IB Diploma Programme

IB Diploma tutoring, from SL to HL

Guides to six IB Diploma subjects — every paper at SL and HL, where the teaching hours go, the internal assessment and how to pick up marks — plus personalized coaching from MYP through the Diploma.

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  • SL and HL
  • Internal assessment support
  • MYP to DP
6

Subject guides

2

Levels: SL & HL

45

Maximum Diploma points

The IB Diploma Programme

How the Diploma adds up

Two years, six subjects and a core that runs alongside them. Every subject is graded on the same 1 to 7 scale, which is what makes the Diploma score comparable across schools and countries.

Six subjects

Chosen across the subject groups, typically three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level.

Graded 1 to 7

Each subject is awarded a grade from 1 to 7, so the six subjects together are worth up to 42 points.

The core

Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). TOK and the EE together add up to 3 points — 45 in total.

Standard Level vs Higher Level

What HL really adds

HL covers everything in SL plus additional depth. In the sciences the components stay the same but the papers get longer; in maths and economics, HL adds a whole extra exam. Either way, it is substantially more teaching time.

Syllabus teaching hours, SL vs HL

SL HL
Biology
110h
180h
Chemistry
110h
180h
Physics
110h
180h
Maths: Analysis & Approaches
150h
240h
Maths: Applications & Interpretation
150h
240h
Economics
150h
240h

Totals of the topic hours listed in each subject guide. For the sciences these cover the syllabus topics only, not practical work or the internal assessment.

Subject guides · Group 4

IB Sciences

Biology, Chemistry and Physics share one assessment model: Paper 1 (multiple choice and data-based), Paper 2 (short and extended response), and a scientific investigation worth 20%.

One internal assessment across all three sciences. A student-designed investigation, written up in up to 3,000 words, worth 20% at both SL and HL.

Tap a subject to see its papers, topics and exam tips.

Assessment at a glance

IB Biology assessment components at SL and HL
ComponentSLHLWeighting
Paper 1 — multiple choice + data-based1h 30m · 55 marks2h · 75 marks36%
Paper 2 — short + extended response1h 30m · 50 marks2h 30m · 80 marks44%
Scientific investigation (IA)10h · 24 marks10h · 24 marks20%

Paper 1 is two booklets sat together: 1A is multiple choice with no penalty for wrong answers, and 1B is data-based questions drawn from all four themes.

Four themes: teaching hours

SL hours HL hours
A — Unity and diversity
19h SL
33h HL
B — Form and function
26h SL
39h HL
C — Interaction and interdependence
31h SL
48h HL
D — Continuity and change
34h SL
60h HL

Each theme is examined at four levels — molecules, cells, organisms and ecosystems. Theme A, for example, runs from nucleic acids through cell origins and classification to evolution and conservation.

Assessment objectives

  • AO1 — Knowledge — Recall of terminology, facts and concepts, and of practical skills and methods.
  • AO2 — Application — Using that knowledge and those skills in familiar and new situations.
  • AO3 — Analysis, evaluation and synthesis — Interpreting experimental procedures and data, and drawing conclusions from trends and patterns.
  • AO4 — Investigation skills — Carrying out an insightful, ethical scientific investigation. Assessed only through the internal assessment.

Internal assessment

A single, student-designed scientific investigation, written up as a report of up to 3,000 words (excluding tables, diagrams, calculations, citations and headers). It is worth 20% of the final grade at both SL and HL, takes around 10 teaching hours, and is marked by the teacher then externally moderated by the IB. The IA is identical in shape across Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Exam tips

  1. 1Treat Paper 1B and the data-based parts of Paper 2 as a distinct skill. Practise reading graphs, tables and experimental setups quickly and accurately — these questions reward interpretation over recall.
  2. 2Structure extended responses around the command term: 'explain' and 'evaluate' call for different depth. Don't write everything you know about the topic.
  3. 3Multiple-choice questions carry no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave one blank.
  4. 4For the investigation, choose a research question you can genuinely test with the equipment and time available. An ambitious question with weak data scores worse than a modest one investigated well.
  5. 5Bring your subject's official IB data booklet to every exam — formulas and constants are provided there, not memorised.

