How to Revise for IB Maths: Tactics That Work

Revising for IB maths can feel like a daunting task. With so many topics to cover and a challenging exam ahead, it’s easy to feel unsure about the best way to prepare. 

But effective revision isn’t just about working harder—it’s about working smarter. By using the right techniques, you can strengthen your understanding, improve recall, and boost your exam confidence. 

As an experienced maths teacher and tutor, I’ll guide you through proven revision strategies to help you make the most of your study time and approach your IB maths exam with confidence.

This article is divided into three key sections, each of which contains three effective revision tactics and techniques.

Active learning techniques

1. Active recall

2. Elaborative interrogation

3. Interleaving

Effective revision habits

1. Chunking

2. Mind mapping

3. Teaching others (or yourself)

Exam preparation

1. Timed practice 

2. Reviewing mistakes

3. Healthy study routine 

Active learning techniques

Active learning techniques require you to practise retrieving information from your brain. These types of activities differ from more passive activities, such as reading or note-taking, where your brain is just required to absorb or recognise information. As such, they are effective for remembering the key information you need to ace your IB maths exams.

Active recall

One effective active learning technique is that of active recall, testing yourself by recalling key concepts without looking at your notes. A simple form of this is to use flashcards, where you have the key concept or question on one side of the card and the definition or solution on the other side. 

When using flashcards appropriately, you are training yourself how to remember. This is an essential skill in your maths exam – particularly when you have to recall something like the laws of indices or the process for differentiating an algebraic expression. In fact, studies have shown a positive correlation between using flashcards cards and higher test scores.

You can either make your own flashcards or find some online that are already made. At Save My Exams, we have flashcards that cover the full specification for each of the four IB maths courses: AA SL, AA HL, AI SL and AI HL. When you have them ready, you then need to use them to optimise your learning.

The German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus illustrated how quickly we forget information that we have learned with his Forgetting Curve. Knowledge is at its peak immediately after learning but drops off very quickly in the following hours and days. By scheduling regular review sessions of your revision cards, you can counteract this ‘forgetting effect’.

As you practise the retrieval of information from your memory, the information becomes more deeply embedded and easier to retrieve. You can set specific, increasing intervals between review sessions (spaced repetition) to enhance this further. For example, start by reviewing each set of cards daily, then every three days, then every 6 days etc.

Elaborative interrogation

Put simply, elaborative interrogation is a revision strategy that involves asking yourself "why" and "how" questions about the material you’re studying. Instead of just memorising facts or formulas, you actively question them, which strengthens understanding and improves long-term retention.

When you study a concept, pause and ask questions such as:

• Why does this work the way it does?

• How does this relate to what I already know?

• Why is this the correct method, and what would happen if I did it differently?

By engaging with the material in this way, you connect new information to existing knowledge, making it easier to recall and apply in different contexts.

Let’s say you’re revising differentiation. You could ask yourself:

• Why does differentiation find the rate of change?

• How does the power rule work, and what happens if the exponent is negative or a fraction?

• Why does differentiation undo integration?

• Why do we set the derivative to zero to find stationary points?

In order to be able to answer these questions that you have asked yourself, you may need to go back and read your notes. If they can’t quite answer the question for you, don’t forget that at Save My Exams we have course specific revision notes and tutorial videos for AA SL, AA HL, AI SL and AI HL to help you with your understanding of the different mathematical concepts.

By questioning, instead of just memorising rules, you are more likely to understand the reasoning behind the maths, so you’ll be better equipped to apply these skills in different applications.

Interleaving

Interleaving is a revision technique where you mix different topics and question types within a study session, rather than focusing on one topic at a time. This approach forces your brain to constantly switch between different types of problems, improving problem-solving skills and long-term retention.

This is a particularly effective revision technique for maths as multiple topic areas are examined in each paper. For both the Applications & Interpretation (AI) course and the Analysis & Approaches (AA) course, you will come across extended questions, which can cover multiple mathematical concepts. If you are studying maths at HL then you will also have to tackle those complex problem solving Paper 3 questions. 

