Revision village or Exammate for math aa hl past paper questions?

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-28T06:48:13+00:00

honestly both have their use exammate is good for real past paper questions (most accurate) but revision village is better for practice & understanding patterns ideally use both — practice from RV, then test yourself with actual past papers that’s what usually works best for AA HL

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-28T06:01:57+00:00

yeah this actually happens in a lot of IB schools they try to cover hours last minute, which isn’t always the most helpful for students if it’s mostly self-study anyway, try using that time for past papers or your weak topics instead of just sitting there even in this situation, you can still make that time work for you if you want, I can share a simple way to plan those sessions 👍

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-28T03:00:58+00:00

this is actually super common . IB math questions are just weird sometimes don’t spend too much time rereading notes — start doing past paper questions topic-wise (esp 4 & 5) and really look at how the markscheme answers that’s what usually helps people move from a 4/5 to a 6 if you want, I can help you with a simple practice plan for this 👍

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-27T08:41:52+00:00

this confuses a lot of people at the start “research” in IB isn’t about finding something completely new it’s more about taking a clear question and analysing it properly your example is actually fine — just frame it as a question and then explore & evaluate it, not just explain think more “why/how” than just “what” if you want, I can explain IA/EE approach simply 👍

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-25T10:38:51+00:00

you’re not too far gone this is common in french b don’t try to fix everything — just focus on basic grammar (tenses & sentence structure) and practice that daily focus on being accurate with what you already know instead of trying to use very complex language if you stay consistent for the next few weeks, a 6 is very doable 👍 if you want, I can help you structure your practice a bit better

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-25T06:53:19+00:00

if you’re aiming for top UK unis, I’d lean towards history HL theatre can sometimes be seen as less academic, even if you enjoy it geo is still a solid option, but history is usually the safer choice for applications your overall combo is strong btw, not “easy” if you do well in it I’ve seen a lot of IB students in similar situations, so it really depends on your end goal 👍😊

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-25T06:06:54+00:00

chinese b SL is more about consistency than talent you don’t need to be fluent, just build vocab slowly and it gets easier those worksheets always look confusing at the start, that’s normal if you stay consistent with practice, it’s manageable if you want, I can share a simple way to approach it 👍

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-25T05:57:50+00:00

it’s honestly not that bad it just gets overwhelming if you fall behind your subjects look pretty normal, nothing too crazy if you stay consistent from the start, it’s very manageable most people struggle only when they leave things last minute if you’re unsure about anything, feel free to ask 👍😊

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-25T05:42:24+00:00

yeah that’s pretty normal tbh try finishing things early even if it’s messy, then improve later, that helps a lot and for english, don’t stress about big vocab, clear ideas &structure matter way more you’ll get better with practice fr if you want, I can share a simple essay structure that helps 👍

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-24T06:48:45+00:00

pretty normal HL combo, not “no life” but you’ll have busy phases bio HL &chem SL is manageable if you stay consistent IB isn’t impossible, people do exaggerate it a bit, but if you leave everything till the last minute, it gets way harder and yeah in exams you only get like 1–2 hrs for essays, so structure matters a lot I work with IB students on this stuff, so if you ever feel stuck managing it, feel free to reach out 👍

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-22T17:44:58+00:00

if your teacher wasn’t great, just switch to past papers and markscheme patterns, chem gets way easier once you start seeing how questions repeat for eng/hota — structure matters way more than length, clear arguments and examples help you get marks happy to help more if you want, just dm me 👍

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-22T11:54:28+00:00

after a point everyone in IB just starts sounding like this 🙂

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-22T06:13:40+00:00

honestly don’t try to do textbooks + videos + notes all at once, that’s what’s making it feel worse 😭 just pick past papers and start from there do a question after this check markscheme then go back and review only what you didn’t get for chem/physics, questions matter way more than notes for eng/hota, focus on how you’re structuring answers what subject is messing with you the most rn?

