IB Economics SL Tutoring
One-to-one online preparation for the Economics Standard Level syllabus
40% of the IB Economics SL grade sits in the data response paper, and the difficulty there is rarely the theory – it is reading the extract and the table correctly and producing the diagram the question actually wants. We standardise your diagram drawing in 90-minute lessons and choose together the news article each of the portfolio commentaries, worth another 30%, is built on.
Quick Answer
Commentary deadlines are scattered across the school calendar, so Economics SL support is planned around those dates rather than in one block – roughly one session per commentary. We suggest a further eight to ten lessons for exam preparation, and packages never expire.
SL
Level
Fully Online
Format
90 min
Lesson length
€85 per 90 min one-to-one lesson
Not happy after your first lesson? Full refund.
See packages and lower per-lesson rates
SLIB Specialists
Experienced Team
About IB Economics SL Tutoring
Our IB Economics SL tutoring programme fully covers the Economics Standard Level syllabus, a popular social science course in the IB Diploma Programme. We work from economic theory through to its real-world use. Our experienced IB teachers make economic concepts concrete with real-world examples.
The course covers microeconomics (supply and demand, market structures, market failure), macroeconomics (the AD-AS model, inflation, unemployment, fiscal and monetary policy), international economics (trade, exchange rates) and the fundamentals of development economics. Every topic is taught with its diagrams.
At SL there is no Paper 3 and none of the HL-specific theory-of-the-firm detail. SL students focus on the core economic concepts and graphical analysis. Our teachers prepare study plans suited to the SL requirements.
Drawing and analysing graphs is a key skill in IB Economics SL. We systematically teach supply and demand graphs, the AD-AS model, market structure graphs and exchange-rate diagrams, and develop graph interpretation skills.
The Internal Assessment (IA) portfolio makes up 30% of the IB Economics SL grade – higher than the 20% it carries at HL, so at SL we plan portfolio time separately. We provide support for 3 commentaries: choosing the news article, linking to economic theory, using graphs and writing evaluation.
Exam strategy gets particular attention, with separate preparation for Paper 1 (extended response) and Paper 2 (data response), plus regular past-paper practice and mark scheme analysis.
Every programme is built around the student's current level and goals. Together we plan the content, the problem-solving practice and the exam strategy each student needs to reach an ambitious target.
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 HL?
The same topics, taught at HL
HLExam Papers
IB Economics SL exam structure and focus areas
| Paper | Duration | Weighting | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 1 hour 15 minutes | 30% | Extended response, 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Paper 2 | 1 hour 45 minutes | 40% | Data response, 1 hour 45 minutes |
| IA | — | 30% | Portfolio – 3 commentaries from different units, maximum 800 words each |
Source: the assessment components and weightings on this page follow the IB Economics SL subject guide published by the International Baccalaureate Organization. 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?
The article must contain a concept you have studied
An interesting article with no course concept inside it gets forced into the commentary, and the text turns into an explanation of theory. When choosing, we first mark which concept appears in the article; without one, the article is out.
The diagram shows the change in the article
The diagram exists to show the change described in the article. Drawing a generic supply-and-demand graph and explaining it apart from the story earns nothing. We tie which curve shifts, and why, to a specific sentence in the text.
Three commentaries from three different units
They must come one each from microeconomics, macroeconomics and the global economy, from different sources. The mistake we see most at SL is all three articles coming from macro, so we build the calendar at the start.
Leaving room for evaluation
Most students spend the word limit on definitions and theory and leave no room for evaluation. Before you write, we set the word budget paragraph by paragraph.
The article's date, and drafts
The article must have been published no more than a year before the commentary is written. We record each chosen article with its date. We read at the article-selection stage and again on the full text; we do not write the commentary for you.
Comparing Preparation Paths
How self-study, group classes and one-to-one support compare for IB Economics SL
| Preparation path | Pros | Limitations | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working on your own |
|
| Students who like drawing diagrams and work consistently. |
| School lessons and group courses |
|
| Students meeting the syllabus for the first time. |
| One-to-one online lessons with us |
|
| Students who know the theory but underscore on the data-response paper. |
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 Economics SL in one-to-one lessons, adapted to the student's exam date.
A standard for diagrams
weeks 1-3
- Fixing axes, labels and the shift into one routine
- What gets written underneath each diagram
- Repeating the most-used diagrams by hand
Microeconomics
weeks 4-8
- Elasticities, government intervention and market failure
- Drawing every diagram in the topic yourself
- Writing the commentary from this unit
Macroeconomics and the global economy
weeks 9-14
- The AD-AS model
- Trade, exchange rates and development
- Writing the remaining two commentaries
Data response
the 6 weeks before the exam
- Reading from the text and table which diagram is wanted
- Working through the calculation questions
- Setting answer length by command term
Full rehearsal
the last 3 weeks
- Full-length past papers under timed conditions
- A final check on the diagram errors that keep recurring
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 Economics SL sessions are structured
We standardise the diagram
A serious share of the marks lost at SL comes not from the diagram itself but from a missing label or a shift never shown. So we fix diagram drawing into a routine: what goes on each axis, which curve moves where, what sentence goes underneath. The same routine repeats in every topic.
We practise the move from text to diagram
On the paper that carries half the grade, the difficulty is not knowing the theory but reading the text and table and seeing which diagram the question wants. We treat that as a separate skill and rehearse it on short texts.
Article selection happens in the lesson
The student brings candidate articles and we sift them together for one that sits on a concept and a diagram. Rescuing a commentary written from the wrong article takes longer than writing a new one.
A written progress report every two weeks
We share which topics were covered, how many commentaries the portfolio has reached and what comes next, in writing.
IA Grader
Evaluate your Internal Assessment report yourself. IA Grader for all subjects →
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IA Preparation Checklist
Check the key elements of your IA report before moving on to scoring.
0/13 completed
0%Focus
Knowledge
Critical Thinking
Investigation
Communication
Criterion-Based Scoring
Assess yourself on each criterion. Use the slider to set your score.
Focus and Significance
0/6The choice, focus and significance of the Economics research topic.
The topic is unclear or irrelevant.
Knowledge and Understanding
0/6Application of Economics concepts, theories and terminology.
No concepts or theories are used.
Critical Thinking
0/6Skill in analysis, evaluation, argument and synthesis.
No evidence of critical thinking.
Investigation
0/6Data collection, methodology and use of sources.
No research methodology.
Communication
0/4The structure and organisation of the report, its terminology and references.
The report has no structure.
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
How different is IB Economics SL from HL?
How much maths does IB Economics SL need?
Does IB Economics SL tutoring help with the IA?
Programme Features
- The data-response paper that carries half the grade
- Going from the passage and table to the right diagram
- Making diagram drawing routine
- Choosing together which article a commentary will use
- Lessons spread across the school's submission dates
- One session per commentary
- Eight to ten lessons for exam preparation
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
- Ahmet Ç.
IB Economics SL Teacher
- Zeynep K.
IB Economics SL Teacher
- Yusuf A.
IB Economics SL 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 Economics HL Tutoring pageLet's work out where to start with IB Economics SL
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.