Hey everyone! If you are reading this, chances are you might be on a slightly different IB timeline than the rest of the world. While the majority of IB students follow the May exam cycle, a large proportion of us (mostly in the Southern Hemisphere) operate on a January-to-December school year. Candidates on our schedule follow the November exam session.
Although exact timelines depend entirely on your specific school, the general rhythm of a November session has its own unique advantages and challenges. This article will break down how our academic year differs from one another. Additionally, it will also offer some tips on navigating the full DP journey from someone who is currently halfway through DP2.
The November Cycle: Breaking Down DP1 and DP2
Because our school year typically begins in January, our milestones look a bit different. Here is a breakdown of how the two-year journey typically unfolds:
DP1: Building the Foundations (January – December)
The first year is all about loading up your toolkit and getting a head start before the DP2 storm hits.
- Content & Foundations: You spend most of the year learning heavy content, establishing strong study habits, and building deep foundations in TOK.
- The TOK Exhibition: This usually happens in DP1, giving you a chance to check one official IB Core component off your list early.
- CAS Portfolio: You’ll want to get a massive chunk of your CAS experiences and reflections documented now so it doesn’t stress you out later. Additionally, beginning the CAS Project in DP1 would be a huge stress reliever.
- The Year-End Launch: Towards the end of DP1 is when most schools officially launch the Extended Essay (EE) and start introducing the first round of Internal Assessments (IAs).
DP2: The Finish Line (January – November)
When you come back from the summer holidays, DP2 hits the ground running.
- Terms 1 & 2: This is peak IA season. You will be drafting, tweaking, and finalizing all your IAs alongside writing your TOK Essay (as prompts are released in March).
- EE Completion: Ideally, your Extended Essay is wrapped up and submitted at the end of the first semester or early in the second semester.
- Term 3 & 4: Revision mode. With the syllabus completed, your focus shifts entirely to past papers and exam prep leading up to November.
Top Tips
Being midway through DP2 has taught me a lot about what works and what doesn’t. If I could give you two absolute golden rules for this stage of the game, they would be:
- Plan Your Year: Don’t just take things week by week. Look at the whole year’s calendar. Map out your major commitments, sports, and school projects early so you can organize your study schedule around them. Organisation is your best defense against burnout.
- Deconstruct the Exams Early: Don’t wait until DP2 to look at a past paper. Start looking into exam structures and marking criteria right now, even if you’re in DP1. Understanding how you will be assessed changes the way you take notes in class.
The DP1 Summer Checklist: How to Use Your Break Wisely
The summer break between DP1 and DP2 is the ultimate pivot point. It can either be a period of intense catch-up stress or a launchpad that sets you up for a smooth DP2 experience. To make sure you hit the ground running in January, here is your definitive summer checklist:
- Conquer the Extended Essay: Do not let your EE drag into DP2 if you are able to. Use the summer weeks to finish your research and get your full first draft down on paper. Your future self will thank you.
- Consolidate Your DP1 Notes: Organization is incredibly important to do well in IB. Go through all your subjects and make sure your notes are completely up to date. Fill in any missing gaps, organize your folders, and create summary sheets for the topics you struggled with.
- Get Ahead on Content: Proactive Learning helps with later memory retention. If you have the capacity, preview the next few chapters of your textbooks and resources. Getting even a little bit ahead on the upcoming DP2 syllabus makes a massive difference in class comprehension.
- If your school started any IA components at the end of DP1, use this uninterrupted time to work on them. Getting data collection or initial drafts out of the way is a huge win.
- Maintain Your CAS Portfolio: Don’t pause CAS just because it’s summer. Keep adding to your portfolio, whether it’s a summer sport, a creative project, or volunteering. Write your reflections down while the experiences are fresh.
While getting ahead is crucial, remember that it is a summer break. Dedicate specific blocks of time to your IB work, but make sure to unplug, rest, and hang out with friends. You need to recharge your batteries for the final sprint of DP2! Good luck to anyone doing the November exam session; we’ve got this!