Should I always plan my essays during exams, even when there is not a lot of time available?

Firstly, you need to take into account that each person is different, and the only way for you to understand what works best for you is by practicing. However, there are a few things you can do that will definitely save you some time. Introductions are always an easy way to get some easy points when answering IB essay questions. They are a great way of explaining the reader how you interpret the question, and also to define the main theories or concepts that you will be talking about. This way, you start scoring from the beginning and the structure is always the same, so it will take you no time to do it. Furthermore, it is always very useful to rewrite the question and do a previous plan on what you are going to say as arguments and counter arguments, and what your conclusion will be. It might seem like you are waisting time, but you are actually ensuring that you answer the question and that all your ideas are in the essay, as it could be easy to forget some part of it while your writing.Hope this was useful!!