IB Maths Revision Plan: A Month-by-Month Guide
A good IB maths revision plan does three things. It covers every topic early, it keeps bringing old topics back, and it moves you from notes to timed exam questions well before the exam. This guide gives you a timeline that works for Analysis and Approaches (AA) and Applications and Interpretation (AI), at Standard or Higher Level.
You can start at any point. If you are closer to the exam, jump to the stage that matches your date and compress it.
TL;DR
- Work backwards from your exam date and split the time into three stages: rebuild, practise, simulate.
- Revise little and often. Spaced retrieval practice improved calculus exam results compared with massed practice, even though it feels harder.
- Keep a weekly rhythm: one new topic, one older topic, one timed paper section.
- Remember the exploration is 20% of your grade and the written exams are 80%, so finish the internal assessment early.
- Track results by topic, so each week targets your weakest area.
Table of Contents
- Start with what the IB actually assesses
- The three-stage timeline
- A weekly rhythm you can actually keep
- Adjusting for AA, AI, SL and HL
- Perspective: why tracking beats hours logged
- Put the plan into practice with Tiber Tutor
- Common mistakes to avoid
- FAQ
- Sources
Start with what the IB actually assesses
Before you plan hours, know what you are planning for. According to the IB mathematics curriculum page, the internal assessment (the exploration) is worth 20% of the final grade and the written examinations make up the remaining 80%. That split shapes your plan: most of your revision time belongs to exam papers, but the exploration needs a protected slot so it does not collide with exam season.
Two practical checks first:
- Confirm your session and dates. Check the IB exam schedule for your May or November session and note when each maths paper falls.
- Know your paper structure. Papers differ by course and level. Our AA exam breakdown sets out what each paper tests and how marks are spread.
A note for teachers and parents: the IB has announced a refreshed AA course, with the new course launching in February 2027 for first teaching in August 2027. If your student is sitting exams before that, they follow the current course, so use current-syllabus materials.
The three-stage timeline
The stages below assume about six months. Shorter on time? Keep the order, shrink each stage.
| Stage | Typical timing | Main goal | Core activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Rebuild | Months 6 to 4 before exams | Fill gaps in every topic | Notes, flashcards, short question sets |
| 2. Practise | Months 3 to 2 | Turn knowledge into marks | Topic tests, mixed question sets |
| 3. Simulate | Final 6 to 8 weeks | Exam stamina and timing | Full timed papers, error review |
Stage 1: Rebuild (months 6 to 4)
Go through the syllabus topic by topic. For each one, read a concise set of notes, then test yourself straight away. Do not just reread. Close the notes and try to write the key formulas and definitions from memory.
Useful tools at this stage:
- AA notes or AI notes for clear, syllabus-aligned explanations.
- AA definitions so command terms and vocabulary stop costing you marks.
- AA flashcards for daily retrieval of formulas and key results.
At the end of each topic, rate your confidence from 1 to 5. Be honest. This list drives Stage 2.
Stage 2: Practise (months 3 to 2)
Now the question bank becomes your main tool. Start with topic-specific sets, then move to mixed questions so you learn to recognise which method a question needs.
- Start each session with five minutes of retrieval on an older topic.
- Do questions under light time pressure, then mark yourself against the mark scheme.
- Write down why you lost every mark: concept gap, algebra slip, misread question, or unclear working.
Try AA questions, AI questions and AA topic tests. Mark-scheme habits matter in IB maths because method marks and follow-through marks reward clear, ordered working.
Stage 3: Simulate (final 6 to 8 weeks)
Switch to full papers in exam conditions: same duration, same calculator rules, no notes. Use full AA exam tests for this. Then spend at least as long reviewing a paper as you spent sitting it.
In the last fortnight, drop new material. Reread your error log, redo questions you got wrong, and use the AA cram sheets as a final scan of formulas and common traps.