Assessment at a glance

IB Chemistry assessment components at SL and HL
ComponentSLHLWeighting
Paper 1 — multiple choice + data-based1h 30m · 55 marks2h · 75 marks36%
Paper 2 — short + extended response1h 30m · 50 marks2h 30m · 90 marks44%
Scientific investigation (IA)10h · 24 marks10h · 24 marks20%

Every student must have a clean copy of the IB Chemistry data booklet in the exam room. Schools are responsible for supplying it.

Structure and reactivity: teaching hours

SL hours HL hours
Structure 1 — Particulate nature of matter
17h SL
21h HL
Structure 2 — Bonding and structure
20h SL
30h HL
Structure 3 — Classification of matter
16h SL
31h HL
Reactivity 1 — What drives chemical reactions?
12h SL
22h HL
Reactivity 2 — How much, how fast and how far?
21h SL
31h HL
Reactivity 3 — Mechanisms of chemical change
24h SL
45h HL

Each Structure topic is paired with a matching Reactivity topic — atomic structure and the mole (Structure 1) sit alongside energetics and enthalpy (Reactivity 1) — so the two are taught as lenses on the same chemistry.

Assessment objectives

  • AO1 — Knowledge — Recall of terminology, facts and concepts, and of practical skills and methods.
  • AO2 — Application — Using that knowledge and those skills in familiar and new situations.
  • AO3 — Analysis, evaluation and synthesis — Interpreting experimental procedures and data, and drawing conclusions from trends and patterns.
  • AO4 — Investigation skills — Carrying out an insightful, ethical scientific investigation. Assessed only through the internal assessment.

Internal assessment

A single, student-designed scientific investigation, written up as a report of up to 3,000 words (excluding tables, diagrams, calculations, citations and headers). It is worth 20% of the final grade at both SL and HL, takes around 10 teaching hours, and is marked by the teacher then externally moderated by the IB. The IA is identical in shape across Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Exam tips

  1. 1Treat Paper 1B and the data-based parts of Paper 2 as a distinct skill. Practise reading graphs, tables and experimental setups quickly and accurately — these questions reward interpretation over recall.
  2. 2Structure extended responses around the command term: 'explain' and 'evaluate' call for different depth. Don't write everything you know about the topic.
  3. 3Multiple-choice questions carry no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave one blank.
  4. 4For the investigation, choose a research question you can genuinely test with the equipment and time available. An ambitious question with weak data scores worse than a modest one investigated well.
  5. 5Bring your subject's official IB data booklet to every exam — formulas and constants are provided there, not memorised.
  6. 6Practise using the data booklet under timed conditions. Knowing exactly where a formula or constant sits saves real time in the exam.

Assessment at a glance

IB Physics assessment components at SL and HL
ComponentSLHLWeighting
Paper 1 — multiple choice + data-based1h 30m · 45 marks2h · 60 marks36%
Paper 2 — short + extended response1h 30m · 55 marks2h 30m · 90 marks44%
Scientific investigation (IA)10h · 24 marks10h · 24 marks20%

As in the other sciences, every student needs a clean copy of the IB Physics data booklet in the exam room.

Five topics: teaching hours

SL hours HL hours
A — Space, time and motion
27h SL
42h HL
B — The particulate nature of matter
24h SL
32h HL
C — Wave behaviour
17h SL
29h HL
D — Fields
19h SL
38h HL
E — Nuclear and quantum physics
23h SL
39h HL

HL covers everything in SL plus higher-level material woven into each topic — for example rigid body mechanics and special relativity in Topic A, and quantum physics in more depth in Topic E.

Assessment objectives

  • AO1 — Knowledge — Recall of terminology, facts and concepts, and of practical skills and methods.
  • AO2 — Application — Using that knowledge and those skills in familiar and new situations.
  • AO3 — Analysis, evaluation and synthesis — Interpreting experimental procedures and data, and drawing conclusions from trends and patterns.
  • AO4 — Investigation skills — Carrying out an insightful, ethical scientific investigation. Assessed only through the internal assessment.

