Sometimes, things don’t go as planned. How many of us carefully prepared for our exams but received worse grades than we hoped for? It can be a shock and a huge disappointment. The good news is that, after a disheartening score, you can make use of IB Exam Retakes. They give a chance not only to improve your grade, but even to secure a place at your preferred university.
In this post, we’ll answer all common questions associated with exam retakes – what are they, what is the procedure, how do they differ from remarks, and many other important questions.
Can You Retake IB Exams If You Didn’t Achieve Your Desired Scores?
If you’re not satisfied with your IB exam scores, you have the opportunity to retake any or all of your exams in the next session. This is a great way to not only enhance your diploma’s competitiveness but also boost your chances of admission to your desired university.
Normally, students have three chances to retake their exams in three examination sessions but schools tend to have different policies. To register for retakes, you need to contact your IB coordinator or learn more about the retake procedure and deadlines directly at your school.
IB exams are held in May and November. Check with your school to find out if it offers exams in both sessions. If not, you will either have to wait a whole year to make another attempt at sitting an exam or try a different school.
At TutorsPlus, we have helped students resit as external candidates. If there are no suitable retake possibilities at your school, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll try our best to help you find more options.
Do You Have to Retake All IB Exams or Just Specific Subjects?
The IB Diploma Programme offers flexibility when it comes to retaking exams. You don’t have to retake all of them if you failed just one. It is possible to resit an exam in a single subject, several subjects, or all six – you can make a decision based on your unique situation.
Before you make use of this opportunity, you need to decide which subjects are most important in terms of your university application or career plans. It should be your priority to retake exams with low marks in these specific areas since they’ll have the utmost impact on your further academic or professional journey. Again, your IB coordinator and career counsellor are these for you to help you make the best decisions.
On the other hand, if your score leaves much to be desired in a subject that won’t affect your university application, it makes sense to leave things the way they are. Even though you may not be happy with your performance, the truth is, it is unlikely to change your future plans. The best for you is to focus on the things that really matter, which is moving into higher education.
Top Reasons Students Retake IB Exams
Students who retake their IB exams always have one goal – to improve their performance. But reasons why they want to do it can be different – from a sheer desire to do better to missed opportunities due to unforeseen circumstances.
Lack of Preparation or Understanding During the Initial Exam
One of the most common reasons for lower-than-expected scores in IB exams is a lack of preparation. Underestimating the difficulty of the content, or failing to invest enough time in studying may have let you down in the most important moment.
Requesting an exam retake is essentially like requesting a second chance. If you learn from your mistakes, you’re likely to approach the subsequent exam preparation much more seriously. As a result, your second go may turn out to be much more successful. But remember, if an exam seems difficult the first time, it won’t get easier the more you try. Therefore, you need to use your second chance responsibly. This means being realistic about the reasons of your under-performance and ensuring you avoid the same mistakes the second time around.
Not Meeting University Requirements
Many students opt for another opportunity to sit their IB exam simply because their grade was not high enough to fulfil their future goals.
You can get your IB diploma if your passing score is 4 or 5 in most subjects. However, this might not be enough to be competitive in terms of entering a specific university, especially a prestigious one. So, if you have an ambitious goal, but your scores are below an acceptance bar, it makes sense to retake the selected final exams. Again, this is a choice you should discuss with your family and IB coordinator.
Failed Subjects
The situation is the same if you completely failed one or more of your exams. A grade of 3 or lower will significantly decrease your chances of receiving a diploma. You still might get one granted your score across all 6 subjects is at least 24. Along with this, there are other conditions to meet:
- You cannot receive a grade of 2 in more than two subjects;
- You cannot receive a grade of 3 or lower in more than three subjects;
- You must obtain at least 12 points in three HL subjects. If you registered for more, the highest grade in three subjects will count;
- You must obtain at least 9 points in three SL subjects. If you studied only two, the minimum aggregate grade must be 5.
If your total score is worse than this, your only way to amend the situation is to resit exams in failed subjects.
Personal or External Circumstances Affecting Performance
There can be many reasons why you underperformed in your exam – health issues, unforeseen personal matters, eternal circumstances, etc. Some of them may even prevent you from showing up. If this is the case, you have an option to request a deferral. Please keep in mind that you may be required to submit supporting documentation, such as medical certificates or official statements from relevant authorities.
On the other hand, if you were present at your exam but personal or external circumstances didn’t allow you to show your best, you can try to retake your exam(s) during the next exam session.
Technical or Procedural Issues
Procedural and technical errors occur quite rarely, yet they do take place. These can be incorrect or incomplete question papers, misprinted questions, unclear instructions, disruptions to the exam environment, etc. And if you are assessed online, the possibility of something going wrong is potentially higher – there may be connectivity problems, software glitches, and so on.
All of this can prevent you from getting the desired score. If this has happened to you, you might want to consider sitting an exam again. Sometimes, you may be asked to submit a written report detailing the error and its impact on your exam.
Retake vs. Remark: Which Option Should You Choose?
Retaking an exam isn’t your only option when it comes to improving your score. You also have the right to request a remark. Here we explore both options.
Differences between retaking exams and requesting a remark
An IB exam retake is a repeat exam in the same subject. This option is good if you believe you can improve your knowledge over the next few months and, subsequently, your performance.
When you request a remark, you want your already completed exam paper(s) to be re-assessed and re-graded. You should opt for this if you think there was an error in the initial grading process. Your school should be able to advise you on whether to pursue this option.
Pros and Cons of Each Option
So, you’ve received a grade below your expectations and are now choosing between retaking and regrading. Which option is best for you will depend on your particular situation. Hopefully, our short overview of their benefits and drawbacks will help you make the right decision.
