Module 1 of 46Lesson 2 of 5 · Exam Technique Masterclass — Command Terms, Self-Marking & Zero-Mistake Habits
Why this lesson is worth more marks than any topic revision
Most AA SL students lose 10–15 marks per session without making a single mathematical error — they misread command terms, round too early, or write answers examiners cannot credit. Your exam: Paper 1 non-calculator (80 marks, 90 min) and Paper 2 with GDC (80 marks, 90 min). That is just over a minute per mark, so every recovered mark matters. This lesson fixes the three biggest leaks: understanding command terms, marking yourself like an examiner, and zero-mistake habits.
🔎 Part 1 — The Command-Term Decoder
IB marks hang on the first word of the question. Learn what each verb permits, requires and forbids — then you will never do a page of algebra for a 1-mark “write down” again.
🥇 Part 2 — Mark Yourself Like an Examiner
You own five full mock sets with IB-style keys. Checking answers doubles nothing; MARKING against criteria doubles everything. First, learn the five codes every key uses.
M
Method
Awarded for a correct method or setup — the equation, the integral, the test choice — even if the final number is wrong.
A
Accuracy
The correct answer/value. Usually only available AFTER the matching M mark — a lucky bare answer often earns less than shown method.
R
Reasoning
For a justification: comparing p with α, quoting a sign change, giving a conclusion in context.
AG
Answer Given
The printed target in a “show that”. Your last line must match it EXACTLY — and every step before it must be shown.
FT
Follow Through
Wrong answer in (a), used CORRECTLY in (b)? The (b) marks still count. One error is one error — not a chain reaction.
✍️ TRY IT — AWARD THE MARKS YOURSELF
Question (3 marks): Solve 2eˣ = 14, giving x to 3 sf. Key: M1 eˣ = 7 or equivalent setup A1 x = ln 7 A1 x = 1.95.
Student A writes only “1.95”. Student B writes “eˣ = 7, x = ln 7 = 1.9459 ≈ 1.95”. Student C writes “eˣ = 7, x = 1.87”.
Award: A gets 3 (correct answer implies method here — but risky!). B gets 3 comfortably. C gets M1 only — setup right, evaluation wrong. Notice: C’s one written line saved 1 of 3 marks. That is why you always show the setup.
Student A writes only “1.95”. Student B writes “eˣ = 7, x = ln 7 = 1.9459 ≈ 1.95”. Student C writes “eˣ = 7, x = 1.87”.
Award: A gets 3 (correct answer implies method here — but risky!). B gets 3 comfortably. C gets M1 only — setup right, evaluation wrong. Notice: C’s one written line saved 1 of 3 marks. That is why you always show the setup.
1
Sit the paper under real conditions
Full time, no key, no phone, GDC only where allowed (no GDC on Paper 1, GDC on Paper 2). A mock marked generously in a comfy chair teaches you nothing.
2
Mark the same day, code by code
Go mark by mark with the key — write M1, A1, R1 in the margin exactly like an examiner. Not “right/wrong per question”: per MARK.
3
Apply FT honestly
Where (a) was wrong, check if your (b) method was correct with your wrong value — if yes, award the (b) marks. This shows you how examiners protect you, and where showing method pays.
4
Log every lost mark in one of four columns
Knowledge gap (didn’t know it) · GDC slip (mode, typo, wrong tool) · Technique (command term, rounding, no working) · Time (ran out). Most students discover 60% of losses are NOT knowledge.
5
Close the loop
Redo only the lost-mark questions 48 hours later, from scratch. Then book the next set. Repeat five times and your grade moves — that is the whole Stadira method.
Want a real examiner’s eye on it? Every Stadira student can add Marked & Mentored (P400/month) — send your written mock, get it marked by a real teacher against the same criteria, with a note on exactly which of the four columns is costing you. Your first task is marked free.
🛡️ Part 3 — The Ten Zero-Mistake Habits
None of these is mathematics. All of them are marks. Read the list before every mock until it is automatic.
HABIT 1
Three significant figures, always
Unless told otherwise: 3 sf for final answers, 2 dp for money. And “13.0”, not “13” — show the third figure even when it is zero.
HABIT 2
RAD mode before question 1
Check the top-right indicator the moment the exam starts. A DEG-mode paper fails silently — every trig answer wrong, no warning.
HABIT 3
Setup line before GDC line
Write the equation/integral/test you are about to solve, THEN the result. Method marks survive typos; bare numbers do not.
HABIT 4
Never round mid-working
Store intermediate values (ans key / variables). Using 3 sf values inside later steps drifts the final answer outside the accepted range.
HABIT 5
Exact means exact
If the question says exact: fractions, surds, π, ln 2 — a decimal scores zero. If it says 3 sf, a surd may not be accepted either. Match the demand.
HABIT 6
Units and context in final answers
“14.7” is arithmetic; “14.7 years” is an answer. Interpret/comment questions need a sentence about the situation, not a symbol.
HABIT 7
Label every sketch
Axes names, intercepts, asymptotes, turning points, window values. Each label is potentially a mark; an unlabelled curve is potentially zero.
HABIT 8
Answer the question that was asked
Re-read the final sentence and circle the target: x or y? area or perimeter? probability or expected number? Correct maths for the wrong target scores nothing.
HABIT 9
Never leave a blank
A sensible first line — the distribution, the equation, a sketch — can earn M1 on its own. Blank pages have a guaranteed mark: zero.
HABIT 10
Budget just over a minute per mark
Number of marks ≈ minutes to spend. Stuck for two minutes past budget? Flag it, move on, return at the end. Section B’s long questions reward starting them with 60+ minutes left — do not overstay in Section A.
📋 Before every mock, say the short version out loud: “3 sf · RAD · setup line · store, don’t round · exact when asked · units · labels · read the target · no blanks · watch the clock.” Ten seconds that are worth a grade boundary.