Your IB Psychology mock exam prep should combine syllabus review, active recall, exam-style writing, and timed practice. Do not spend October merely rereading notes. Begin by confirming which syllabus and papers your school will test, then use a four-week plan that moves from diagnosis to targeted practice and full mock simulation.
November mocks are set by individual schools, not centrally by the IB. Your teacher therefore decides the content, format, dates, and whether the mock reproduces a complete examination or covers only material taught so far.
First confirm your Psychology assessment route
IB Psychology is in a syllabus transition. The previous course has its last assessment in 2026, while the redesigned course has its first assessment in 2027, as explained on the official IB Psychology course page. Check your route with your teacher before choosing revision resources.
| Assessment route | Main external assessment structure |
|---|---|
| Last assessment 2026 | Paper 1 covers the biological, cognitive, and sociocultural core; Paper 2 covers options; HL students also take a research-methods Paper 3. |
| First assessment 2027 | SL and HL take Paper 1 on concepts, content, and contexts, plus Paper 2 on research methodology and class practicals; HL also takes Paper 3 on data analysis and an HL extension. |
Under the redesigned course, assessment objectives include knowledge and understanding, application and analysis, and synthesis and evaluation. The official Psychology subject brief for first assessment 2027 provides paper lengths, marks, weightings, and sample questions.
Before studying, confirm:
- Your syllabus route and level, SL or HL
- The papers or sections included
- The topics, contexts, options, practicals, or extensions covered
- The permitted materials and exact time allowed
Use a four-week November mock study plan
This plan assumes that your mock is approximately four weeks away. If you have less time, combine adjacent stages rather than omitting timed practice.
Week 1: Diagnose and organize
Complete a short, closed-book diagnostic covering the material named by your teacher. Use exam-style questions rather than confidence ratings, because recognising a topic does not prove that you can retrieve and apply it.
Classify each area:
- Red: cannot explain the concept or choose relevant evidence
- Amber: understands it but produces incomplete or poorly structured answers
- Green: can answer accurately under time pressure
Divide broad syllabus headings into assessable units. For example, “cognitive approach” is too large; memory models, reconstructive memory, biases, methods, and ethics are more useful targets.
Use the appropriate IB Psychology resource hub and verify that resources match your route. Students on the redesigned course can use the first assessment 2027 Psychology Questionbank.
Week 2: Build retrievable knowledge
For each red or amber topic, create a compact revision sheet containing:
- An accurate definition and explanation of the concept
- Relevant examples or studies
- Essential method and procedural details
- Strengths, limitations, ethics, and alternative explanations
- Links to likely command terms
Close the sheet and reconstruct it from memory. Active recall matters because examinations require independent retrieval, not recognition of familiar wording. The Psychology flashcards for the redesigned syllabus can support daily recall, but also explain relationships in complete sentences.
Do not memorise studies as isolated summaries. Know what claim each study supports, how its method affects the evidence, and which limitation changes the conclusion you can draw.
Week 3: Convert knowledge into marks
Begin each response by identifying the command term, topic, and required scope. “Describe” requires an accurate account, “explain” requires connected reasoning, and “evaluate” requires a supported judgment rather than generic strengths and weaknesses.
For an extended response:
- Define central terms and establish an argument.
- Organize claims that answer the question directly.
- Support each claim with theory or research.
- Evaluate evidence in relation to the claim.
- Reach a balanced conclusion addressing the wording.
Use the IB Psychology Questionbank for the course assessed through 2026. Redesigned-course students should also practise with the research methodology Questionbank.
Not every response needs to be written fully. A session could include two five-minute plans, one timed short answer, and one complete extended response. This exposes you to more prompts while developing sustained writing.
Week 4: Simulate, review, and retest
Complete at least one substantial timed section and, if possible, one full paper under your school’s conditions. Remove notes, silence notifications, write by hand if required, and stop when time expires.
After marking, classify each lost mark:
| Error type | Corrective action |
|---|---|
| Knowledge | Relearn the precise concept, evidence, or method. |
| Application | Connect knowledge to unfamiliar scenarios. |
| Evidence | Replace vague references with accurate support. |
| Evaluation | Explain why a limitation affects the conclusion. |
| Structure | Use focused topic sentences and follow the command term. |
| Timing | Set checkpoints and practise under strict limits. |
A mock becomes useful when you act on its evidence. After repairing a weakness, answer a fresh question on the same skill two or three days later without notes. RevisionDojo’s guide to timed IB mock exams explains simulation, error analysis, targeted practice, and retesting.
Common mistakes before November mocks
Do not prepare every topic equally. Diagnostic evidence should direct your time toward weaknesses likely to appear on the mock.
Do not treat studies as detachable stories. Research should support, challenge, or qualify an argument, and your answer must state that relationship explicitly.
Avoid postponing timed writing until the final weekend. Timing, question selection, and structure improve through repeated practice. An untimed, open-note answer is not reliable evidence that you are ready for independent mock conditions.
Final preparation checklist
During the final two days, reduce your workload rather than trying to relearn the course. Review definitions, research links, command terms, essay plans, and your error log. Prepare permitted equipment and confirm the examination time and room.
Strong preparation follows a repeated cycle: retrieve, apply, receive feedback, repair, and retest. RevisionDojo can support this through Psychology Study Notes, Flashcards, Questionbank practice, Mock Exams, and Jojo AI, particularly when you use feedback to clarify mistakes and test your reasoning.
Sources and referenced URLs
- Official IB Psychology course page
- Official IB Psychology subject brief, first assessment 2027
- RevisionDojo IB Psychology resources
- RevisionDojo Psychology Questionbank, first assessment 2027
- RevisionDojo Psychology Questionbank, assessment through 2026
- RevisionDojo Psychology concepts flashcards
- RevisionDojo Psychology research methodology Questionbank
- RevisionDojo guide to timed mock exams