IB Exam Retaking Pros:
- Provides an opportunity to improve your score;
- May increase your chances of admission to the university of your choice;
- Can help achieve a higher overall IB score;
- Gives you time to put in additional work and effort.
IB Exam Retaking Cons:
- Requires extra study and preparation;
- You need to wait till the next exam session;
- Exams, especially those you take again, are stressful and time-consuming;
- You will probably need to wait until the next intake at your chosen higher education institution. This could be in 6 or 12 month’s time.
IB Exam Remarks Pros:
- You don’t need to study or prepare for your exam again;
- Can potentially increase your score if there was an error in the initial grading;
- You don’t have to wait till the next exam session;
- Provides peace of mind if you have doubts about your initial score;
IB Exam Remarks Cons:
- May not result in a higher score;
- There’s a risk that your score gets lowered after the re-mark;
- You need to act fast and work closely with your IB coordinator to request a remark.
When Are IB Exam Retakes Held?
IB students who failed their exams or wish to improve their scores can have such an opportunity twice a year.
If you took your IB exams in May, retakes are available in November of the same year. And vice versa, those who had exams in November can make use of a retake session in May the following year. Either way, you will have almost six months to prepare better and, hopefully, improve your results.
That being said, some schools have exam sessions only once a year. This means that you’ll have to wait almost 12 months to get a chance to earn a better grade. For many students, it is not an option. Luckily, it is possible to retake your IB exam at a different school that provides the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
To learn more about retake sessions and registration deadlines, you should contact your IB coordinator. At the same time, when deciding on a session, it is necessary to consider university application deadlines or start dates.
Impact of Failing the IB on University Offers and Graduation
Failing parts of the IB Diploma can raise concerns about your graduation and prospects of entering a university. However, it is not all over if your performance in high school turned out worse than you expected.
It is true that many universities issue conditional offers based on specific IB scores. If you can’t meet these conditions, they may withdraw their offers.
Having said that, higher education institutions review each case individually. If you’re close to meeting the requirements, they may still give you the green light. Retaking your low-graded exams is another way to receive the marks sufficient for admission. In any case, you should talk with the admissions office to explore your options.
The other question underperforming students ask is the following: Can I graduate high school at all if I fail IB exams? The good news is that an IB diploma is not the same thing as a high school diploma. Another form of certification may still be available if you lack 24 marks in IBDP or couldn’t complete one of its components. However, you must earn a certain number of credits or take specific courses to receive a high school diploma.
With that said, it is still possible to enter higher education institutions without your IB diploma. You can apply with the scores from the individual IB subjects, as well as any other qualifying tests or exams (such as SAT/ACT). This is generally known as the IB certificate. However, keep in mind that the institutions available with it may not be the most prestigious.
Retaking IB Exams After Entering College: Is It Possible?
As we have already said, your university might accept your application on the condition that you try to improve your IB exam scores. This means that it is not too late to retake IB exams even after starting a uni. Many students opt for resitting exams during the November session, which often aligns with their first semester at a higher education institution.
However, it is important to remember that you will need to juggle IB exam preparations with heavy coursework at a university. Therefore, it is important to carefully plan both your first semester and exam revision. A reduction of the uni course load or extra help such as hiring an IB tutor may help you succeed in both endeavours.
Can You Retake Extended Essay, TOK Essay, or Other Internal Assessments?
One of the requirements of the IB Diploma Programme is the completion of an Extended Essay (EE) and a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) essay. If for any reason you missed the mark, you should be able to resubmit these works. This involves either writing new essays or substantially revising the original ones.
Please keep in mind that specific requirements for EE and TOK are issued every year. Therefore, your new submission might need to meet different requirements than a previous one.
When it comes to Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), which is an important component of IBDP as well, it doesn’t involve retakes. However, you need to make sure that your CAS activities align with the programme’s requirements.
What to Do If Your School Doesn’t Offer IB Exam Retakes?
Although rare, some schools may not offer IB exam retakes. If that’s the case with you, or you don’t want to wait another year for a second chance, it is possible to sit for exams at a different IB World School.
You should do your research and find a school that accepts external candidates. Once it is confirmed that you are allowed to join their examinees for the next session, you need to contact this school’s IB coordinator to register for your desired exams. They will provide information on the registration process as well as associated fees.
In terms of costs, you should expect to pay a registration fee (it varies based on a subject but usually starts from a few hundred dollars), administrative fees, and other payments related to the coordination of retaking exams.
Summary
IB exam retakes are an excellent opportunity to improve performance for those who are not satisfied with their final scores or failed their exams completely. Although it is always nice to have second chances, repeating your exams might be a hard row to hoe.
Look for yourself: you need to make sure your school accepts retakes (or look for a different school otherwise), meet application deadlines, wait at least six months till the next exam session, revise all along, and go through the assessment again. Stressful? Big time.
You can save yourself from this stress with TutorsPlus, a reliable partner in your academic journey. With our world-class IB tutors and teachers, you have significantly better chances of nailing your IB exams the first time. And if you’re revising for an IB exam retake, you may count on us for all-around support and guidance. You can make it the second time around, just let us lend you a helping hand.
TutorsPlus is at your disposal whenever you need us. Just give us a call at 022 731 8148 or drop us a line at info@tutorsplus.com and we’ll try our best to make your way to your academic goals shorter and easier.
By Sara Lloyd
Sara has been an education consultant for TutorsPlus for 15 years, and is an expert on international IB education. She is also a parent of two lively children.
