IB Computer Science HL Tutoring
One-to-one online preparation for the Computer Science Higher Level syllabus
IB Computer Science HL tutoring works on two fronts: the pre-released case study, on a different topic every year, and the Solution, software built for a real client. We compile a glossary for the case study, spend 90-minute sessions practising how to explain code rather than merely write it, and plan the documentation before a line is typed.
Quick Answer
The Solution runs across a whole term, so Computer Science HL support can sit at one 90-minute session a fortnight, tightening once the case study is released. We do not write the student's code: we work through the design decisions and the documentation alongside them.
HL
Level
Fully Online
Format
90 min
Lesson length
€85 per 90 min one-to-one lesson
Not happy after your first lesson? Full refund.
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HLIB Specialists
Experienced Team
About IB Computer Science HL Tutoring
Our IB Computer Science HL tutoring programme covers the fundamental concepts of computer science and programming in detail, including programming in Java or Python, data structures, algorithms and system design.
The new guide, first examined in May 2027, is built on two themes. Theme A (Concepts of Computer Science) covers computer fundamentals, networks and the internet, databases and machine learning; Theme B (Computational Thinking and Problem-Solving) covers computational thinking, programming and object-oriented programming. Machine learning and databases are now core content for every student.
The HL-only topics get particular attention: abstract data types (linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, binary search trees), recursive algorithms and object-oriented programming (encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism) are all taught in detail.
We support the Internal Assessment (IA), the Solution, in detail, with guidance based on the IB assessment criteria across problem definition, design, development, testing and evaluation. Students build a working product in Java or Python.
Exam preparation focuses on algorithm analysis, writing code on paper, building trace tables and problem-solving techniques. Paper 3 has been removed under the new guide and the case study, previously HL-only, now sits in Paper 1 Section B; separate strategies are applied for Paper 1 (Theme A and the case study) and Paper 2 (Theme B).
IB assessment experience
Lessons are planned with teachers who have relevant subject experience and a strong command of the IB assessment criteria. Matching is done by subject, level, the student's current standing and teacher availability.
Syllabus Topics
And what does the board look like at SL?
The same topics, taught at SL
SLExam Papers
First exams 2027IB Computer Science HL exam structure and focus areas
| Paper | Duration | Weighting | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 2 hours | 40% | Theme A and the case study, 2 hours |
| Paper 2 | 2 hours | 40% | Theme B – computational thinking and programming, 2 hours |
| IA | — | 20% | Solution – software development project |
Source: the assessment components and weightings on this page follow the IB Computer Science HL subject guide published by the International Baccalaureate Organization (First exams 2027). Your school's IB coordinator can access the current session documents. ibo.org
About grade boundaries: According to the grade boundary documents the International Baccalaureate Organization publishes for each exam session, the total percentage needed for a 7 varies by subject, level and session in a band of roughly 55–85%. Your school's IB coordinator can access the relevant May/November Grade descriptors and boundaries document. In our one-to-one lessons we review the student's realistic grade range together using past-session boundaries and mock results.
IA / Written-Task Support
Where do one-to-one lessons help with the Internal Assessment and written tasks?
Finding a real client
The Solution cannot be built on an imagined scenario: the requirements have to come from a real person you interview, and that interview has to be evidenced. Finding that person is what delays the project most, so the first sessions are about the client rather than the code.
Scope that fits a single term
Most students design a system on the first idea that they will never finish. Assessment rests on a working product, so an unfinished large project scores below a finished small one. We cut the scope while the success criteria are being written.
Success criteria you can test
'It will be easy to use' is not a criterion. We write from the start how each one would be tested and with what input, because the evaluation section of the report is built directly on them.
Whose code it is
Libraries, borrowed snippets and externally generated code all have to be attributed. We do not write the code for you; the source stays on your machine and the session is spent on design decisions and on whatever error you are stuck on.
Documentation moving at the same pace as the code
Design documents, the development log and the demonstration video, left to the end, mean nobody remembers why a decision was made. At the end of every session we have you write down what changed in the past fortnight and why.
Comparing Preparation Paths
How self-study, group classes and one-to-one support compare for IB Computer Science HL
| Preparation path | Pros | Limitations | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working on your own |
|
| Students who enjoy coding and can move a project along by themselves. |
| School lessons and group courses |
|
| Students meeting programming for the first time. |
| One-to-one online lessons with us |
|
| Students who can code but lose marks in the exam and on documentation. |
Lesson packages
Not happy after your first lesson? Full refund. Split 10- and 20-lesson packages across any subjects you like, with no expiry date.
Study Plan Framework
A typical five-phase plan for IB Computer Science HL in one-to-one lessons, adapted to the student's exam date.