Internal assessment

A single, student-designed scientific investigation, written up as a report of up to 3,000 words (excluding tables, diagrams, calculations, citations and headers). It is worth 20% of the final grade at both SL and HL, takes around 10 teaching hours, and is marked by the teacher then externally moderated by the IB. The IA is identical in shape across Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Exam tips

  1. 1Treat Paper 1B and the data-based parts of Paper 2 as a distinct skill. Practise reading graphs, tables and experimental setups quickly and accurately — these questions reward interpretation over recall.
  2. 2Structure extended responses around the command term: 'explain' and 'evaluate' call for different depth. Don't write everything you know about the topic.
  3. 3Multiple-choice questions carry no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave one blank.
  4. 4For the investigation, choose a research question you can genuinely test with the equipment and time available. An ambitious question with weak data scores worse than a modest one investigated well.
  5. 5Bring your subject's official IB data booklet to every exam — formulas and constants are provided there, not memorised.
  6. 6Keep units attached through multi-step calculations. Examiners can award method marks when the final answer is wrong, but only if the working is traceable.

Subject guides · Group 5

IB Mathematics

Two courses with the same five topic names but very different emphasis. Most students take one of them, at SL or HL.

Comparison of IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches and Applications and Interpretation
Analysis & Approaches (AA)Applications & Interpretation (AI)
EmphasisAlgebraic technique, proof and calculusStatistics, modelling and technology
Suited toMathematically demanding degreesSocial sciences, natural sciences, medicine, applied fields
Paper 1No calculator allowedGraphic display calculator required
Largest topic (HL hours)Calculus — 55 hoursStatistics and probability — 52 hours
HL extraPaper 3: extended problem-solvingPaper 3: extended problem-solving
Internal assessmentMathematical exploration, 20%Mathematical exploration, 20%

Choosing between them? Check the maths requirements of the university courses you are considering first — some specify which course, and at which level.

Tap a subject to see its papers, topics and exam tips.

Assessment at a glance

IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches assessment components at SL and HL
ComponentSLHL
Paper 1 — no technology1h 30m · 80 marks · 40%2h · 110 marks · 30%
Paper 2 — technology required1h 30m · 80 marks · 40%2h · 110 marks · 30%
Paper 3 — problem-solvingHL only1h · 55 marks · 20%
Mathematical exploration (IA)20 marks · 20%20 marks · 20%

Paper 1 is AA's defining feature: no calculator is allowed, and questions lean on analytic, by-hand methods. Paper 2 requires a graphic display calculator (GDC), and HL's Paper 3 is two compulsory extended problem-solving questions.

Five topics: teaching hours

SL hours HL hours
1 — Number and algebra
19h SL
39h HL
2 — Functions
21h SL
32h HL
3 — Geometry and trigonometry
25h SL
51h HL
4 — Statistics and probability
27h SL
33h HL
5 — Calculus
28h SL
55h HL
Toolkit and mathematical exploration
30h SL
30h HL

All five topics are compulsory at both levels. HL adds substantial depth to each — most notably calculus and geometry and trigonometry, which roughly double in teaching time.

Assessment objectives

  • Knowledge and understanding — Recalling and using mathematical facts, concepts and techniques.
  • Problem solving — Applying skills and models to abstract and real-world problems.
  • Communication and interpretation — Translating a context into mathematics and presenting work with correct notation.
  • Technology — Using a calculator or software accurately to explore ideas and solve problems.
  • Reasoning — Building mathematical arguments through logical deduction.
  • Inquiry approaches — Investigating unfamiliar situations, making conjectures and testing them.

Internal assessment

An individual mathematical exploration: a piece of independent written investigation into a mathematical topic the student chooses. It is worth 20 marks and 20% of the final grade at both SL and HL, and is marked by the teacher then externally moderated by the IB. Both maths courses share this shape.

Exam tips

  1. 1Full marks are rarely given for a bare correct answer. Show your method — partial credit depends on visible working.
  2. 2For Paper 1, rehearse calculus and algebra by hand under time pressure. No calculator means no shortcuts for checking arithmetic.
  3. 3For Paper 2, know your GDC's graphing, equation-solving and statistics functions cold. Fumbling the calculator costs real time.
  4. 4Section B extended-response questions usually build one theme that gets harder as it goes. Don't skip the easier early parts even if a later part looks hard.
  5. 5For the exploration, pick a topic narrow enough to explore in real mathematical depth, rather than a broad topic you can only describe.

Assessment at a glance

IB Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation assessment components at SL and HL
ComponentSLHL
Paper 1 — technology required1h 30m · 80 marks · 40%2h · 110 marks · 30%
Paper 2 — technology required1h 30m · 80 marks · 40%2h · 110 marks · 30%
Paper 3 — problem-solvingHL only1h · 55 marks · 20%
Mathematical exploration (IA)20 marks · 20%20 marks · 20%

Unlike AA, a graphic display calculator (GDC) is required and allowed on every written paper, including Paper 1. Paper 1 favours short-response questions across the syllabus; Paper 2 favours extended-response questions in depth.

