Are official IB past papers available free online?

The IB publishes a limited selection of sample and specimen examination papers free on its website. Complete past-paper collections are generally copyrighted and are not maintained by the IB as an unrestricted public archive. Many authorized schools purchase examination materials or use the official IB Questionbank, so students should ask their teacher or coordinator what licensed access is available. Specimen papers are particularly useful for recently updated subjects because they demonstrate the intended format and question style. Avoid assuming that an unofficial drive is accurate, current, or authorized simply because its files can be downloaded.

What is the best completely free IB revision website?

There is no single best website for every IB subject and study task. Official IB materials are best for verifying the syllabus and assessment structure, while specialist sites may explain particular subjects more clearly. RevisionDojo offers free IB notes and question practice with Jojo AI feedback, making it useful for an all-subject workflow. BioNinja is particularly helpful for Biology, and IB English Guys provides strong guidance for English A assessment skills. The best choice is the resource that matches your current syllabus and requires you to retrieve knowledge and answer questions rather than only read.

Can I prepare for IB exams using only free resources?

Yes, it is possible to prepare effectively using free resources, especially if your school provides the official guide, licensed papers, textbooks, and teacher support. A strong free system should include accurate syllabus information, concept explanations, active recall, exam-style questions, and timed practice. The main challenge is not a lack of information but checking that each resource is current and using it consistently. Free markschemes may provide limited explanation, so worked solutions or teacher feedback are valuable when you cannot identify why an answer lost marks. Paid resources can improve convenience or coverage, but they are not automatically necessary for strong preparation.

How should I use IB past-paper video solutions?

Attempt the question fully before opening a video solution, even if you are unsure how to begin. Then compare the video's setup, reasoning, notation, and final answer with your own method. Pause before each major step and predict what should happen next so that watching remains active. Record the precise cause of your error, such as missing knowledge, an incorrect assumption, weak algebra, or misunderstanding the command term. Finish by solving a similar question without the video, because independent transfer is the real evidence that you have learned the method.

How can I tell whether an IB revision resource is outdated?

Check whether the resource names the syllabus version, first-teaching year, or first-assessment year. Compare its topic list, paper structure, timings, and assessment weightings with the current subject guide or official subject brief. Warning signs include discontinued option topics, old paper labels, incorrect calculator rules, or content that does not distinguish SL from HL. Recently revised subjects require particular care because older notes may remain highly visible in search results. If the resource does not state which course it covers, verify every important detail with your teacher before relying on it.

Are flashcards enough for IB exam revision?

Flashcards are useful for retrieving definitions, formulas, quotations, vocabulary, examples, and short factual sequences. They are much less effective for practising essays, data analysis, evaluation, mathematical modelling, and extended scientific reasoning. IB examinations often require students to apply knowledge through specific command terms, so question practice must follow recall work. Keep cards concise, test one idea at a time, and revise them through spaced repetition rather than rereading the deck. A balanced session should move from flashcards to an exam-style task that requires the recalled knowledge to be used in context.

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Best Free IB Revision Resources in 2026

• 5 Aug 2026•13

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Best Free IB Revision Resources in 2026 | RevisionDojo

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Best Free IB Revision Resources in 2026

• 5 Aug 2026•13

The best free IB revision resources in 2026 combine official IB materials, syllabus-aligned notes, active-recall tools, exam-style questions, and worked explanations. Start with the current subject guide or public subject brief, the correct data or formula booklet, and official specimen papers. Then add a specialist platform for explanation and repeated practice.

No single website does every job equally well. Official documents are the source of truth for assessment, while revision platforms are usually better for teaching difficult ideas, organizing practice, and explaining why an answer earns marks.