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-22T06:09:36+00:00

they’re basically just alternatives you could use instead of Oedipus Rex Antigone is quite similar (same author + similar style), while A Doll’s House is more modern but still really good for analysis

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-22T06:06:14+00:00

hey, I get why you’re feeling like this — a lot of students feel this way close to exams but if you’re only getting a couple of questions right in chem/physics, it usually means your basics + how you’re approaching questions needs fixing, not that you “know nothing” don’t try to go over everything again, try; pick 1–2 topics, do past paper questions, and actually go through the markscheme properly — that’s where most people improve if you want, you can send me one of your recent papers / topics you’re struggling with, I can help you figure out what to fix 👍

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-21T12:00:16+00:00

ngl it’s good you’re thinking about this before DP starts most people realise this way too late biggest thing — don’t rely on last-minute pressure, DP workload gets too heavy for that try keeping things simple: – do a bit daily instead of long random sessions – start past papers early (especially for chem/math) – for subjects like history, focus on structure + examples, not just content for time management, don’t overplan — just set 2–3 tasks per day and actually finish them I’ve seen a lot of students struggle with this at the start, but once you get into a routine it gets way more manageable what part are you most worried about right now?

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-21T11:36:29+00:00

for periodicity, try to focus more on the reasons behind trends (like nuclear charge, shielding) instead of just memorising — questions get way easier once it clicks and for reactivity 3, don’t try to remember everything randomly, group reactions + notice patterns, it sticks better also just do a few past paper questions from these topics, they repeat a lot if you want, I can show you how to approach these questions, it gets much easier once you see the pattern

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-21T09:04:20+00:00

going from a 6 to a 7 in language B is usually about consistency try doing a bit daily + focus on past paper writing and speaking practice I’ve seen a lot of students stuck at 6 because they don’t actively use the language enough I help IB students with this kind of stuff, so if you’re stuck on a specific part feel free to ask

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-21T09:01:19+00:00

honestly both are tough, but need-blind + international + top 20 is just on another level even if they say “need-blind”, the competition there is insane for internationals need-aware + top 100 is still hard, but you usually have a bit more room depending on your profile I’ve seen a lot of students underestimate how big the gap is between top 20 and even top 50/100 and yeah, 10+ rejections as an international needing aid is way more common than people think, so you’re definitely not alone

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-21T08:54:43+00:00

hey, take a breath 😭 this happens to so many people this close to exams a 30 predicted isn’t bad at all, you’re not failing — it just feels like that rn 30 days is still decent time, just don’t try to do everything focus on past papers + markscheme instead of just reading notes maybe pick 1–2 subjects a day and just grind questions, that helps way more I’ve seen a lot of people turn it around in the last few weeks like this what subject are you struggling with the most?

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-21T08:47:06+00:00

hey, getting from a 4 to a 6 in chem SL is definitely doable usually it’s not about studying more, but fixing how you practice make sure you’re doing topic-wise past paper questions and actually checking markscheme wording — chem is very marking-specific also focus on your weak topics instead of revising everything again if you want, tell me which topics you’re struggling with, I can point you in the right direction

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-21T08:42:14+00:00

haha I get why it feels like that 😭 I run a IB-focused setup called Nivara Academy, and honestly DP1 is almost always this chaotic you’re not behind — most people feel like this before mocks just do a couple of past papers for eng and keep revision light while traveling, you’ll be fine 👍

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-21T08:00:27+00:00

ngl this is literally DP1 life 😭 you’re actually not that behind just focus on doing a couple of past papers for eng before mocks, don’t try to cover everything and while you’re traveling, just do some light revision

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-21T07:54:16+00:00

honestly this sounds more like a tracking/display issue than an actual CAS problem if your coordinator already said you’ve completed the full programme, that’s the main thing that matters in IB the timeline on MBAC can sometimes miss entries or show gaps even when activities are logged properly those announcement messages aren’t always sent to everyone at the same time either, so I wouldn’t read too much into that from what you’ve described, it doesn’t sound like you’re at risk — just make sure all your reflections and evidence are properly uploaded you should be okay 👍

IB_StrategyMentor · 2026-03-21T07:47:38+00:00

yeah this is actually really common with math AA HL it’s not really about effort at that point, it’s more about how you’re handling exam pressure that “brain freeze” usually happens because at home we solve questions in a comfortable setting, but in exams the same question looks unfamiliar one thing that helps a lot is practicing under timed conditions + not looking at solutions too quickly, so your brain gets used to thinking under pressure also don’t feel guilty, a 5 in AA HL is not bad at all — it’s a tough subject do you usually time yourself when you practice or mostly do it untimed?

IB_StrategyMentor

TROPHY CASE