IB Group Classes or One-to-One Tutoring?
Quick Answer
IB support comes in three formats: a large classroom course, a small group course (capped at six) and one-to-one tutoring. The deciding factor is not price but whether the student's gap sits in one topic or runs across the whole syllabus.
Lesson packages
Prices are set in US dollars and charged in your local currency. Split 10 and 20-lesson packages across any subjects you like — no limit, no expiry date.
The question behind most searches is simply: where should I go for this? The answer lies in the format rather than the provider's name, because very different things are sold at similar prices.
The six criteria below help identify which format fits. This is not a sales list — the first two columns are often the better answer.
Three formats
Six criteria compared
The table compares the three formats on the same terms.
| Criterion | Large class | Small group (max 6) | One-to-one |
|---|---|---|---|
| Question time per student | Effectively none | Limited but real | All of it |
| Flexibility | Fixed | Fixed | Built around the student |
| Cost per hour | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
| HL/SL separation | Usually none | Yes | Yes |
| IA / EE support | Usually out of scope | Limited | Criterion-level feedback |
| Best for | General revision | Syllabus revision | Targeted gap closing |
Four questions to ask before asking the price
How many years has the teacher taught this subject on the IB syllabus? How large is the group? Are HL and SL students in the same room? Is IA or EE support included, and in what form?
Without clear answers to all four, comparing prices is meaningless — the things being compared are not the same thing.
Providers who guarantee a grade
No provider is in a position to guarantee a specific IB grade: the outcome depends on study time, starting level and school support among many other variables.
We do not guarantee grades. We commit to the process instead: a 100% refund on unused lessons in the first week, the right to change tutor within the first 2 lessons, free rescheduling with 24 hours' notice, and a written progress report every two weeks.
IB group classes: frequently asked questions
Which is more effective, group classes or one-to-one?
- If the gap is in one topic, one-to-one produces results faster because all of the time goes to your gap. If the gap runs across the syllabus and the exams are months away, the group programme is more efficient. Many students use both: the group course for revision, one-to-one for the topics they get stuck on.
How large should a group be?
- Six is a practical ceiling. Above that the teacher cannot take individual questions and past-paper work becomes one-way delivery. A programme that does not state its group size can be assumed to run large ones.
What do IB group classes cost?
- On our programmes, 30 hours of IB Revision in one subject is 1,150 USD, about 38 USD an hour. One-to-one is 100 USD for 90 minutes, about 67 USD an hour. Prices are set in US dollars and charged in your local currency.
Which format fits your situation?
In a free consultation we look at your current grade, exam date and the subjects you are struggling with, and decide between group and one-to-one together. If the group programme is the better fit, that is what we will recommend.