IB Philosophy HL Tutoring
One-to-one online preparation for the Philosophy Higher Level syllabus
The hardest thing in IB Philosophy HL is meeting a text for the first time in the exam and having to draw a philosophical question out of it – memorised summaries of philosophers do not help. Ninety-minute sessions train you to build the counter-argument, cover the HL extension on philosophy and contemporary issues, and settle your IA's starting point.
Quick Answer
The help most Philosophy HL students want is writing practice: each session ends with an essay plan that gets written up before the next one. Ten lessons usually sustain that cycle. We add a block at the start of IB 2 for the HL extension and the IA. Sessions are 90 minutes.
HL
Level
Fully Online
Format
90 min
Lesson length
€85 per 90 min one-to-one lesson
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HLIB Specialists
Experienced Team
About IB Philosophy HL Tutoring
Our IB Philosophy HL programme takes on humanity's most fundamental questions in a systematic, analytical way. We develop philosophical argumentation, critical thinking and essay writing skills.
The course covers the Core Theme (Being Human), Optional Themes (epistemology, moral philosophy, political philosophy, aesthetics) and the HL Extension (Philosophy and contemporary issues). The thought of philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Mill and Nietzsche is analysed in depth.
The study of the prescribed text gets particular attention at HL. We analyse and interpret the prescribed philosophical texts in detail (for example Plato's Republic, Descartes' Meditations). Our teachers provide expert guidance on text analysis and the evaluation of philosophical arguments.
We focus on essay writing and philosophical argument. Different answering techniques are taught for Paper 1 (the core theme and optional themes) and Paper 2 (the prescribed text). Our students develop skills in forming a thesis, evaluating counterarguments and writing a balanced conclusion.
The Internal Assessment is an independent philosophical study, and we offer guidance aligned to the IB assessment criteria on choosing a research question, using philosophical sources, developing arguments and critical evaluation.
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
IB Philosophy HL exam structure and focus areas
| Paper | Duration | Weighting | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 2 hours 30 minutes | 40% | Core theme + 2 optional themes, 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Paper 2 | 1 hour | 20% | Prescribed text essay, 1 hour |
| Paper 3 | 1 hour 15 minutes | 20% | HL extension – philosophy and contemporary issues, unseen text, 1 hour 15 minutes |
| IA | — | 20% | Internal Assessment – philosophical research |
Source: the assessment components and weightings on this page follow the IB Philosophy HL 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 stimulus must not be philosophical
The IA starts from non-philosophical material: a photograph, a scene from a film, a news item, an advert. A draft that takes a philosophical text as its starting point causes trouble from the outset. We sift candidate stimuli against that rule, then rank what remains by how open each is to a philosophical question.
One question out of the stimulus
A good image opens onto several questions at once, and students want to touch all of them. The word limit carries one. We keep the question most tightly bound to the material and let the others go.
The argument has to return to the stimulus
Most students set off from the material, write a philosophical summary and never come back to it. The link has to still be there at the end of the piece; it is the first thing we look for when reading a draft.
Sources that carry the argument
Reporting a philosopher's position earns nothing; you have to apply it to your own question and show where it falls short. We decide which source will do work in which paragraph before the writing starts.
The word limit and draft rounds
The limit is tight, so the introduction and the description of the stimulus should take up very little of the piece. Schools can usually give formal feedback on one draft; we read three times – at stimulus selection, at the skeleton of the argument, and on the full text. We do not write it for you.
Comparing Preparation Paths
How self-study, group classes and one-to-one support compare for IB Philosophy HL
| Preparation path | Pros | Limitations | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working on your own |
|
| Wide readers who are comfortable writing. |
| School lessons and group courses |
|
| Students meeting philosophy for the first time. |
| One-to-one online lessons with us |
|
| Students who know the philosophers but cannot build the argument in an essay. |
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 Philosophy HL in one-to-one lessons, adapted to the student's exam date.
The language of argument
weeks 1-4
- Separating thesis, justification and counter-argument
- Getting the difference between reporting a view and testing it onto the page
- Short argumentative paragraphs
Core and optional themes
weeks 5-12
- The concepts of the Being Human core theme
- The two optional themes your school selected
- An essay plan at the end of each topic
The prescribed text
4-6 weeks
- Rebuilding the text's argument in your own words
- Developing a counter-argument against the position it defends
- The structure of a Paper 2 essay
The Internal Assessment
4-5 weeks, set by your school's submission calendar
- Choosing the non-philosophical stimulus
- Drawing a single philosophical question out of it
- Rounds of draft feedback
HL extension and exam practice
the 8 weeks before the exam
- Working on Philosophy and contemporary issues
- Practice at drawing questions out of unseen texts
- 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 Philosophy HL sessions are structured
A memorised summary of a philosopher does not work in the exam
The marks come from applying a position to the argument the question wants and testing it against an objection – not from reporting it accurately. In the session we take your thesis first, then build the strongest objection to it ourselves; the defending is yours.
Every session ends with an essay plan
Writing a full essay every week shows you fewer question types than planning does. We write and argue over the plan in the session, and you write one full piece a week – which keeps the feedback on the thinking rather than the prose.
The Paper 3 text cannot be prepared in advance
Paper 3 gives you an unseen text on a contemporary issue such as technology or the environment, and the questions ask you to discuss both that issue and the nature and method of philosophy itself. You cannot know the text in advance, so the preparation that works is the habit of drawing a philosophical question out of a text you do not know. So we use new passages in every session.
A written progress report every two weeks
We share which themes were covered, what stage the IA is at and what comes next, in writing.
IA Grader
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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 Philosophy research topic.
The topic is unclear or irrelevant.
Knowledge and Understanding
0/6Application of Philosophy 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
Do I need to have studied philosophy before?
Do your Philosophy lessons help with essay writing?
Is IB Philosophy tutoring online?
Programme Features
- Drawing a philosophical question from an unseen text
- Practice in building the counter-argument
- The HL extension: Philosophy and contemporary issues
- An essay plan produced at the end of each session
- Moving from memorised summaries to real argument
- Choosing the starting point for your IA
- An extra block for the HL extension at the start of IB 2
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
- Tuğçe A.
IB Philosophy HL Teacher
- Berat K.
IB Philosophy 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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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.