Both of the sites below have some things for free, although lots of you will have a subscription for Save My Exams already so will have full access!

Top Tips Explained:

1. Master the "IB Command Terms"

The IB uses specific language in exam questions that dictates exactly how you must answer. If you miss the nuance, you lose marks even if your math is correct.

• "Write down": No working is needed; the answer is usually obvious or previously calculated.

• "Show that": The answer is given; you must provide every single step of the derivation.

• "Hence": You must use your previous answer to solve the current part.

• "Sketch" vs. "Draw": A sketch needs key features (asymptotes, intercepts) but doesn't need to be on scale paper.

2. Treat the Formula Booklet as Your Best Friend

Don't wait until the mock exams to open the formula booklet. You should know exactly what is in there—and more importantly, what isn't.

• The Habit: Keep a printed copy of the booklet next to you every time you study.

• The Pro Move: Annotate your personal copy with the "hidden" formulas (the ones you need to derive or memorize) so you know where the booklet leaves off and your memory must take over.

3. Pivot from "Topic Study" to "Exam Style"

Doing 50 simple textbook problems on logarithms is a trap. IB exam questions are usually multi-topic. A single question might start with a geometric sequence and end with a complex derivative.

• The Habit: Use resources like Revision Village or past papers early. Once you learn a concept, immediately try a "Paper 2" style question on it to see how the IB disguises the math.

4. Become a GDC Power User

For both Math AA and AI, the Graphic Display Calculator (GDC) is the difference between a 5 and a 7.

• Efficiency: Learn the shortcuts for finding intersections, roots, and definite integrals.

• Safety Net: You must write down the "calculator setup" (e.g., what you entered into the N-Solve or Finance Solver) to secure method marks if you make a typo.

5. The "Reverse Engineering" Review

When you get a question wrong, don't just look at the markscheme and say "Oh, I see."

• The Habit: Redo the question from scratch 24 hours later.

• The Goal: Identify if your error was Conceptual (didn't know what to do), Algebraic (silly mistake), or Language-based (misunderstood the prompt).