Self Studying for Your IB Chinese Exam, This is How to Start
Self Studying for Your IB Chinese Exam, This is How to Start

Learning for your IB Chinese exam can be challenging. From listening to writing, there are a handful of Chinese skills you are expected to master. However, achieving great scores on your IB Chinese exam is still possible even when you’re studying by yourself. Let’s explore easy steps you can try to start preparing for your IB Chinese exam on your own.
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Preparing Study Guides

One challenging thing about learning IB Chinese materials on your own is aligning it with what you actually need. This issue is commonly felt by students who have limited exposure to Chinese and need extra guidance to help them learn depending on their curriculum. Therefore, one important thing you can try when planning to self study for your IB Chinese exam is making a study guide to help you achieve your objectives.
Study guides for IB Chinese may vary from one another. However, a great IB Chinese study guide should allow you to review your learning objectives and resources to help you keep track of your progress. Usually, students who want to create their own IB Chinese study guide are advised to read their syllabus and find out official textbooks or any extra resources that can help them improve their Chinese skills. Try organizing your syllabus and resources in one place to help you learn more efficiently, especially nearing your IB Chinese exam.
Pay Attention in Class

This might feel like a very negligible step, but paying attention in class is actually a good strategy, especially for non native students who wish to become better at their IB Chinese exam. Paying attention in class is not only about listening to your teacher’s explanation but also taking notes and asking questions whenever necessary. Although simple, learning from your classroom is still highly recommended since you will be learning from an expert that can help you reach your learning objective faster.
Aside from listening to your teacher’s explanation in the classroom, you are also encouraged to engage with them every time you encounter a problem. For example, you can try asking them about IB Chinese materials that you still struggle to understand. Furthermore, you can also ask about exam format and discuss your difficulties to come up with solutions that can help you reach IB Chinese learning objectives better.
Build a Learning Environment

If you’re self studying for your upcoming IB Chinese exam, chances are you will be studying from your home. Unlike classrooms that are built to help students focus and study effectively, learning from home or other places can be distracting to some students. Therefore, building a good learning environment can be a great way to help you focus on studying for your IB Chinese exam and achieve a better score.
Setting up a good learning environment to prepare for your IB Chinese exam can be hard, but you can start by dedicating a study space for your needs. This means your study space should be separated from other places you use for entertainment or similar activities. Usually, you can start setting up your study space at your desk and try to maximize its potential by following these steps
- Avoid distractions at all costs. This means, you should keep your study space minimal by getting rid of unnecessary things that can distract you.
- Try making it comfortable for long study sessions. There might be days where you need to maintain your focus for longer periods of time, and making a comfortable study space can be a great way to help your attention to your learning materials. Make use of comfortable lighting, chair, or desk to avoid you from getting exhausted from your IB Chinese study sessions.
- Keep your resources on hand. You can try doing this by having a study schedule, learning objectives, textbooks, and notes at one place. Gathering these resources will help you save time in looking for things you need to start learning the IB Chinese exam. This can also help you keep your target clear and encourage you to reach your learning objectives.
Look for Practical Usage

Learning IB Chinese for your upcoming exams is not only about memorising Chinese vocabulary and mastering pronunciation. While having a great understanding of vocabulary and pronunciation can be a great foundation to achieve fluency, students also need to learn by understanding and practicing actual usage whenever possible.
Whether you are learning how to speak in Chinese or writing a professional email, learning language usually requires you to develop practical skills that you can use to help your communication with other people. In IB Chinese, these skills are separated into different sets such as listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Therefore, you are advised to start finding practical usage and practice your skills daily to help you become more natural in mastering Chinese. For example, you can try watching a Chinese drama or start making simple journal entries in Chinese.
Find the Right Learning Method

When studying for your upcoming IB Chinese exam, the learning method you use might not be the most suitable at first glance. This issue is normal among many students, especially if you have just started relying on self-study on your learning journey. From finding the right study schedule to learning tools that actually help you achieve better results, preparing for your IB Chinese exam can be tough if you’re not willing to explore your learning options.
One easy thing you can try when you decide to start learning on your own is to understand yourself better. For example, you can start discovering the most effective learning style to help you retain memory better. You can do this by observing your habits and going through trial and error to find the most effective way to process information better.
Generally, learning style can be differentiated into 3 main types with different study tips you can try.
- Visual learners understand materials better when they are presented visually through pictures, charts, or diagrams. Therefore, you might want to have a reliable mindmap or charts to help you study if you’re a visual learner.
- Auditory learners find it easier to study from auditory cues such as recording or listening to other people. Therefore, study methods such as listening to the teacher’s explanation or watching videos can be more effective to auditory learners.
- Kinesthetic learners understand better by learning through physical movements and hands-on experiences. Therefore, you might learn better by organizing and writing your own notes if you’re a kinesthetic learner.
Progress Tracking

When preparing yourself for your upcoming IB Chinese exam, another thing you might want to consider is tracking your progress to ensure you can achieve your learning objectives on time. You can do this by listing down materials you need to study to ace your IB Chinese exam and work on it one-by-one. With each material learned, you can cross out your learning objectives and see how far you’ve progressed before the real exam.
Another good way to track your own progress is by taking IB Chinese mock up exams that can help you measure how well-prepared you are for the real deal. Taking IB Chinese mock up exams is not only good for understanding weaknesses, but can also give you a better look at the exam format and help you become more familiar with the exam.
Learn IB Chinese with Elite Linguistic Academy
Learning for your IB Chinese exam by yourself can be tough, especially if you’re not used to the Chinese language itself. However, getting a great score for your IB Chinese exam can be made easier by enrolling in IB Chinese courses.
In Elite Linguistic Academy, we provide top-notch IB Chinese courses to help you achieve a better score in no time. Learn more about our available courses by visiting our website.