How do you apply interleaving to your maths revision? 

Instead of spending an entire session on trigonometry, for example, you could tackle a mix of problems on integration, algebra, and functions. This challenges you to identify the correct method based on the question rather than its position in a set of exercises.

Alternatively, if you want to focus on a particular area of maths, you could combine different types of problems within that topic area. If you’re revising functions, you could include a mix of questions on function notation, exponentials, straight line graphs and quadratic functions. 

Using past papers for revision is a straightforward form of interleaving as the papers naturally mix different topics. Your teacher should be able to supply you with IB past papers, and at Save My Exams we have original practice papers to support you with your revision for AA SL, AA HL, AI SL and AI HL.

Effective revision habits

Good revision starts with structured study habits. Identifying how you work best and creating a uniquely tailored revision timetable to accommodate that will help you to be consistent and ensure you get the most out of your revision.  

Chunking

Chunking is a study technique that involves breaking down large topics into smaller, more manageable sections. Instead of trying to learn everything at once, you group related concepts together and focus on mastering them one step at a time. This method helps to reduce the load on your brain, makes information easier to process, and improves retention of the material.

Step 1: Break the topic into logical chunks

For example, rather than revising "trigonometry" as a whole, divide it into sub-topics. 

E.g.,

• Right-angled trigonometry

• Non right-angled trigonometry

• Applications of trigonometry

Step 2: Set specific learning goals for each chunk

E.g., for non right-angled trig

• Learn how to apply the sine and cosine rules to find missing sides and angles

• Understand the formula for the area of a triangle using trigonometry

• Practise problem-solving with real-world applications

You can then structure your revision in a timetable to ensure that you are able to cover all of the topics you need to.

Mind mapping

Mind mapping is a powerful technique for organising and connecting mathematical concepts visually, making it easier to recall and apply information in exams. Unlike linear note-taking, mind maps show relationships between topics, helping you see the bigger picture and identify key areas for deeper understanding.

Step 1: Start by writing a key topic in the centre of the mind map, e.g., “Correlation & regression”.

Step 2: Create branches for sub-topics, e.g., “Correlation coefficient, r”

Step 3: Add sub-branches for key formulas, graphs and examples, e.g., “PMCC = 1, indicates a perfect positive correlation.”

Step 4: Add links between concepts as the mind map grows, e.g., create a link between PMCC and Spearman’s rank explaining the difference between the two.

Visual learning aids, such as diagrams, mind maps and flowcharts, can break down complex topics, making them easier to understand. Mind maps can also show links between different areas as well as providing you with a quick visual overview for your revision.

Teaching others (or yourself)

One of the most powerful revision techniques is teaching others or teaching yourself. I’m a huge believer in explaining a concept out loud to reinforce your own understanding of it regardless of whether you are speaking to someone else or just talking out loud to yourself.  

So often in the classroom, a student would tell me they were stuck. My first response would be to ask them to explain to me what they had done so far or how they had solved a previous problem. Typically, they would then be able to recognise what they needed to do next without me telling them.

This method is particularly effective for IB Maths, where deep conceptual understanding is essential for problem-solving. So why not pair up with a study partner and take it in turns to explain a concept to each other? 

For example, you could set a timer and one person could spend 5 minutes explaining how a chi-squared test is conducted. The second person could challenge the explainer by asking them “why?” or “how?” questions to encourage them to develop their explanations further and deepen their understanding of the concept.

If you get stuck, remember that you can always discuss it together, or you can check your notes then try again.

If you can’t get together in person with someone, why not send voice notes to each other?

Alternatively, if you don’t have a study partner you can record your explanations for yourself or write out explanations. You can then review them alongside your notes and refine them.

Teaching is one of the most effective ways to revise IB maths because it forces you to engage deeply with the material through explaining step-by-step solutions, and answering challenging questions.

Exam preparation

Revising effectively means preparing for exam-style challenges so make sure that the way in which you study incorporates developing exam technique and simulates real exam conditions to help build confidence to ensure that you can apply your knowledge effectively when it matters most.

