IB Exam in November: Complete First-Sitting Guide for AU/NZ Students

If you are a DP2 student in Australia or New Zealand preparing to sit your IB Diploma exams for the very first time this November, this guide was built around you. The November session is your primary examination sitting, not a backup and not a retake window. Yet almost every IB preparation resource online is written for May session candidates in the Northern Hemisphere, which means the advice, the timelines, and even the exam scheduling details often do not apply to your situation.

This guide is different. Every section focuses on what you, as a first-time November sitter in the Southern Hemisphere, actually need to know: how the November session works, what Exam Zone A means for your daily schedule, how to structure your revision in the months leading up to exams, what to expect when you walk into the exam hall, and what happens after your final paper is done.

Each section has been reviewed by certified IB examiners who have marked papers across both May and November sessions. For a broader look at examiner-informed revision techniques across all subjects, our complete guide on how to prepare for IB exams covers strategies that apply regardless of your session.

What Is the IB November Exam Session?

The International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) runs two examination sessions each year: May and November. The May session serves the Northern Hemisphere, where the academic year ends in mid-year. The November session serves the Southern Hemisphere, where the academic year runs from February through to November or December.

For IB Diploma students in Australia and New Zealand, November is the main session. It is the session your school calendar is built around, the session your IB Coordinator registers you for, and the session whose results feed directly into your post-school pathways. The exam content, assessment criteria, marking standards, and grade boundaries are identical between the two sessions. The only differences are timing, scheduling, and when results are released.

This Guide Is for First-Time Sitters, Not Retake Candidates

Most November-specific IB content online is written for students retaking exams after a May session result. Advice like ‘forget about your May results’ or ‘build on what you already know from the first attempt’ does not apply to you. You are sitting these exams for the first time, learning the format, pacing, and pressure from scratch.

If you are retaking after a May session, our dedicated IB November Retakes page and the guide on common mistakes before IB November retakes cover the specific diagnostic-led approach that retake candidates need.

How the November Session Timeline Works for DP2 Students

One of the most practical things you can do as a first-time sitter is understand the full timeline you are working within. Each milestone below is specific to the November session and directly affects your preparation.

Registration and Confirmation (February to May)

Your IB Coordinator registers you with the IBO for the November session during the first half of your DP2 year. While this happens internally, it is your responsibility to confirm your registration before the exam window. Speak to your coordinator and verify which subjects you are entered for, whether each is registered at Higher Level (HL) or Standard Level (SL), and whether any anticipated subjects from DP1 have been correctly recorded.

Internal Assessment and Core Component Deadlines (March to August)

Before you sit a single external exam, a significant portion of your diploma has already been assessed. Internal Assessments (IAs) typically account for 20% to 30% of your final grade in each subject. Your Extended Essay (EE) must be completed as a 4,000-word research paper. Your Theory of Knowledge (TOK) essay and exhibition must be submitted. Your CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) portfolio must be finalised.

These deadlines are set by your school and usually fall between March and August. Missing an IA deadline does not just cost marks in one subject; it can jeopardise your entire diploma. If you need structured feedback on your IA or EE drafts before submission, our 1-on-1 Guidance and Support sessions connect you with certified examiners who review and provide detailed commentary on your work.

The Exam Window (Late October to Mid-November)

The November examination window typically opens in the last week of October and runs through to mid-November. For the November 2025 session, examinations ran from 24 October to 14 November. The November 2026 session is expected to follow a similar window.

Source: IB Schools Australasia (IBSA), November 2025 Examination Schedule

One important detail: the IBO does not publish a single, publicly accessible timetable the way Cambridge International does. Your school’s IB Coordinator receives the official timetable directly from the IBO and then communicates the specific dates and session times for your subjects. Always rely on your coordinator’s confirmed schedule rather than third-party estimates you find online.

Results Release (Mid to Late December)

November session results are typically released to schools in mid to late December, with students able to access their own results on the IBO candidate portal (candidates.ibo.org) approximately six hours after the school release. For the November 2025 session, results were released on 17 December 2025.

Exam Zone A: What It Means for Your Exam Schedule

The IBO divides the world into three exam zones (A, B, and C) to maintain security across time zones. Australia and New Zealand sit under Exam Zone A, which covers UTC+12 to UTC+3.5. This means you are typically among the first students in the world to sit each day’s papers.

