It's that time of year again - mock season is upon us. I've been getting tons of messages asking about how I handle mocks in my classroom, so I thought I'd share my approach with you all. Questions like "How long should they be?", "Which papers should we include?", and "How do we make the most of this time?" keep popping up in my inbox. So, grab a coffee (or tea!), and let's dive into what works for me, though remember - every school is different, and you'll need to adapt these ideas to fit your situation.
When Should You Schedule IB Business Mocks?
First, it's important to recognize that each school operates differently. The amount of time allocated for mocks and the marking workload significantly influence how these exams can be structured. My approach works well within my school's framework, where we conduct mocks twice during the IB course:
End of Year 1 (pre-summer holidays)
Year 2 (post-winter holidays)
This timing gives students adequate opportunity to reflect on their performance and make necessary improvements.
IB Business Mock Exam Structure: A Breakdown by Level
Standard Level (SL) Business Mock Exams
I exclusively give SL students a full Paper 2 during mocks. You might wonder about Paper 1 – I deliberately exclude it because I don't see the value in having students prepare for and analyze a case study that won't appear on their final exam. More on this later.
Higher Level (HL) Business Mock Exams
For HL students, I give them both Paper 2 and Paper 3. This decision comes from experience – I once skipped Paper 3 in Year 1 mocks and regretted it. Paper 3 requires extra practice as it is difficult for students. They have to come up with recommendations which is a skill they need more practice with. Since Paper 3 is typically too long for a standard class period, mock exams provide the perfect opportunity for students to experience it under exam conditions.
Why Skip IB Business Paper 1 in Mocks?
My decision to leave out Paper 1 from mocks comes from both experience and strategic thinking. With the current syllabus, I've found that practicing Paper 1 before the pre-release material becomes available can actually confuse students. Instead, I focus on building the necessary skills for Paper 1 (like tackling 6-mark questions) throughout the year, but save the actual paper practice for when students have the pre-released information starting in February for May centers.
Essential Tips for IB Business Mock Exam Implementation
Use IB Questionbank Resources Strategically The IB Questionbank is an amazing resource that I consider essential for all IB Business teachers. It provides both individual questions and complete case studies that I use throughout the year. Just remember to track which materials you've used to ensure students face fresh content in their final exams.
Create Custom Mock Papers I never use a complete exam paper as is. Instead, I combine case studies from different exams, ensuring a good variety of questions without repetition. This approach prevents students from benefiting unfairly if they've studied specific past papers.
Modify Past Papers Effectively If you're concerned about students recognizing past papers, try these simple but effective modifications:
Change the company names in the case study
Modify the product to a similar but different one
Use AI to rewrite the case studies (while being sure to verify the content's appropriateness and difficulty level)
When using AI to modify case studies, you can even ask it to update the mark scheme. However, always review AI-generated content carefully – sometimes the language needs simplification or the content needs adjustment to ensure it makes sense for your students.
Look, at the end of the day, mocks aren't just another exam to tick off our to-do list - they're one of our best tools to help our students succeed. I've found that when I approach mocks strategically, they become less of a stress point and more of a valuable learning experience for both me and my students. I'd love to hear how you handle mocks in your classroom! What works for you? What challenges have you faced? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
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