A weekly rhythm you can actually keep
A plan fails when it is too ambitious. This pattern fits around school, sport and a social life, at roughly six to eight hours a week in Stages 1 and 2:
| Day | Session | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | New or weak topic: notes, then questions | 60 min |
| Tuesday | Flashcards on older topics | 20 min |
| Wednesday | Mixed questions, timed | 45 min |
| Thursday | Flashcards plus error-log review | 30 min |
| Saturday | One timed paper section, marked in full | 90 min |
| Sunday | Plan next week from your weakest topics | 15 min |
The logic is simple. Short, repeated sessions beat one long cram. A 2022 review in Nature Reviews Psychology discusses spacing and retrieval practice as two straightforward learning strategies that learners underuse. If you want a broader look at turning that into a schedule, this step by step exam readiness plan is a good companion.
Adjusting for AA, AI, SL and HL
AA students should weight algebra, functions, calculus and proof-style reasoning heavily, because these appear across papers. AI students should spend more time on statistics, modelling and technology use, and practise interpreting results in context, not only calculating them.
HL students need extra weeks for the additional content and for longer, harder questions. Add a second timed section each week. SL students can usually keep the plan above and spend the spare time on accuracy and presentation.
Whichever course you take, protect time for the exploration. Draft it early, aim to finish well before mock season, and do not let it steal your final-stage practice.
Perspective: why tracking beats hours logged
We see the same pattern again and again. Students who revise for ten hours but never record what they got wrong often plateau. Students who revise for six hours and review every mistake keep improving.
That is why we built Tiber Tutor around connection. Notes link to flashcards, flashcards to questions, questions to topic tests, and tests to mock exams. Every result feeds your progress tracking, so you can see which topics are strong and which need attention. Our content is written by actual IB examiners, which means the questions and mark schemes reflect how the exam really rewards working. We do not know of another IB STEM platform that joins syllabus monitoring, student-led answer review against examiner mark schemes and performance analytics in one place.
If you feel behind, that is normal, and it is fixable. A clear plan and small daily steps build confidence faster than panic ever will.
— Oliver
Put the plan into practice with Tiber Tutor
Everything in the timeline above is available in one place: notes, definitions, flashcards, topic tests, full mock papers, cram sheets, a custom test builder and analytics that show your progress by topic. You can start with a free 7-day trial.
On price, the All-Access Plan is $19 per month and the Per-Subject Plan is $9 per month, as published on our pricing page. With examiner-written content, integrated tracking and exam-style practice included, we believe it is the best value for money in IB STEM revision. Students can also see what we offer on our IB student page.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Rereading instead of retrieving. It feels productive but builds less memory than testing yourself.
- Only practising favourite topics. Use your confidence ratings to force attention onto weak areas.
- Skipping mark schemes. Marks come from method as well as answers.
- Leaving full papers too late. Timing is a skill. Start simulations at least six weeks out.
- Ignoring the exploration. It is 20% of your grade, so schedule it.
FAQ
How long should an IB maths revision plan be?
Six months gives comfortable room for all three stages, but a focused eight to ten weeks can work if you already know the content. Compress each stage rather than skipping one. Always keep at least four to six weeks for timed papers.
How many hours a week should I revise maths?
About six to eight hours a week works for most students in the earlier stages, rising a little in the final weeks. Consistency matters more than the total. Four short sessions a week beat one marathon.
Is a 10-day crash plan enough?
It can help you tidy up weak areas and practise timing, but it cannot replace months of spaced practice. If you only have days, prioritise past-paper style questions on your weakest topics, formulas and error review.
Should I revise AA and AI differently?
Yes, in emphasis. AA leans towards algebraic and calculus reasoning, while AI leans towards statistics, modelling and technology. The three-stage structure stays the same for both.
Sources
- IB mathematics curriculum
- IB exam schedule
- IB mathematics: analysis and approaches updates
- Spaced retrieval practice in calculus learning, Educational Psychology Review
- The science of effective learning with spacing and retrieval practice, Nature Reviews Psychology
- Step by step exam readiness