Three Things IB Students Can Learn From Retakers

Although there are IB schools that host their DP exams in November, the majority of you will link this time of year with retakes going on. Independent of the cycle you follow, they are an event you should be consciously aware of, as they may be accompanied by some valuable lessons for your own exams. You’re asking which? We’ve listed three important ones below:

1. They make you aware of time. Retakes provide a useful alarm clock six months prior to the next exam session. If you’re in your second year and at this point are still busy looking for excuses as to why your performance is not where you would like it to be, you should start to consider changing your strategy. You can: A. invest more time and effort, or B. lower your standards (and yes – there is a right and wrong answer here)
2. Retakes are there to improve. Students taking their exams a second time are certainly doing so for a reason. Either they were not satisfied with their results, or someone else wasn’t (it’s up for debate which one is worse). Nevertheless, they have already experienced the exams and are presumably doing something different this time in order to improve. Why do you care? Because you want to know about the ‘something’!

3. If all fails, it’s not over. Ideally, you’ll achieve your goal of getting 45 points right away. However, don’t forget that it's not the end of the world if you don't. If you really need additional points, there is a second chance. Keeping this in the back of your head can certainly help you reduce your nervousness and anxiety before the exams. At the same time, be careful not to get too comfortable. You should always do the best you can!

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