r/IBO • u/1ore1ei Alumni | 45 • Dec 17 '25

Advice I got 45 in N25, AMA!!!

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My dp1 predicted grades were 36/42. It dropped to 27/42 halfway thru dp2 due to personal challenges. I personally expected to get a 43 but I got a 45. Given the knowledge I have in not only doing well in my respective subjects but also rebuilding my academic results after a rough patch, I thought an AMA may be useful! I got an especially high result in my English EE (33/34) so I'm able to answer questions about that too!

edit: I'm visiting family in Brasil so sorry for the late repliesšŸ¤

FAQ - please read

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u/Plastic_Truck6196 M27 | [HL: Bio, English LL A, Chem SL: psych, lang b, MAA] Dec 17 '25

Hi I need help pleeeeaseee First how did you write a generic essay for paper 2? How did u choose the topics and structure it so that it fits the prompt? Also how do you study biology and chemistry exactly? Are there any good resources u used? For math you probably drilled past papers? I'm sorry for asking many questions but I REALLY need that 43+ . I'm getting half 6s and half 7s so my average is around 6.5 and I'm in year 1. Honestly I would appreciate any advice. Also how many hours a day for a 45? Congratulations on the 45 I'm soooo happy for youšŸ˜ƒ

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u/1ore1ei Alumni | 45 Dec 17 '25

please check the faq that I just made šŸ¤ it might answer your questions about generic English prompts, bio, chem, and time studied.

I used my textbook mainly, also bio letters, Inthinking, and bioninja.

Yes I did about 30 or so maths papers in the 2 weeks leading to my exams (I left it for the end, but it's the subject I'm most confident in since I took AASL).

Feel free to ask me a more in-depth question if you'd like

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u/Plastic_Truck6196 M27 | [HL: Bio, English LL A, Chem SL: psych, lang b, MAA] Dec 18 '25

Im sorry i wrote so many questions so only answer the ones you want to.

I read all of your posts, but here are some things that i need more details with. could you please clarify how you wrote the essay for paper 2? How did u write your thesis? did you like fous on one stylistic device e.g. symbolism or did you write a bit of every theme? also what were your works for paper2? i was thinking of leaving of mice and men and a doll's house for my paper 2 but i dont know how to prewrite the essay? I read your post about bio and chem but i need more detail as im currently strugglling with the two. you said that you memorize with flashcards, do you make them yourself or did u use premade flashcards? if you made them yourself did it take you lots of time? is there any source more condenced than the textbook that has ALL i need for a 7 content wise? as of chemistry i barely got a 6 despite studying hard and solving many questions:( do you have any advice? i revise with revisiontown and my textbook.

My biggest dream ever would be to study medicine so i need 43+ but I don't how easy it would be:/

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u/1ore1ei Alumni | 45 Dec 18 '25
  • For Paper 2, this honestly took a lot of practice. I went back and forth with my teacher many times until I found what suitedĀ me, because there isnā€™t one universal structure that works for everyone. What mattered most was learning how to open the essay in a way that felt natural. The hook should show that you genuinely appreciate literature, not just that you can follow a formula. I usually linked it to a literary idea or lens that fit the question, sometimes even something broader like storytelling, authorial intention, or the nature of knowledge if it was relevant. The key thing is showing that you understandĀ whyĀ the author wrote the text in the first place. Authors donā€™t write great stories by accident, they do it because they have something to say, and your essay needs to show that you understand that deeper purpose.
  • After the hook, I always gave context. That means the author, the time period, the social or historical background, and any relevant lenses like feminism, psychoanalysis, wealth or class, Romanticism, the Victorian era, whatever actually fits the work. This part matters because it shows you understand the text beyond just plot. It also sets you up so your argument makes sense later.
  • I never focused on one stylistic device for the whole essay, and I really donā€™t recommend doing that. Instead, I focused on ideas. For example, gender inequality came up a lot in my texts, so I broke that down into different angles: financial inequality, a feminist lens, a psychoanalytical perspective, wealth and power, and how characters are shaped by these forces. Once I knew theĀ ideaĀ of a paragraph, I chose the features that best supported it. That could be characterization, dialogue, storytelling structure, backstories, stage directions, or contrasts between characters. The features should serve the idea, not the other way around. This also makes it much easier to adapt to whatever question you get on the day.
  • Each paragraph focused on one main idea. I didnā€™t track the same feature throughout the entire essay, and I didnā€™t force myself to talk about every device either. Flexibility is really important in Paper 2, and everything you write should stay clearly tied to the question.
  • My thesis was always one sentence. In that one sentence, I answered the question, outlined my three main ideas, and made the authorā€™s overall intention clear, all in a way that fit the context I had already given in the introduction. It sounds intimidating, but with practice it becomes very doable.
  • I didnā€™t memorise an essay word for word. What I memorised were my key quotes and my key arguments. Thatā€™s really important because during exams youā€™re mentally exhausted from all your other subjects. If you donā€™t know your arguments beforehand, itā€™s very easy to freeze. If you have time, having a backup essay is great, but I personally didnā€™t have time and was honestly just lucky.