Top Tips for Scoring a 7 In IB DP Higher Level Chemistry: some valuable tips from a Chemistry teacher

It is no unknown fact that IB DP HL Chemistry is a difficult subject to take, and a subject which requires a deep understanding in specific topic areas. In order to score a 7, it is very important to prepare tactically for the IB DP exam, and this guide is designed to help with this.

• The importance of doing past IB Chemistry papers
  Past IB DP exam papers are the most important part to revising for HL Chemistry, because they not only test your knowledge (One of the best ways to revise), but they can also be used to learn new content. When starting to revise for IB HL Chemistry exams, do not wait to learn all of the course content before you begin doing questions and past IB exam papers – Use them as learning resources as well instead of solely using textbooks/lesson notes/revision guides to learn your
  content. IB DP Mark schemes are very useful to read because they indicate the level of understanding you require for specific topic areas, and the specific buzzwords/phrases which will get you marks when giving IB exam responses.
  
  
• Giving your IB Internal Assessment (IA) a high level of priority
  When it comes to the time of writing your IB HL Chemistry IA, you should put a high level of priority on it because of the weight it carries for your overall IB grade (20%)! Although you should put as much effort into IB exam revision as possible, having a high scoring IB IA provides a small safety net for you in case your IB exam does not go as well as you hoped. Your IB IA does not need to be extremely complex/difficult for it to score highly, rather it should be well written and demonstrate a deep understanding of the topic area that you are writing in. Look at as many example IAs as you can, not just the high scoring ones, because they not only show the best ways to score high marks in the IB exams, but they also show how you can improve certain sections of your IA. Also, always remember that thinking of an IA idea is the hardest part.
  
  
• Understanding what topic areas require more revision than others
  IB HL Chemistry is a subject with quite a lot of content, and as a result of this during your revision you should give certain topic areas more priority than others. This makes it important to try and revise as much as you can for your IB school Chemistry tests (Particularly all of your IB mock exams), because these will show you what topic areas you are weaker in and what topic areas you find more straightforward. Furthermore, certain topic areas such as bonding and organic chemistry have more content compared to other topics and require more priority because of their prevalence on exams and the high amount of understanding you require for these IB Chemistry topics. If you take the first tip in this guide and begin doing past IB papers very early in your revision, these will show you your weaker topic areas and how you have improved in them during the time of your IB revision.

  Hopefully this brief guide was useful for your revision and good luck with your IB DP Chemistry exam.