As the end of the year creeps closer, South Lakes Sophomores through Seniors await the impending doom of IB Exams. Despite the daunting name, the exams are not as scary as one may think. Below are some common questions that may ease your mind.
What are IB exams?
IB exams are an end of year test that use writing as a way to assess your knowledge of what was taught throughout the year. There are three types of exams, the Paper 1, the Paper 2, and the Paper 3. Depending on the course you are in, each variety of exam may look a little different, and not all IB courses require all of the exams.
How are IB exams different from finals?
Although both tests are used to measure how much knowledge was obtained throughout the year, they differ greatly in many ways. For starters, IB exams cannot impact your grade. The fear many have about finals is the daunting 10% weight they have on their grade. Since IB exam grades do not come out until July, there is no way these exams can affect the letter grade in StudentVue. IB exams also typically have much more writing. Since IB is such a writing-focused program, the exams require a lot of long answer questions whereas a final exam may be composed mostly of multiple choice.
If it doesn’t impact my grade, why do I take it?
When students hear that this exam isn’t for a grade, many wonder what the point is of trying, or even taking the exam. Although it won’t be reflected in your transcript, colleges are able to see your IB exam scores if you choose to include them. If you receive a high enough score on the exam, it may exempt you from certain gen eds you might otherwise have to take your freshman year of college.
How do I prepare for these tests?
The best way to study for the exams is through looking over the material you have learned over the past year. One tactic students have found useful to not be too overwhelmed by material is focusing on each unit test they took that year. This allows students to see the most important information in a condensed packet.
When do I take this test?
If you look up your school’s name with “IB exam schedule”, the calendar will pop up with dates. Another useful thing to remember is that if you are scheduled for an IB exam, you are excused from classes for the rest of the day. However, sometimes you will have multiple exams in one day.
No matter what exams you’re taking and when, it’s always important to remember that the score you get on the exam does not define you as a person. Take a deep breath and do your best, and that’s all you can do!