Source: International Baccalaureate Organisation, Examination Schedule Documentation

Your Local Start Times

Morning sessions in Zone A typically begin between 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM local time. Afternoon sessions generally start between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM. However, exact start times can vary between schools, so confirming your specific times with your IB Coordinator is essential.

One detail that catches students off guard: IB zones follow standard time, not daylight saving time. Since the November exam window overlaps with daylight saving in several Australian states (NSW, VIC, ACT, SA, TAS), you should double-check whether your school’s stated start times account for the clock change. Getting this wrong could mean arriving an hour late to an exam.

Exams Can Fall on Public Holidays

Examinations run on weekdays only, with no exams on weekends. However, the IBO does not guarantee that exams will avoid public holidays. If a state or territory public holiday falls within your exam window, you may still have an exam scheduled for that day. Do not assume any weekday in the window is automatically free.

November vs May Session: What Actually Differs

A common concern for first-time November sitters is whether the November session is somehow ‘lesser’ than the May session. The short answer: it is not. The table below shows what differs and, just as importantly, what stays exactly the same.

The most important row in this table is the one about syllabus and assessment criteria. Your IB Diploma from a November session carries exactly the same academic weight and international recognition as one from a May session. The resource gap, however, is real, and it is one of the reasons this guide exists.

Digital Exams From November 2026: What Changes for You

If you are sitting the November 2026 session or later, there is one significant change worth understanding. The IBO is introducing on-screen (digital) examinations in a phased rollout, and November 2026 is the first session where all IB World Schools globally can opt in.

Which Subjects Are Affected

The initial rollout covers Group 1 (Studies in Language and Literature) and Group 2 (Language Acquisition) subjects only. The May 2026 pilot ran across approximately 60 pioneer schools with around 3,000 students, covering English Language and Literature, Spanish Language and Literature, and English B. From November 2026, any IB World School can choose to offer these subjects digitally.

Source: AACRAO, ‘IB Launches Online IBDP Exams in 2026’; IBO Digital Assessment Communications

What It Means Practically

The exam content, assessment criteria, and grade boundaries remain identical between digital and paper formats. Digital exams are taken on school-managed devices using the IBO’s platform, which downloads the exam before the session and runs offline. Your school decides whether to opt in, not you individually. If your school has opted in, you sit eligible language papers on screen. If not, you sit the traditional paper exam. Either way, the standard is the same.

Sciences, Mathematics, and Individuals and Societies subjects are expected to follow in 2027 to 2029. For the November 2026 session specifically, only Language subjects are in scope.

How to Prepare for Your First IB November Sitting

This is the core of the guide. Preparing for IB exams as a first-time sitter is fundamentally different from retaking. You do not have a previous set of results to diagnose. You are learning the exam format, developing your pacing, and managing real exam pressure for the first time, all while completing your final months of coursework.

The strategies below are specifically for first-time November sitters. They are sequenced in the order you should think about them.

Begin Structured Revision 3 to 6 Months Before Exams

For a November exam window, this means starting structured revision between June and August of your DP2 year. Allocate 15 to 20 hours of revision per week across all six subjects, weighted toward your Higher Level subjects. HL subjects should receive approximately 50% to 60% more time than SL subjects because they carry more exam papers and more content depth.

If you are starting later than June, a compressed timeline is still workable with the right structure. Our guide on how to prepare for IB exams in 3 months provides a week-by-week schedule designed for students working within a tighter window.

Learn How IB Exams Are Actually Marked

IB examiners do not mark your answers by reading them and assigning a general impression. They follow structured mark schemes that award marks for specific actions: using the correct command term, showing working in calculations, referencing specific examples, and structuring evaluations with multiple perspectives.

Understanding this changes how you prepare. Instead of revising to ‘know the content’, you revise to ‘answer in the way the mark scheme rewards’. Our IB exam tips from certified examiners page explains exactly how examiners apply marking criteria and what separates a top-band response from a mid-range one.

Master IB Command Terms Before You Sit a Single Paper

Command terms are the verbs at the start of IB exam questions: Analyse, Evaluate, Discuss, Compare, Outline, Explain, Describe. Each term tells you exactly what depth and structure the examiner expects. Misinterpreting a command term is one of the most common reasons first-time sitters lose marks, because the student knows the content but does not deliver it in the format the question requires.