Timed practice

Timed practice is an essential part of exam preparation for IB maths, as it can help you to develop speed, accuracy, and exam stamina. Timed practice can also help to reduce any anxiety that you may face in the exam hall as you will be more familiar with the structure of the papers and the time you have available to complete them.

Instead of jumping straight into completing whole past papers under strict conditions, you may want to strategically build up to it.

You could start by timing yourself completing individual questions. The number of marks that a question is worth should give you an indication of how long you should expect to spend on it. A good rule of thumb is to try and gain 1 mark per minute, so a 6 mark question should take around 6 minutes to complete.

You could then think about trying to complete a section of a paper or a complete paper in the time allowed, but be relaxed about the timing. At this stage, you may want to focus on the accuracy of your answers before increasing the pressure with strict time controls. 

If you are studying the Applications & Interpretation course, then paper 1 consists of short-response questions and paper 2 consists of extended-response questions. You should practice both as your approach to time management will likely be different for each.

If you are studying the Analysis & Approaches course, then paper 1 and paper 2 each consist of a short-response section and an extended-response section. Although they have a similar structure, and your timing should be similar for both, the fact that one paper is calculator and the other is non-calculator may make them feel quite different.

Finally, if you are studying one of the Higher Level courses, then paper 3 is a very different structure again, so timed practice is essential to learn how to tackle it efficiently.

Timed practice trains you to think quickly and strategically under pressure, a vital skill for IB maths exams. By progressively moving from timed questions to full exam simulations, you develop speed, accuracy, and confidence, ensuring you're fully prepared for exam day.

Reviewing mistakes

In IB maths, success isn’t just about recalling formulas and methods—it’s about applying them correctly to solve problems efficiently. Simply practising past paper questions isn’t enough to gain the top grades; learning from your mistakes is what truly improves performance.

One of the most effective ways to do this is by looking closely at the mark schemes when you come to check the past papers that you have completed as part of your timed practice. IB maths mark schemes provide detailed breakdowns of how marks are awarded, showing not only the correct approach but also common errors and misconceptions. Understanding examiner expectations can help you refine your technique, ensuring you present your working clearly and methodically.

For example, the mark scheme for a probability question may indicate that a method mark is awarded for correctly identifying the conditional probability formula, but correct values will need to be substituted in, and the calculation completed accurately in order to gain full marks. Recognising this helps you pinpoint where marks are lost and avoid repeating the same misunderstanding.

After completing a past paper, go beyond checking your score—analyse every mistake carefully. Ask yourself: Did I misread the question? Did I make a calculation error? Did I apply the wrong method? By systematically reviewing and correcting mistakes, you develop stronger problem-solving skills and improve your exam performance.

Healthy study routine 

Last, but not least, a well-structured study routine is essential for effective revision in general, helping you stay focused, productive, and motivated while avoiding burnout. Balancing study sessions with breaks, sleep, nutrition, and exercise ensures your mind stays sharp and ready to absorb complex mathematical concepts.

You can start by creating a realistic revision plan. You may want to consider some of the techniques discussed earlier in this article as you create it. For example, you may wish to think about ‘chunking’ large topics into manageable sections so that you can review them at spaced intervals. 

You may also want to consider scheduling in different styles of revision at different times in order to avoid boredom. In one session you could focus on flashcard recall, and in another you could create mind maps. Regardless of how you decide to organise your time, it’s a good idea to space out your revision and revisit difficult topics multiple times over several weeks.

A distraction-free study environment is also crucial. Find a quiet space, put away your phone, and use tools like the Pomodoro technique, which involves studying for 25-minute intervals followed by short 5-minute breaks. After a few sessions, take a longer 15-30 minute break. During these breaks, get some fresh air, grab a snack, or move your body to re-energise your mind.

Remember that a balanced study routine will not only enhance your retention but also keep you feeling refreshed and ready for exam success.

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References

Active recall strategies associated with academic achievement in young adults: A systematic review

The Forgetting Curve