The best free IB revision resources at a glance

Resource	Best use	Main limitation
Official IB subject materials	Checking syllabus content, assessment structure, and terminology	Full subject guides are normally accessed through your school or the IB Programme Resource Centre
Official specimen and sample papers	Learning paper structure and question style	Limited number of papers and explanations
Data and formula booklets	Practising efficient use of permitted reference material	Must match your current syllabus and examination session
RevisionDojo	IB notes, question practice, feedback, and video walkthroughs	Coverage and free availability can vary by resource type
BioNinja	Syllabus-focused IB Biology explanations and diagrams	A specialist Biology resource rather than an all-subject platform
IB English Guys	Paper 1, Paper 2, Individual Oral, and HLE guidance	Some structured courses are paid
Khan Academy	Relearning underlying mathematics and science concepts	Not organized around IB papers or command terms
Anki	Spaced-repetition recall of definitions, examples, and formulas	Shared decks may contain errors or outdated syllabus content

The strongest combination is therefore not simply the site with the largest library. It is the set of resources that helps you move through four stages: identify what is assessed, understand it, retrieve it from memory, and apply it under examination conditions.

Start with official IB resources

Subject guides and subject briefs

Your first task is to confirm that you are revising the correct course. The IB updates subjects on different cycles, so an older set of notes may look useful while covering discontinued content or an obsolete assessment format.

The IB publishes free subject briefs that summarize course aims, syllabus areas, recommended teaching hours, and assessment components. Full subject guides are generally supplied to authorized schools through the Programme Resource Centre, so ask your teacher or Diploma Programme coordinator for the version applying to your examination session.

Use the guide or brief to create a syllabus checklist. Label each area as secure, developing, or untested, then connect every revision session to one listed topic or assessment objective. RevisionDojo's IB syllabus hub can make this easier, but it should be checked against the current official documentation supplied by your school.

Formula and data booklets

In subjects such as Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics, the official reference booklet is part of exam preparation rather than an emergency source of formulas. You need to know what is provided, what is not provided, and where information appears.

Practise with the booklet beside you from the beginning. For example, if a mathematics formula is given, focus on recognizing when it applies and interpreting each variable instead of memorizing the printed expression without context. RevisionDojo provides browsable references such as its Mathematics AA data booklet and Chemistry data booklet, but confirm the official version for your session with your teacher.

Specimen and sample examination papers

The IB's free Diploma sample examination papers include selected specimen papers, sample papers, marking notes, and markschemes across subject groups. These are especially important after a syllabus change because they demonstrate the intended structure before a substantial collection of past papers exists.

A specimen paper is not a prediction. Use it to study question types, instructions, mark allocations, command terms, and timing. The IB began introducing digital examinations in a small number of DP and CP subjects in 2026, so confirm with your coordinator whether your subject and school will use paper or digital delivery.

Free revision platforms and question banks

A revision platform should do more than display information. It should help you answer questions, receive useful feedback, and return to weaknesses.

RevisionDojo's free IB Questionbank provides curriculum-aligned practice with markscheme-style feedback from Jojo AI. Its broader IB resource library connects questions with notes, flashcards, subject references, and video walkthroughs.

This matters because most free question sources stop at a final answer or short markscheme. A markscheme tells you what received credit, but it may not show the reasoning that takes a student from the question to that answer. Per-question video solutions are comparatively rare and valuable, particularly in Mathematics and the sciences, because they can demonstrate setup, intermediate reasoning, calculator decisions, and common errors.

RevisionDojo includes past-question video walkthroughs within supported subject hubs, including IB Mathematics AA resources and IB Chemistry resources. Coverage may differ between subjects and questions, so check the relevant hub rather than assuming every paper has a video. Students who learn best from demonstrated methods can use the per-question past-paper video walkthroughs after making a serious attempt themselves.

Useful free subject-specific resources

Biology

BioNinja is a free teacher-created resource mapped to the Biology curriculum first taught in 2023. It organizes content through the course themes and biological topics, with notes, diagrams, worksheets, and review materials.

Use it to clarify processes such as transcription, cell respiration, inheritance, and ecosystem interactions. Do not merely reread the pages: close the resource, reproduce the process from memory, and then answer a data-based or extended-response question.

