IB Visual Arts SL Tutoring
One-to-one online preparation for the Visual Arts Standard Level syllabus
Studio work is rarely the problem in IB Visual Arts SL; the Connections Study is, because describing artworks is not enough - you have to compare the cultural contexts they came out of. In 90-minute sessions we choose the artists and pieces, then work on making the link to your own practice visible to the examiner.
Quick Answer
Visual Arts SL support concentrates on the written half of the Connections Study, running six to eight sessions from choosing the artists to the final text, with making time left in between. That is why we spread the lessons across weeks rather than stacking them. Sessions are 90 minutes.
SL
Level
Fully Online
Format
90 min
Lesson length
€82 per 90 min one-to-one lesson
Not happy after your first lesson? Full refund.
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Experienced in IB
Specialist Team
About IB Visual Arts SL Tutoring
Our IB Visual Arts SL tutoring programme offers detailed teaching that develops creative expression and art knowledge together. We provide expert guidance on studio work and portfolio preparation.
Under the new guide, first assessed in May 2027, the SL components are the Art-making Inquiries Portfolio, the Connections Study and Resolved Artworks. The Connections Study replaces the former Comparative Study, and the Process Portfolio has become the Art-making Inquiries Portfolio.
SL students prepare five resolved artworks with a rationale of up to 700 words. The Art-making Inquiries Portfolio runs to a maximum of 15 screens and 3000 words, the Connections Study to a maximum of 10 screens and 2500 words.
A range of art techniques and media are explored. Support is provided in painting, drawing, digital art and mixed media.
Art terminology and visual analysis skills are developed.
IB assessment experience
Lessons are, wherever possible, planned with teachers who have relevant subject experience and a strong command of the IB assessment criteria. For some subjects we can offer lessons with teachers who have IB Examiner experience; matching is done based on subject, level and teacher availability.
Syllabus Topics
Exam Papers
IB Visual Arts SL Tutoring exam structure and focus areas
| Paper | Duration | Weighting | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art-making Inquiries Portfolio | — | 40% | External - max 15 screens, 3000 words |
| Connections Study | — | 20% | External - max 10 screens, 2500 words |
| Resolved Artworks | — | 40% | Internal - 5 artworks and a rationale of up to 700 words |
Source: the assessment components and weightings on this page follow the IB Visual Arts 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 provide support on the Internal Assessment and written tasks?
Comparison, not description
Describing the works one after another earns nothing in the Connections Study; what is asked is a relationship between the cultural contexts they came from. Most students choose two fine works and then describe each separately. Reading the text, the first thing we look for is whether the two works ever meet in the same sentence.
Works that can actually be compared
Two works whose contexts never touch make the comparison feel forced; two that sit too close leave nothing new to say. We choose candidates between those extremes, and make the decision before the writing starts.
Making the link to your own work visible
You are expected to write how the works you studied shaped your own making. Because that link is obvious to you, it usually goes unwritten. We ask you to show in the file which experiment of yours appeared after which work.
Distributing the screen and word limits
The Connections Study is ten screens and 2,500 words, the inquiries portfolio fifteen screens and 3,000. Without a plan those limits leave the final sections empty. We work out in advance how much image and text each screen carries.
Five works and the rationale
At SL you submit five resolved works and a rationale of up to 700 words. That short text has to explain why these works belong together. We build the selection and the rationale at the same time; a rationale written after the works are chosen always reads as forced.
Comparing Preparation Paths
The differences between self-study, group classes and one-to-one support for IB Visual Arts SL Tutoring
| Preparation path | Pros | Limitations | Best for? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working on your own |
|
| Students who make steadily and do not avoid writing. |
| School lessons and the studio |
|
| Students making heavy use of the studio. |
| One-to-one online lessons with us |
|
| Students comfortable with making who stall on the written components. |
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 4-phase structure for IB Visual Arts SL Tutoring in one-to-one lessons; adapted to the student's exam date.
Setting up the record
the first 2 sessions
- How working sessions get documented
- Drawing up a screen template for the file
- Setting a weekly rhythm that leaves time for making
The Connections Study
5-7 weeks
- Choosing artists and works against a test of comparability
- Comparing the cultural contexts they came from
- Writing the link to your own making
The inquiries portfolio
across the year, 2 sessions a month
- Documenting experiments with technique and materials
- Getting the attempts that failed into the file too
- Distributing the word budget across screens
Making the works
the first half of IB 2
- A production schedule towards five works
- Looking through the works together on screen
- Working on techniques still missing
Selection and submission
the 3-4 weeks before submission
- Ordering the works so they read as a set
- Writing the 700-word rationale
- Exhibition texts and a final check
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
The general structure of IB Visual Arts SL Tutoring sessions
The difficulty is the writing, not the making
For most SL students the studio side goes fine; the marks disappear in the written part of the Connections Study. So a serious share of session time goes to the text. The making stays in your week and we read the writing in between.
We put the two works in the same sentence
Comparison does not happen by placing two separate descriptions side by side. In every section we have you build a claim that sets the two works against each other in one sentence; without that claim the section slides back into description.
The rhythm leaves room for making
An intensive weekly schedule does not work in this subject - producing work takes time. We space the sessions out and leave the weeks between them for making, following the file at those intervals.
A written progress report every two weeks
We share how many works are finished, what stage the written sections are at and what comes next, in writing.
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Where Students Struggle
Our experienced IB teachers guide you through overcoming these challenges.
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, deadline dates
- Study schedule: lessons per week, available days and time slots
Who Is This Program For?
Frequently Asked Questions
Program Features
- The written research half of the Connections Study
- Choosing artists and artworks
- Comparing the cultural contexts the works came out of
- Making the link to your own practice visible
- A weekly rhythm that leaves time to make work
- Your pieces reviewed together on screen
- Writing the exhibition texts
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
- Damla Görmez
IB Visual Arts SL Öğretmeni
- Onur Kayhan
IB Visual Arts SL Öğretmeni
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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Let us work out where to start with IB Visual Arts SL Tutoring
In a free consultation with our experienced IB teachers, let's decide together on the number of lessons and focus areas that fit your goals.
The consultation is free and non-binding. We do not guarantee a specific IB grade.