising this timing helps you write full, analytical answers within the limit. 

Self-mark using mark schemes and examiner reports: Examiner reports explain common mistakes and highlight what differentiates a 6 from a 7. You can also try our Smart Mark feature for personalised feedback.

Step 5: Boost Your Core Points (TOK + EE)

The 3 core points have more effect than you might think on your diploma outcome or university offer.

Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

• Develop strong arguments: Don’t merely describe perspectives—analyse them, show their strengths and limitations, and demonstrate clear, logical reasoning.

• Use concrete, real-life examples: Rather than referencing “science” broadly, cite specific cases like shifts from Newtonian physics to relativity.

• Study the rubric: Know exactly what earns marks. Request exemplar essays or exhibitions from your teacher if available.

• Link areas of knowledge and ways of knowing: Strong TOK work shows how they interact and complicate each other.

Check out our article on the Areas of Knowledge in TOK.

Extended Essay (EE)

• Choose a topic you enjoy: You’ll spend months on it, so genuine interest helps enormously. We have a full guide to picking an EE topic for you. 

• Follow the rubric closely: Criterion C (Critical Thinking) is worth the most—focus on analysis, argument, and evaluation rather than description.

• Structure well: Formulate a clear research question, use logical organisation, reference properly, and conclude meaningfully. Our article on how to structure the EE will help.

• Take your reflections seriously: The RPPF contributes to the final grade, and examiners reward genuine insight into your research process.

A B/B combination across TOK and EE earns 2 points; an A/B earns all 3. These points often prove decisive.

Step 6: Manage Your Time Strategically

Time management is essential in the IB. The goal is not to work endlessly but to work efficiently.

Create a realistic revision schedule: Break tasks down and distribute them based on priority. Avoid unrealistic blocks that you won’t maintain. We have a guide to making an IB revision schedule to help you.

Time-block IA work vs exam prep:

• IA tasks need focused, longer sessions.

• Exam practice can be done in shorter, more frequent blocks.

Set weekly goals: Replace vague aims like “study Biology” with concrete ones like “complete respiration notes” or “practise five Paper 1 questions.”

Schedule rest deliberately: Burnout destroys learning; recovery is part of the process. Include rest days, exercise, and social time.

Prioritise based on deadlines: Work backwards from IA deadlines and exam dates to avoid last-minute stress.

A typical week might include IA sessions on Monday/Thursday, past papers on Tuesday/Friday, topic review on Wednesday, long sessions on Saturday, and rest and recap on Sunday.

For more ideas, check out our time management tips and ideas on how to avoid distractions while studying.

Step 7: Use Smart Study Techniques

Effective studying is about choosing the right method for the type of content.

• Active recall for memory-heavy subjects: Test yourself instead of rereading. Use flashcards, teach content aloud, or write everything you know from memory.

• Spaced repetition for long-term learning: Review topics over gradually increasing intervals. Apps can help automate this process.

• Use the Pomodoro technique to stay focused with structured work intervals. 

• Essay planning in humanities: Practise writing detailed essay plans rather than full essays every time. This builds skills quickly and reduces workload.

• Calculation practice for sciences and maths: Solve as many problems as possible and practise efficient calculator use.

• Make connections across topics: Understanding relationships between concepts strengthens both comprehension and recall. Knowledge in Maths, for instance, often helps in Biology or Economics.

• Use visual aids: Diagrams, mind maps, and flowcharts clarify relationships and simplify complex processes. Read our revision tips for visual learners.

In English, recording yourself analysing passages can help reinforce understanding; in languages, immerse yourself through films, articles, and conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can I improve my IB grades in one term?

A 1–2 grade improvement per subject is realistic with focused work. Moving from a 4 to a 6 is very achievable. A jump from 5 to 7 is harder but possible, especially if you're close to boundaries. 

As a Biology tutor, I have certainly worked with many students who were having a rough start with their IB dramatically improve their grades quite quickly through changing their mindset and putting in some focused work.

What's the best way to improve my IAs?

Treat feedback as your roadmap. Compare your work to the top-band descriptors in the rubric, identify the key gaps, and work with your teacher to refine them. Focus on one or two improvements at a time.

Can I go from a 5 to a 7 in HL subjects?

Yes, with significant effort. You must deepen understanding, improve exam technique, and practise extensively with mark schemes. It's achievable with consistent work over several months.

Final Thoughts

Improving your IB grades isn’t about taking shortcuts. It’s about understanding expectations, identifying weaknesses, and addressing them strategically. The IB offers multiple opportunities to secure marks across IAs, exams, and core components. Small improvements add up: a one-grade jump in just a few subjects can transform your final score.

Use this guide actively. Identify weaknesses, build a revision plan, practise past papers, improve your IAs, and refine your exam technique. Celebrate small wins and adjust your approach as needed. Save My Exams has plenty of expertly-written resources and clever tools to support you every step of the way. 

You've got this. The IB is demanding, but with smart strategies and consistent effort, improving your grades is absolutely within reach.

Now, it’s time to start doing!