What the IB Diploma is
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year sixth-form qualification awarded by the International Baccalaureate Organization, headquartered in Geneva. It runs in more than 5,800 IB World Schools across over 160 countries. In the UK, the Diploma is offered by many independent schools and a smaller number of state sixth forms, typically schools that consciously chose the IB over A-level for its breadth and international portability.
The Diploma's distinguishing feature is that it's a single integrated qualification, not six independent subject grades the way A-levels are. Students must complete every component to be awarded the Diploma, and missing any single piece (a failing TOK essay, a missing CAS portfolio) means no Diploma is awarded even if all subject grades are strong.
The six subject groups
Students take exactly one subject from each of six groups. Studies in Language and Literature is usually English Literature or English Language & Literature for native English speakers. Language Acquisition is a second language (French ab initio, Spanish B, Mandarin B, and others). Individuals and Societies covers History, Geography, Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Business Management, Politics, and similar. Sciences includes Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Environmental Systems and Societies, Sports Science, and Design Technology. Mathematics is split between Maths Analysis & Approaches (more abstract and pure-leaning) and Maths Applications & Interpretation (more applied and data-leaning), each at HL or SL. The Arts covers Visual Arts, Music, Theatre, Dance, and Film; alternatively, students can take a second subject from one of the other groups.
Three of the six are taken at Higher Level (HL, broadly equivalent to A-level depth) and three at Standard Level (SL, broadly equivalent to AS-level). The HL and SL split is usually decided based on intended university course: pre-Medicine students take Biology and Chemistry HL; pre-Engineering students take Maths and Physics HL; pre-Humanities students take their target subjects (History, English Lit, others) HL.
The core: TOK, EE, CAS
Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
An epistemology course: how we know what we know across different disciplines. Assessed through a 1,600-word essay (on prescribed titles set annually by the IB) and an oral presentation called the TOK Exhibition. TOK is genuinely intellectually demanding; students who engage with it well find it strengthens their wider thinking, while students who treat it as a tick-box obligation often produce weak essays.
Extended Essay (EE)
A 4,000-word independent research essay on a topic the student chooses, supervised by a school-assigned subject specialist. The EE develops genuine research skills: choosing a research question, gathering primary or secondary sources, and structuring an extended argument. Many students find the EE the most valuable thing they do at IB; some find it the most stressful.
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)
Not academically assessed, but mandatory. Students complete a portfolio of CAS experiences across the three strands, typically 18 months of activities documented against learning outcomes. Failure to complete CAS means no Diploma is awarded.
How scoring works
Each of the six subjects is graded 1-7 (7 highest), giving a total of 42 from subjects. TOK and the Extended Essay together contribute up to 3 bonus points based on a matrix of their individual letter grades (A-E), so the maximum is 45.
Pass conditions for the Diploma require a total score of at least 24 points, no subject graded 1, no more than two subjects graded 2 (or one 2 if HL totals fall short), HL grades summing to at least 12 (and SL grades summing to at least 9 if you took 4HL/2SL), TOK and EE not both graded E (the 'failing condition' on the matrix), and CAS completed.
Approximate UK university equivalence: IB 42+ is roughly A*A*A* or above; IB 38-40 is roughly AAA at A-level; IB 36-37 is roughly AAB; IB 32-35 is roughly BBB or ABB; IB 28-31 is roughly BCC or CCC; IB 24-27 is roughly Pass or DDD.
What IB tutoring usually focuses on
HL subject-specialist depth
HL subjects are demanding: content equivalent to A-level depth, with assessments split across exam papers and substantial Internal Assessment coursework. Tutoring at HL is typically subject-mentor work: discussing nuance, fixing technique, building exam confidence. The tutor needs to know the specific HL subject, not just the broader subject area.
Internal Assessment (IA) support
Most IB subjects include an IA, an extended piece of coursework worth 20-25% of the subject grade. IAs have specific structural conventions (a Research Question, methodology section, evaluation, conclusions) that differ across subjects. Tutors familiar with IA conventions for the specific subject save students weeks of structural rework.
Extended Essay support
Schools assign EE supervisors but their availability varies. Many students benefit from additional EE coaching, typically with a subject-specialist tutor for the chosen EE subject. The tutor isn't writing the essay; they're a sounding-board for the research question, feedback on draft sections, and teaching academic-essay technique.
TOK essay coaching
TOK is unfamiliar territory for most students; it's genuinely a philosophy course, distinct from the subjects they're more confident in. Tutors who specialise in TOK help students unpack the prescribed titles, understand the assessment criteria, and structure the essay around the IB's specific epistemological framing.
Maths AA vs AI clarification
IB Mathematics has two distinct courses (Analysis & Approaches; Applications & Interpretation), each at HL and SL: four maths courses in total. They cover meaningfully different content. AA leans more toward pure mathematics (proof, calculus, algebra); AI leans toward statistics, financial mathematics, and applied modelling. A tutor needs to be teaching the specific course, not generic 'IB Maths'.
Choosing an IB tutor
Confirm HL or SL; they're different qualifications. Confirm the specific subject and course; Maths AA HL is not the same as Maths AI HL, and English Literature is not the same as English Language & Literature. Ask about IA experience: has the tutor coached students through IAs in this subject before? For TOK or EE, find tutors who explicitly advertise the component; they're often a different (often older) cohort of tutors than HL-subject specialists. School currency matters: the IB updates subject guides every 7 years (rotating across subjects), so tutors who've taught the current syllabus iteration save time.