IB Psychology SL Tutoring
One-to-one online preparation for the Psychology Standard Level syllabus
What separates grades in IB Psychology SL is the distance between describing a study and evaluating it: the marks on extended-response questions go to students who can discuss a study's limitations. In 90-minute sessions we build a short but solid list of studies per approach, and clear up which statistical test the IA proposal actually needs.
Quick Answer
The 10-lesson package is the usual choice for Psychology SL; how it splits between the approaches and writing extended responses is set by where the student currently stands. Because IA ethical approval goes through your school, we settle the research proposal early. Sessions are 90 minutes, one to one and online.
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 Psychology SL Tutoring
Our IB Psychology SL tutoring programme covers the scientific study of human behaviour and mental processes. We teach the three core approaches (biological, cognitive, sociocultural) in detail.
The course covers the biological approach (the brain and behaviour, hormones), the cognitive approach (memory, decision-making) and the sociocultural approach (social identity, culture). For each approach we study the key research in detail.
We prepare students in detail for Paper 1 (SAQs and ERQs) and the Internal Assessment, with guidance based on the IB assessment criteria on essay writing, critical evaluation and citing research.
We support the IA in detail. Under the new guide it is a research proposal rather than an experimental report: students write a research question, justify their methodology, address ethical issues and plan their data analysis.
Exam preparation covers the different answering techniques for SAQs (short-answer questions) and ERQs (extended-response questions).
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
First exams 2027IB Psychology SL exam structure and focus areas
| Paper | Duration | Weighting | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 35% | Integration of concepts, content and contexts – SAQs and ERQs, 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Paper 2 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 35% | Applying concepts and content to research contexts, 1 hour 30 minutes |
| IA | — | 30% | Internal Assessment – research proposal |
Source: the assessment components and weightings on this page follow the IB Psychology SL 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?
Defending a study you will never run
Under the new guide the IA is a research proposal, not an experiment with data. There is no results section, so every mark rests on the justification of your choices: why this sample, why this method, why this measure. We build those three arguments before you start writing.
Choosing the study you build on
The proposal grows out of a study covered in class. The very famous ones leave you nothing new to say; the very narrow ones leave you without sources describing the method. We aim for a candidate study away from both extremes.
Making the ethical review concrete
Writing that participants will give informed consent earns nothing on its own. You need to say who consents, what they are told, at which point in the study discomfort could arise and how you would deal with it.
The data analysis plan
Writing an analysis plan with no data in hand is where students get stuck most often. Which test fits follows from the type of data you would collect and the number of groups you would compare; we settle that while the proposal is being written.
Feedback on drafts
Schools can usually give formal feedback on only one draft. We read the research question, the method section and the full text as three separate rounds. We do not write it for you; the IB's academic integrity rules do not allow that.
Comparing Preparation Paths
How self-study, group classes and one-to-one support compare for IB Psychology SL
| Preparation path | Pros | Limitations | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working on your own |
|
| Students who read closely, take notes and keep to a revision routine. |
| School lessons and group courses |
|
| Students meeting the syllabus for the first time. |
| One-to-one online lessons with us |
|
| Students who know the studies but lose marks on extended responses. |
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 Psychology SL in one-to-one lessons, adapted to the student's exam date.
Locating the loss
weeks 1-2
- We separate whether your SAQ and ERQ answers lost marks on content or on the missing evaluation
- We count how many studies you know with their methodology, approach by approach
- The weighting of the programme follows from those two measurements
Approaches and contexts
weeks 3-6
- A small number of genuinely discussable studies for each of the biological, cognitive and sociocultural approaches
- Weighting the four contexts towards the ones your school teaches
- Noting each study's methodological limitation in the session it is covered
The research proposal
5-6 weeks, set by your school's IA calendar
- Choosing the study the proposal builds on
- Writing the justification for method, sample and ethics
- A final read before it goes to the school
Extended response writing
the 6 weeks before the exam
- Where the evaluation belongs inside an ERQ
- The point at which an SAQ answer counts as complete
- Paper 2 practice on research texts you have not seen
Full rehearsal
the last 2-3 weeks
- Full-length papers under timed conditions
- A final check on the recurring 'described it but never discussed it' mistake
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 Psychology SL sessions are structured
Describing and evaluating are practised separately
Most students describe a study correctly and stop there. Turning a limitation – one that comes from the sample, the method or the cultural context – into a sentence is a separate skill, and we have you write those out one at a time.
Fewer studies, known deeply enough to discuss
Knowing three studies per approach with their methodology and limitations earns more than knowing fifteen by name. We shorten your list together and go deeper on what is left.
Paper 2 practice on unseen texts
You meet the research text in Paper 2 for the first time in the exam. So in sessions we use texts where a memorised answer does not work – the point is carrying what you know into a context you do not recognise.
A written progress report every two weeks
We share which approaches were covered, what stage the research proposal is at 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 Psychology research topic.
The topic is unclear or irrelevant.
Knowledge and Understanding
0/6Application of Psychology 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
Are there prerequisites for IB Psychology SL tutoring?
What is the difference between Psychology SL and HL?
Is IB Psychology tutoring online?
Programme Features
- The biological, cognitive and sociocultural approaches
- The skeleton of a full-mark SAQ answer
- Fewer studies, known in more depth
- Validity and reliability in research methods
- Working ethical guidelines into answers
- Selecting the study your IA will replicate
- Fully online lessons (through our own teaching platform)
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
- Elif Ç.
IB Psychology SL Teacher
- Kaan E.
IB Psychology 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.
Related IB Courses & Support
Other IB support often chosen alongside IB Psychology SL
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Get support throughout the Extended Essay process with the research question, structure, source use, academic writing and rubric-focused feedback.
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Go to the IB English A SL Tutoring pageLet's work out where to start with IB Psychology 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.