Customer Reviews

Chemistry for the Ib Diploma (Ib Study Guides)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I studied for the IB exam strictly from this book and received a 7. However, I can only comment on the Subject Specific Core, Option A, and Option D as those were the only sections our school had to know for the exam. I suppose the other options could have been done poorly, but if they were set up in the same way and to the same depth as SSC, A, and D then this book is the perfect tool to study for the IB exam.

this is a good start for an IB chem book but doesnt come close to being all you need...this is in stark contrast with the "Biology for the IB Diploma" which is magnificent..supposadely the Chemistry book by green and damji is better, though that has gotten lackluster reviews as well...

buy this book, but I would keep a couple of A-Level Chemistry books on the side to help as well. Allinall, we're on our own in IB Chemistry.

I always use this book to study before the tests in class. Its very condensed but does not skip over anything. It also has short and concise definitions which are easy to remember.

I used this book two years ago, sorry about late review, but it is the reason why I passed IB Chemistry higher level. In the two weeks or so before the exam I went through the entire book, reading everything and doing the problems at the end of each chapter and it was amazing and very helpful. It organizes everyhting into groups and charts that make it much easier to review/memorize/learn. HL and SL material is also clearly marked. Helped me all throughout the year for reviews for tests also. A must have.

This book may be very concise, but it has basic outlines for all fundamental points one needs to know to get good marks on the papers. Use it to review. Highly recommended, especially for those who are doing Higher Level Chemistry.

... but I wouldn't rely too heavily on it. The book was very informative, but it was hard to grasp the basic formulas because they aren't clearly presented- they're just used in examples. While this may work fine for some, it isn't a best choice for presenting information.
It was helpful in studying for my IB test and getting the vocabulary right, but that's about all.

Certainly, very similar as what Newman has said in the previous review, this is quite contrary to what rocaveli says. Although this book is not flawless, it is one of the best IB chem resource you can get. Our school also uses the Green and Damji; however that book is still untouched in my closet even after the IB exam. This book is concise, and contains nothing other than what you need for the exams. I study only from the book and recieved a 7. Of course I kinda have to practiced a few IB exams to get a feel of what the exmas are like. I think this is book will be a priceless asset for all IB chem student.

I teach chemistry. In short, this is a good solid set of notes and key points and concepts for students of IB Chemistry in one place. In fact, my IB Chemistry students were unanimous in agreeing that this is the "go to" book for summary. There are no questions or problems to work in this study guide - just summary and key points. If you want the book with more explanation and problems (with a key in the appendix) also get the Chemistry book for the IB Diploma (from Pearson Baccalaureate press (Higher level) by Mike Ford and Catrin Brown). Actually, I'd recommend those two books together to help you really know IB Chemistry. So, if you want a resource that will help you pass the tests - get this book! I haven't found a better more succinct guide in one place anywhere else to get summary, main points and key concepts.

I believe this is an essential book for any IB chemistry student. This is because of the following reasons:
1. This book is concise and direct. It summarizes what you need to know in IB chemistry in less than 200 pages. This is very concise compared to other IB chemistry books as the IBID's book which has more than 600 pages.
2. This book managed to present information in a relatively interesting way. The organization of paragraphs and information is less "boring" compared to other conventional books.

However, this book is by no means enough due to the following reasons:
1. This book offers very few past IB questions. This is a great disadvantage because solving past exams is a vital part of preparing for the exam.
2. This is a great revision book. It is a study guide perhaps not very fit for 1st time study. In order to use this book alone, you must have a really good teacher.

Now personally, I strongly recommend using this book with another bigger IB or A-level book and solving tons of past exams. The bigger book will be for first time study and this book will be used for monthly revisions. I believe this is the best way to get a 7. By the way, I got a 7 in IB chem. HL.

I hope this review is of benefit.

I took IB Higher Level in highschool and this book was a huge help. It concisely states exactly what you need to know (even the optional topics). If you could learn everything in this book, you'll have a 7 - no problem. The best part of this book is that it gives you exactly what you need to know without any fluff. A con associated with this methodology, however, is that nothing is really explained in detail.

As the title suggests, this is a "Study Guide." Everything you need to know is in the book and put out for you to learn. However, nothing is explained. So, the book isn't exactly very good at teaching you material, rather it supplements what you already know and helps you refresh and focus your studying.

This book not only helped pass the HL chem exam in high school, but it still serves me in College chemistry when I need to look back on something. This is a great book, and I highly recommend it to all IB students - who knows, you might even end up using it in college too!