‘Describe’ asks you to state what is happening. ‘Explain’ asks you to say why. ‘Evaluate’ asks you to weigh up strengths and limitations and reach a judgement. If a question says ‘Evaluate’ and you only describe, you cannot access the top mark band no matter how accurate your content is.

Use Past Papers as Your Primary Revision Tool

Past papers from both May and November sessions (2015 to 2024) are the single most effective revision resource available to you. But the value is not just in completing them. It is in completing them under timed conditions, then analysing the mark scheme to understand where marks were awarded, where they were lost, and what the examiner expected at each step.

For a detailed breakdown of how to approach each paper type across different subjects, our IB Paper 1, 2, and 3 strategies guide covers Paper 1 multiple-choice technique, Paper 2 extended response structure, and Paper 3 HL-specific approaches with examiner commentary.

Simulate Full Exam Days Before the Real Session

One of the most effective and most overlooked strategies for first-time sitters is simulating full exam days. This means sitting one paper in the morning and another in the afternoon, matching the actual session structure and timings your school will follow.

This does two things. First, it builds cognitive stamina. Writing for two hours in the morning and then switching subjects for another session in the afternoon is genuinely tiring, and it is far better to discover that now than on your first real exam day. Second, it reduces anxiety about the unknown. After two or three simulated exam days, the real thing feels like a routine you have already practised.

Our resource on IB mock exams and why they matter explains how to structure these simulations and what to track from each one.

Get Subject-Specific Support Where You Need It Most

General preparation advice only takes you so far. Each IB subject has its own paper structure, mark allocation, and examiner expectations. If there is a subject where your predicted grade is below your target, focused support on that subject will have a larger impact than spreading extra hours evenly across everything.

We offer examiner-led tutoring across all major IB subjects, including IB Mathematics (AA and AI at HL and SL), IB Physics, IB Biology, IB Chemistry, IB Economics, IB Business Management, and IB Psychology. For a full list, visit our complete IB subjects page.

What to Expect on Exam Day

Walking into an IB exam hall for the first time can feel overwhelming. The more you know about what will actually happen, the less mental energy you waste on uncertainty and the more you can focus on the paper in front of you.

What to Bring

Valid photo identification as specified by your school

Black ink pens (bring at least two spares)

Pencils and an eraser for diagrams and multiple-choice answer sheets

A ruler and protractor where geometric drawing is required

An approved calculator with all memory cleared before the session

A clear, transparent water bottle with the label removed

An analogue watch (digital watches and smartwatches are prohibited)

How the Exam Session Works

You will be under supervision for the entire duration of each paper. The IBO requires a minimum two-hour supervision period, even for papers shorter than two hours. You must not communicate with other candidates. Electronic devices other than your approved calculator are strictly prohibited.

One practical technique from our examiners: spend the first five to ten minutes reading the entire paper before you write anything. Identify which questions play to your strengths, allocate your time based on mark values, and plan the order in which you will answer. This small step prevents the common first-time mistake of spending too long on an early question and then rushing through higher-value questions at the end.

For more techniques that examiners specifically reward, see our 8 quick IB exam revision tips for better scores.

After the Exams: Results and What Comes Next

Accessing Your Results

November session results are released to schools approximately five to six weeks after the final exam, typically in mid to late December. You can access your results through the IBO candidate portal (candidates.ibo.org) six hours after the school release.

Your results will show your grade (1 to 7) for each subject, your total Diploma score out of 45 (including up to 3 bonus points from TOK and EE), and whether you have been awarded the IB Diploma.

Enquiry Upon Results (EUR)

If you are not satisfied with a grade, you can request an Enquiry Upon Results (EUR) through your IB Coordinator. This is a formal remark of your papers. Be aware that a remark can result in your grade going up, staying the same, or going down. There are fees involved, which are typically refunded if the grade changes. Discuss the decision with your coordinator and consider how close you are to the next grade boundary before requesting.

If You Do Not Achieve the Diploma

Since 2023, the IBO has removed its previous three-session limit on retakes. You can retake individual subjects in subsequent sessions without repeating the entire programme, and there is no cap on the number of attempts. The nearest retake session after November is the following May, approximately six months later.

For a structured retake approach, our Rapid Revision and IB Exam Retakes Course runs intensive 16-hour courses specifically for November and May retake candidates, with groups capped at 5 to 7 students for personalised attention.

Frequently Asked Questions