Five topics: teaching hours

SL hours HL hours
1 — Number and algebra
16h SL
29h HL
2 — Functions
31h SL
42h HL
3 — Geometry and trigonometry
18h SL
46h HL
4 — Statistics and probability
36h SL
52h HL
5 — Calculus
19h SL
41h HL
Toolkit and mathematical exploration
30h SL
30h HL

The same five topic names as AA, weighted differently: statistics and probability gets the largest share of teaching time, reflecting AI's data-and-modelling focus, while calculus and geometry get comparatively less.

Assessment objectives

  • Knowledge and understanding — Recalling and using mathematical facts, concepts and techniques.
  • Problem solving — Applying skills and models to abstract and real-world problems.
  • Communication and interpretation — Translating a context into mathematics and presenting work with correct notation.
  • Technology — Using a calculator or software accurately to explore ideas and solve problems.
  • Reasoning — Building mathematical arguments through logical deduction.
  • Inquiry approaches — Investigating unfamiliar situations, making conjectures and testing them.

Internal assessment

An individual mathematical exploration: a piece of independent written investigation into a mathematical topic the student chooses. It is worth 20 marks and 20% of the final grade at both SL and HL, and is marked by the teacher then externally moderated by the IB. Both maths courses share this shape.

Exam tips

  1. 1A GDC is allowed throughout, so build fluency with its statistics and regression functions early — they come up far more often than in AA.
  2. 2Marks are still awarded for method and interpretation, not just a correct number. Always explain what a calculated value means in context.
  3. 3Paper 1 mixes short questions across the whole syllabus, so breadth of revision matters there. Paper 2 rewards depth on a narrower set of topics.
  4. 4For modelling questions, state your assumptions explicitly. Real-world problems are often under-specified on purpose, and examiners credit reasonable assumptions.
  5. 5Choose an exploration built on a genuine real-world data source or application. AI explorations score well when they interpret real data, not invented numbers.

Subject guides · Group 3

IB Economics

Command terms map to marks. 'Define' and 'describe' signal knowledge (AO1), 'analyse' and 'explain' signal application (AO2), and 'evaluate' or 'discuss' signal evaluation (AO3). Questions never use a term above the level set for that part of the syllabus.

Tap a subject to see its papers, topics and exam tips.

Assessment at a glance

IB Economics assessment components at SL and HL
ComponentSLHL
Paper 1 — extended response (choose 1 of 3)1h 15m · 25 marks · 30%1h 15m · 25 marks · 20%
Paper 2 — data response (choose 1 of 2)1h 45m · 40 marks · 40%1h 45m · 40 marks · 30%
Paper 3 — policy paper (2 compulsory questions)HL only1h 45m · 60 marks · 30%
Portfolio of 3 commentaries (IA)45 marks · 30%45 marks · 20%

No calculator is allowed on Paper 1. A four-function or graphic display calculator is allowed on Papers 2 and 3.

Four units: teaching hours

SL hours HL hours
1 — Introduction to economics
10h SL
10h HL
2 — Microeconomics
35h SL
70h HL
3 — Macroeconomics
40h SL
75h HL
4 — The global economy
45h SL
65h HL
Internal assessment (portfolio)
20h SL
20h HL

HL studies the same four units as SL, plus extension material woven into each unit (marked in bold in the official syllabus). That accounts for most of the extra teaching hours.

Assessment objectives

  • AO1 — Knowledge and understanding — Define, describe, outline and state economic content, including current issues and data.
  • AO2 — Application and analysis — Apply theory to real situations, interpret data, and analyse how information is used in context.
  • AO3 — Synthesis and evaluation — Construct and evaluate an argument, weighing evidence and theory against each other.
  • AO4 — Use and application of skills — Write in a structured way, draw and use diagrams, and interpret data sets and news extracts.

Internal assessment

A portfolio of three commentaries, each up to 800 words, based on published news extracts. Each commentary must draw on a different syllabus unit (excluding the introductory unit) and use a different key economic concept as its lens. It is worth 45 marks, takes roughly 20 teaching hours, and has the same shape at SL and HL.

