Before you start revising, it's worth understanding what the IB is actually testing. There's no vocabulary list to memorise. You have a set of core themes to be comfortable with — identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organisation, and sharing the planet — but within those, almost anything can come up. The exam wants to see that you understand Spanish holistically, across a wide range of contexts, and that you can adapt your language to situations you've never seen before.
That's the whole game. You're not learning a fixed set of words; you're building real, flexible command of the language. These are the six habits I've seen make the biggest difference, both for my students and in my own learning.
1. Read widely, and read stories
Reading is how you deepen your literary language, and there's no shortcut for it: read a lot. Novels, short stories, articles — the more you read, the more your vocabulary grows and the more naturally you connect with the culture behind the language.
If you're an HL student, this matters even more. Your final reading text is usually literary and genuinely difficult, and you can't cram your way through that kind of language the night before. Build the habit early and it stops being intimidating.
2. Watch Netflix — but only in Spanish
Switch your audio and subtitles to Spanish and keep them there. It's one of the easiest ways to train your listening and comprehension without it ever feeling like study. You're already watching; you may as well be improving while you do it.
3. Speak as much as you possibly can
The more you speak, the quicker you get — it really is that simple. Speak with tutors (like me), and speak with friends who know Spanish. Don't wait until you feel "ready."
And don't buy the idea that some people are just naturally better at languages than others. We all use language every day. The students who improve fastest are the ones who speak the most, mistakes and all.
4. Fill the dead time with podcasts and audiobooks
This one is so much fun once you get into it. Podcasts and audiobooks turn all your dead time — the school bus, the drive in, walking somewhere — into Spanish practice. Hoy en El País is a great place to start if you want something current and well produced. Find a couple you actually enjoy and let them run.
5. Do as many past papers as you can
Reading, listening, writing — work through as many past papers as you can get your hands on. Nothing else builds your familiarity with the format, the timing, and the kinds of questions the IB likes to ask. By the time you sit the real thing, none of it should feel unfamiliar.
6. Keep a daily diary in Spanish
Write a little every day. Think of it as your own private code — a place to express your own thoughts in Spanish, with no one marking it. If you're unsure how to say something, it's fine to use AI to check, but the thoughts should be yours. The goal is to learn to express yourself, not to copy someone else's phrasing.
The bigger picture
Notice that none of these habits is about memorising. That's deliberate. Because the IB rewards holistic understanding, your job is to be ready for anything — to read an unseen text, follow an unfamiliar conversation, and write about a topic you didn't predict. These six habits build exactly that kind of adaptable, real-world Spanish.
Do them consistently and the exam stops being something you revise for and becomes something you're simply ready for.