English A

IB English Guys provides free videos and documents on Paper 1, Paper 2, the Individual Oral, and the Higher Level Essay. Its strongest value is modelling the analytical process: moving from observation to authorial choice, effect, and interpretation.

English revision should not become memorization of a universal essay template. Use models to understand structure, then practise adapting your thesis and evidence to an unseen guiding question or the specific works studied in your class.

Mathematics and sciences

Khan Academy is useful when the obstacle is missing foundational knowledge rather than IB exam technique. Its free lessons cover algebra, trigonometry, calculus, statistics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

Because it is not an IB-specific platform, match lessons manually to your syllabus. After relearning a concept there, move immediately to an IB-style question so that you practise the relevant notation, command terms, and level of difficulty.

Recall-heavy subjects

Anki supports spaced repetition and is free on desktop, through AnkiWeb, and through the community-developed AnkiDroid application. It works well for definitions, quotations, case-study facts, vocabulary, equations, and short chains of reasoning.

Treat public decks cautiously. Check every card against your current course and rewrite cards that are vague, overloaded, or based on an old syllabus. RevisionDojo also provides IB cheatsheets for concise review, but neither flashcards nor summaries should replace extended exam practice.

How to choose a reliable free resource

Before investing hours in a website, test it against five criteria:

Current syllabus alignment: Does it state the course version or first-assessment year?
Correct level: Does it clearly distinguish SL from HL or additional higher level content?
Assessment accuracy: Do paper structure and timings match current official information?
Quality of feedback: Does it explain reasoning, or only reveal an answer?
Legal and ethical access: Is the material published by its owner or provided through an authorized school account?

Be cautious with unofficial drives and mirror sites offering complete archives of copyrighted IB papers or paid resources. Files may be incomplete, altered, outdated, or distributed without permission. Your teacher or coordinator is the safest route to school-licensed past papers and the official IB Questionbank, which is designed for institutions and teachers to build assessments from official questions.

A practical free-resource revision system

A manageable weekly system is more effective than opening several platforms without a purpose.

Choose one syllabus point. Confirm its wording and level in the current guide.
Learn actively for 20 to 30 minutes. Use a subject-specific explanation, then summarize it without looking.
Retrieve the content. Complete flashcards, draw a process, or answer short recall prompts.
Apply it to questions. Attempt several IB-style questions without checking the solution early.
Study the feedback. Compare your work with the markscheme and use a video walkthrough where the method remains unclear.
Record the cause of each error. Separate knowledge gaps, misread command terms, weak reasoning, calculation mistakes, and poor timing.
Retest after several days. Improvement is demonstrated by a fresh answer, not by recognizing a solution you have just watched.

Once a week, complete a timed mixed set. Officially, DP assessment uses both internal and external components, while written examinations form the basis of assessment in most courses. Your revision should therefore include both content learning and realistic written performance.

Common mistakes when using free resources

The first mistake is collecting resources instead of using them. Two dependable sources used repeatedly are better than ten bookmarked sites that encourage constant switching.

The second is watching solutions before attempting questions. A clear video can create an illusion of competence because the method seems obvious after someone else has selected it. Write a complete attempt first, even if you are uncertain.

The third is revising from an outdated syllabus. Always check the first-assessment year, especially for recently revised sciences and other changing courses. Finally, do not treat a platform's score as an official predicted grade: teachers consider the correct paper structure, grade boundaries, coursework, and the evidence available across the course.

Conclusion

The best free IB revision resources in 2026 begin with official subject information, the correct formula or data booklet, and specimen papers. Specialist sites can then explain content, while flashcards and question banks provide retrieval and application.

The decisive feature is the quality of the feedback you receive. A final answer identifies whether you were wrong, but a worked explanation or video can reveal where your method failed. For a structured next step, use RevisionDojo's Questionbank for targeted practice and its past-paper video walkthroughs when you need to see a difficult solution developed one step at a time.

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