Exam tips

  1. 1Always include a correctly labelled diagram where the question allows it. Examiners expect it, and unsupported prose caps how high an answer can score.
  2. 2For top markbands, don't just name a real-world example — explain how it connects to the specific concept or theory the question is asking about.
  3. 3Match your depth to the command term: 'outline' wants a brief factual answer, while 'evaluate' or 'discuss' wants a weighed judgement with reasoning on more than one side.
  4. 4In Paper 2's data-response questions, cite the data directly — numbers, units and trends — rather than describing it vaguely.
  5. 5For the portfolio, use a different key concept for each of the three commentaries. Reusing the same lens twice is a common way marks are lost.

IB with KollegePrep

Coaching through both years

The Diploma runs on two clocks at once: exam papers at the end, and internal assessments due along the way. Good tutoring plans for both, subject by subject and at the right level.

Personalized sessions

Built around your subjects, your level and the grades you are aiming for.

Experienced teachers

Educators who make sure you understand concepts deeply and perform your best in the exam.

Regular assignments

Practice after each topic, so the syllabus is covered steadily across both years.

Monthly assessments

Tests and feedback sessions that track progress and keep parents informed.

Recorded lectures

Revisit any concept at your own pace, as often as you need.

MYP to Diploma

Support from the Middle Years Programme (years 1–5) through Diploma years 1 and 2.

Tell us your subjects, whether each is SL or HL, and when you sit your exams. We will plan sessions around exactly what your papers and internal assessments ask for.

Message us

FAQ

IB questions, answered

IB Diploma students take six subjects, typically three at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL). Each subject is graded from 1 to 7. Alongside the subjects sits the core: Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay together can add up to 3 points, which makes 45 the maximum Diploma score.

HL covers everything in SL plus additional depth, with more teaching time and longer or extra exams. In the sciences the components are the same at both levels but the HL papers are longer: IB Biology Paper 2, for example, is 1 hour 30 minutes at SL and 2 hours 30 minutes at HL. In Mathematics and Economics, HL adds a whole extra exam, Paper 3.

Analysis and Approaches (AA) is the more theoretical course, emphasising algebra, proof and calculus, and suits students heading into mathematically demanding degrees. Its Paper 1 allows no calculator. Applications and Interpretation (AI) is the more applied course, weighted toward statistics and modelling, and suits students heading toward the social sciences, natural sciences, medicine or applied fields. A graphic display calculator is required on every AI paper. Check the maths requirements of the university courses you are considering before choosing.

In Biology, Chemistry and Physics the internal assessment is a single student-designed scientific investigation, written up as a report of up to 3,000 words. It is worth 20% of the final grade at both SL and HL, takes around 10 teaching hours, and is marked by your teacher and externally moderated by the IB.

The mathematical exploration is the internal assessment for both Maths AA and Maths AI: an independent written investigation into a mathematical topic you choose. It is worth 20 marks and 20% of the final grade at both SL and HL. Topics narrow enough to explore in real depth score better, and AI explorations do well when they interpret genuine real-world data.

It depends on the paper. In Maths AA, Paper 1 allows no calculator and Paper 2 requires a graphic display calculator. In Maths AI, a graphic display calculator is required on every written paper. In Economics, no calculator is allowed on Paper 1, while a four-function or graphic display calculator is allowed on Papers 2 and 3.

A portfolio of three commentaries, each up to 800 words and based on a published news extract. Each commentary must draw on a different syllabus unit and use a different key economic concept. It is worth 45 marks — 30% of the grade at SL and 20% at HL.

This guide covers Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches, Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation, and Economics, at both SL and HL. KollegePrep supports IB students from the Middle Years Programme (years 1 to 5) through the Diploma Programme (years 1 and 2), so message us about any subject not listed here.

Through personalized sessions built around your subjects, your level and the grades you are aiming for, taught by experienced teachers. Regular assignments reinforce each topic, monthly assessments and feedback sessions track progress and keep parents informed, and recorded lectures let you revisit concepts at your own pace.

Message us on WhatsApp or send an enquiry through the contact form with your subjects, whether each is SL or HL, and when you sit your exams. We will talk through where you are now and what your target grades need, then plan sessions around it.

Aiming for a higher IB score?

Send us your subjects and levels. We will talk through where you are now, what your target grades need, and how to fit the internal assessments in.

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SL and HL · Internal assessment support · MYP to DP