Information on mocks

[rue saint-denis]

Hey guys,

my school isn't very developed with the IB program, it's our 3rd year with IB and we don't do mocks. I spoke with my IBC today and she didn't even know mocks meant, so, since the predicted grades are important for european universities, I want to convince her to adapt this program. I told her I would find out some information about them, can you guys help me, please?

Thanks

edit: I read on another thread, I believe it was Hien that said that mocks are mandatory for IB, apparently not.

Do you think if I contact the IBO they'll give me info. and suggestions?

Edited January 23, 2008 by rue saint-denis

[Abu]

Why can't your teachers give you mock grades based on your performance in the year, and what you got in the semester exams?

I got my predicted grade solely off my performance, and I've just had my mocks a week ago. Their results were lower than my predicted grades, so in a way I'm thankful that they don't based the predicted grades on the mocks.

The only reason why mocks are of any use, is so that you can get a feel for the papers, and you can do that anyway by looking at past papers downloaded from the various sites online.

[Ruan Chun Xian]

The only reason why mocks are of any use, is so that you can get a feel for the papers, and you can do that anyway by looking at past papers downloaded from the various sites online.

Actually there's more to mocks than that. They're designed to mimick the real external IB exams in all forms and conditions as closely as possible, to get students used to the real exam condition and they know what goes in the real exam so they don't freak out in the real thing. It's also to assess the student's ability to cope with the limits of the exams - such as time limit, stress etc.

I'll tell you how they do mocks at my school as an example.

For my year we had mocks in January of second year, and they counted as our semester 1 exam grade we wouldn't have semester exams then. Our predicted grades were based on a combination of performance and mocks. Instead of the real IB exams where exams are more spread out over 3 weeks - 1 month because you have to take the IBO timetable, our mocks run over a week and a half. Like real exams we only had to come into school when we had exams but since the exams are closely set together, you'd likely have exams all day anyway.

Mocks at my school are conducted literally like real IB exams - i.e. closed room, all desks set up like the real thing, invigilators, reading of the notice to candidates etc etc. Teachers obviously use past papers (usually the November session paper).

Mocks are helpful in working out the possible problems that might occur in the real exams - for you as well as for your school. For example, you know how you're not supposed to take pencil cases into the exam room? In my mocks people put their pens in plastic bags and the rustle of plastic bags was very very annoying during the mocks. So in the real exams they took away everyone's plastic bags at the beginning of the exam. Of course that's a trivial example and there might always be unexpected problems anyway. But still, my point stands.

To be honest I was more nervous in mocks than in the real thing (but then I did better in mocks but that's another story ). It helps you know what to expect in the real thing.

I'd say a majority of IB schools do mocks - or they should - though I guess it is kind of a hassle. It's like holding 2 IB exams sessions in a year.

[~Lc~]

we do mocks for the same reason Hien stated. our predicted grade to Unis come out months before out mocks. And mocks are kind of our finals which determine the ministry highschool grades it's not just an IB thing though, it's for every schooling system (we even do it for our national Jordanian system).

[Afterglow]

Heheheh, I just came back from a mock information session. It's pretty much what Hien said. They are trying to make them as exact as the real exams as possible and it is to prepare you, to make you used to things and see what unexpected problems may show up. It's also excellent revision as you get to do real papers in an exam condition. It means of course that you need to be done with the whole course earlier (for us before the last week of february) but it gives you a lot of revision afterwards. The predicted grades we get are based upon these but also of course past performance and etc.

[rue saint-denis]

This is great! Thanks y'all. One more thing, I'm sensing the teachers are the one who grade our tests, right? Also, when applying to a university, how do they know those are your predicted grades? Do the teachers have to fill out a section or something? I don't think that in the transcripts it's going to say predicted grades, you know.

[Afterglow]

Yes, teachers are the ones usually grading the tests using markschemes.

As for predicted grades - it all depends on where and how you apply. I only know of the UK and UCAS and when you apply through it as an individual, the referee writes down the predicted grades in a section called "predicted grades". You might need an official transcript of the predicted grades which your school should offer, and if not, bug your IBC or student advicer to do so. It could be a simple paper with tables in which it is written and then IBC signs and/or stamp it to make it official.