How far in advance should I create my IB revision timetable?

Create the first version as soon as your examination session and school commitments are clear, ideally several weeks before concentrated revision begins. Starting early allows you to space practice rather than compressing the syllabus into the final days. The timetable does not need to be perfectly detailed from the beginning. Plan broad weekly priorities first, then assign precise tasks one week at a time. If examinations are already close, begin immediately with diagnostics and the papers that are both urgent and weak.

How many hours a day should an IB student revise?

There is no official IB requirement for daily revision hours, and a sustainable amount depends on school hours, deadlines, health, and current attainment. Judge a plan by the quality and consistency of completed work rather than an impressive hour total. During a normal school week, several focused blocks may be more realistic than a long daily schedule. During study leave, students can use additional blocks but should still include breaks, meals, movement, and adequate sleep. Increase study time gradually, and shorten the plan if fatigue is making practice inaccurate or unproductive.

Should HL subjects receive more revision time than SL subjects?

HL subjects often require substantial preparation, but level alone should not determine every time allocation. Consider examination dates, syllabus confidence, recent performance, paper demands, and the improvement needed for your target result. A weak or imminent SL paper may deserve more time than a secure HL paper during a particular week. Set a minimum amount of contact with every subject so that strong areas are not abandoned completely. Reallocate hours weekly using evidence from marked questions and timed papers.

Should I revise one IB subject per day or mix subjects?

Mixing subjects across the week usually supports spacing and prevents one subject from disappearing for long periods. Within a single focused block, however, it is sensible to concentrate on one clearly defined paper or skill. You might complete Mathematics questions in one block and Language A essay planning in the next, rather than switching every few minutes. Alternating calculation-heavy and writing-heavy work can also manage mental fatigue. The essential principle is repeated, focused contact with each priority area over time.

What should I do if I fall behind my revision timetable?

Do not transfer every missed task into an already full day, because this creates an expanding backlog. Identify which unfinished tasks are still important for upcoming papers and move only those into a buffer block or the next week. Delete low-value activities such as rewriting notes that you already understand. Then examine why the plan failed, such as unrealistic block lengths, unexpected coursework, distraction, or excessive daily targets. Adjust the next version so that the timetable reflects your actual capacity rather than an idealized routine.

How should my timetable change during the final week before IB exams?

In the final week, shift from broad syllabus coverage toward recall, targeted corrections, and familiar exam formats. Use your error log to select weaknesses instead of beginning large new resources without a clear reason. Timed sections can maintain pacing, but repeated full papers may create fatigue if they leave no time for review. Prepare materials, confirm examination times with your school, and keep the evening before each paper relatively light. Protecting sleep and arriving prepared is generally more valuable than extending revision late into the night.

How to Build an IB Exam Timetable That Works

David G.

•Last updated: 29 Jul 2026•7 min read

Your IB exam timetable should begin with the official examination schedule, then convert each exam date into specific weekly revision tasks. A workable plan prioritizes weak and imminent papers, uses spaced retrieval and exam-style practice, and leaves enough flexibility for schoolwork, rest, and unexpected delays.

The official schedule and your personal revision timetable are different documents. The IB determines when examinations occur, while you decide how to prepare for them.

Printable IB revision timetable builder

First, download the official IB examination schedule for your session and confirm your subjects, levels, papers, and local start times with your coordinator. The May 2026 schedule covers different exam zones and states that an examination cannot be rescheduled without IB authorization, so do not rely on a generic calendar shared online.

Print or copy this planning tool into a document or spreadsheet.

Step 1: Map your examination pressure

Paper	Exam date	Current confidence, 1-5	Urgency, 1-5	Next revision task
__________	__________	___	___	__________
__________	__________	___	___	__________
__________	__________	___	___	__________
__________	__________	___	___	__________

Give the highest priority to papers that are close, difficult, or heavily dependent on practice. Do not automatically divide time equally between subjects or assume every HL requires the same allocation.

Step 2: Build a realistic week

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Weekend
Short recall, 10-20 min	□	□	□	□	□	□
Main block, 45-60 min	______	______	______	______	______	______
Practice and marking	______	______	______	______	______	______

For each block, write an observable task such as “Biology: answer and mark five genetics questions”, not “revise Biology.” Cornell University identifies retrieval, spacing, and interleaving as effective study strategies, so schedule repeated contact with topics rather than one long rereading session.

Build around papers, not broad subjects

“Revise History” is too vague. Name the paper, topic, skill, and output: “History Paper 2: plan two authoritarian states essays in 45 minutes.” This makes completion measurable and reveals whether you are practising recall, analysis, calculation, or timing.

The RevisionDojo guide to planning from the official timetable explains how to identify consecutive examinations and demanding clusters. Prepare earlier for subjects that leave little recovery time during the examination period.

Space topics and retrieve from memory

Revisit important material across several days. A simple pattern is initial learning, short closed-book recall two days later, exam questions later that week, and another check the following week. Research reviews distinguish spacing, which determines when practice happens, from retrieval practice, which requires recalling information without first looking at notes.

RevisionDojo Flashcards can support short recall sessions. Follow these with exam-style Questionbank work so memorized knowledge becomes usable under assessment conditions.

Include marking and correction time

A timed paper without review is only a measurement. Reserve time to mark it, classify errors, and redo selected questions. Record whether each lost mark came from missing knowledge, weak application, a misunderstood command term, poor timing, or carelessness.

Use shorter timed sets first, then sections and complete papers. The RevisionDojo final two-week plan shows how practice can become more exam-like as the session approaches, while Mock Exams and Predicted Papers guidance can help structure timed work.

Review the timetable every week

Treat the plan as adjustable, not permanent. At the end of each week, carry forward unfinished priority tasks, reduce time on secure areas, and increase practice where evidence shows recurring weaknesses. Keep one lighter block or buffer period available rather than filling every hour.

A sustainable timetable also protects sleep, meals, movement, and recovery. For a manageable daily structure, use the balanced IB study schedule as a starting point, then ask Jojo AI to divide your own papers and available hours into specific weekly tasks.

Conclusion

An effective IB exam timetable connects official dates to precise, evidence-based tasks. Prioritize by urgency and weakness, revisit material over time, practise under timed conditions, and revise the plan each week. RevisionDojo Flashcards, Questionbank, Mock Exams, and Jojo AI are most useful when they support this cycle rather than replace careful planning.