Client and scope
weeks 1-2
- Finding the real client and planning the interview
- Narrowing the problem to something that fits one term
- Writing success criteria that can be tested
Theme B: programming and OOP
weeks 3-9
- Object-oriented programming in the form the exam asks for
- The HL-only abstract data types: linked list, stack, queue, binary search tree
- Tracing recursive algorithms by hand
Building the Solution
a session every fortnight across the term
- Breaking development down against the success criteria
- The student explaining their own code in every session
- Documentation keeping pace with the code
Theme A and the case study
6-8 weeks from the release of the case study
- Compiling the glossary of terms for the case
- Tying databases and machine learning back to the case
- Preparing for the extended-response questions in Section B
Exam practice
the last 6 weeks
- Filling in trace tables and reading given code
- Explaining an algorithm without a computer
- Full-length past papers under timed conditions
This framework is a sample plan; it is customised for each student based on exam date, target grade and current level.
How One-to-One Lessons Work
How IB Computer Science HL sessions are structured
We practise explaining code, not writing it
There is no computer in the exam. The marks come from filling in a trace table, describing an algorithm in words and seeing what a given piece of code does – not from producing a working program. So in the session you talk through your code, and the line you cannot explain is the line we work on.
Exam practice in the language you study
Under the new guide the course is studied in either Java or Python, and every programming question on Paper 2 comes in both languages; students answer the version in the language they have studied. So we practise writing and reading code by hand in the language your school teaches. Building the Solution in that same language as well makes it easier to carry the habits from the project into the exam.
The case study cannot be prepared before release
Its topic changes every year and nothing about its content can be prepared in advance. We say so upfront. The week it is released we start the glossary; until then the aim is to have Theme A properly finished.
Your source stays yours, plus a written report every fortnight
The project's code lives on your machine and we do not write into it. Every two weeks we share in writing which topics were covered, which success criterion the project has reached and what comes next.
IA Grader
Evaluate your Internal Assessment report yourself. IA Grader for all subjects →
Upload Your IA Report
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IA Preparation Checklist
Check the key elements of your IA report before moving on to scoring.
0/15 completed
0%Planning
Solution
Development
Functionality
Evaluation
Communication
Criterion-Based Scoring
Assess yourself on each criterion. Use the slider to set your score.
Planning
0/6Defining the problem, designing the solution and the planning process.
The problem is not defined.
Solution Overview
0/6The overall structure and architecture of the solution, and its technical choices.
The structure of the solution is unclear.
Development
0/6Code quality, complexity and technical implementation.
The code is too simple or does not work.
Functionality
0/4Whether the solution works and meets its success criteria.
The solution does not work.
Evaluation
0/6Evaluation of the solution, test results and recommendations.
No evaluation has been carried out.
Communication
0/6The quality and structure of the documentation, and its presentation.
The documentation is inadequate.
Total IA Score
Areas for Improvement
Want feedback on your IA from a teacher?
Work one-to-one with teachers who know the IB assessment criteria and IA rubrics inside out, and strengthen your report with feedback on each criterion.
If you'd like personalised feedback on your IA from a teacher, you can work with one of our tutors. This tool produces an estimated score; it does not replace official IB assessment.
Where Students Struggle
Our experienced IB teachers help you get past each of them.
Our Teaching Approach
IB-Focused Methodology
Work with teachers who know the IB assessment criteria inside out.
Where We Start
The first lesson sets the level, and the topic order follows from it.
The IA and the Exam
From the research question to the report, from past papers to mark schemes.
Past-Paper Focused
Real exam questions and mark scheme analysis.
Share before your first lesson
The information below helps the lesson plan focus on the student's real needs from the very first minutes.
- Target IB grade (e.g. 6 or 7) and exam date
- Current level: latest mock grade, predicted grade or weak topics
- School curriculum: the textbook used, IA / EE topic, deadlines
- Study schedule: lessons per week, available days and time slots
Who Is This Programme For?
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know how to program before I start?
Which programming language does IB Computer Science use?
Can you help with my Computer Science IA?
Programme Features
- A case study on a new topic every year
- Building a terminology glossary for the case
- Explaining code rather than writing it
- Documentation for the Solution project
- A recorded interview with a real client
- Source code stays on the student's own machine
- The project tracked with a session every fortnight
Contact us for a lesson plan
Tell us your target grade, where you are now and when you sit the exam, and we will work out the weekly schedule with you.
Quick Info
Tutors who teach this course
- Arda K.
IB Computer Science HL Teacher
- Eylül Ş.
IB Computer Science HL Teacher
Our teachers are currently working in IB schools, so we cannot share their full surnames.
Our tutors provide mentoring, structure suggestions and feedback during the IA / EE process. IB Courses does not write a student's IA or assignment for them.
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Go to the IB Maths AA HL Tutoring pageLet's work out where to start with IB Computer Science HL
On a free intro call with our experienced IB teachers, we'll decide together how many lessons you need and what to focus on.
The intro call is free and non-binding. We do not guarantee a specific IB grade.