Pre-IB Courses
Online preparation for the Pre-IB programme, in a group or one-to-one
Pre-IB is the 5-week group programme we run in the summer before the Diploma begins: 10 live lessons of 90 minutes (15 hours) in each subject, online and in groups of at most 6. Its point is less to teach content than to soften the transition: we introduce the assessment criteria, the command terms and the pace IB expects, and we work through the HL/SL choice with you.
Quick Answer
You can enrol at any time; once the dates are published we contact you and confirm your start date together. Each subject's group runs if enough students enrol. At the end we share a short readiness note on each student, and if the HL/SL decision is still open we continue with a one-to-one 90-minute session. If the first week does not convince you, we refund the fee.
Programme
Level
Fully Online
Format
90 min
Lesson length
€29 per lesson within a group course package
Not happy after the first week of group lessons? Full refund.
See packages and lower per-lesson rates
IB Specialists
Experienced Team
About Pre-IB Courses
Pre-IB is a 5-week preparation programme that helps students build a strong foundation before they start the IB Diploma Programme.
Each subject is taught as its own class by an expert IB tutor in that subject: IB assessment and its command terms are introduced through the subject's own questions, you get an overview of TOK and the Extended Essay, and study techniques are taught.
Students learn IB terminology, the assessment criteria and academic writing standards.
Each student's programme is built around the subjects they will take. Guidance is also provided on HL and SL subject selection.
The programme runs for five weeks in June and July, in the summer before IB1.
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
Exam Papers
Pre-IB Courses exam structure and focus areas
| Paper | Duration | Weighting | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly Programme | 90 minutes | 100% | 10 lessons of 90 minutes over five weeks (15 hours, about 3 hours a week) |
This table is our own programme schedule, not an IB assessment outline. The exam structure of each subject studied in the programme is given on that subject's page, sourced from the IB's own subject guides.
Process & Support
Where does the course help along the way?
The aim is not to get ahead on content
Five weeks will not put you in front of a two-year syllabus, and we do not promise that. The work of this programme is to show how the IB operates from day one: how things are assessed, how long each piece takes, when each deadline arrives.
Meeting the command terms early
In the IB the same topic wants a completely different answer depending on the verb in the question. A student who learns that mid-way through IB 1 has lost marks until then. Across five weeks we have you write short answers and show the difference the verb makes.
HL and SL by target course
Students who decide by favourite subject find out late that they do not meet a course's entry requirement. We read the requirements of your target courses together and build the choice from them. Your school approves it; we prepare the reasoning.
Measuring the gaps in foundations
In mathematics and the sciences especially, a gap in the prior knowledge the IB assumes makes the first months hard. We run a short diagnostic at the start and weight the remaining weeks towards those gaps.
A rehearsal of the workload
The real difficulty of the IB is not the weight of the content but the number of things running at once. Working to a weekly rhythm of tasks and deadlines for five weeks lets you try that pace in advance.
Comparing Preparation Paths
How self-study, group classes and one-to-one support compare for Pre-IB Courses
| Preparation path | Pros | Limitations | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preparing on your own over the summer |
|
| Highly motivated students who can build their own schedule. |
| Your school's orientation |
|
| Students getting to know a new school and programme. |
| This group programme |
|
| Students who want to see what kind of programme they are entering before it starts. |
Lesson packages
Single Course
€344
€34 / lesson
Two Courses
€639
€32 / lesson
Three Courses
€893
€30 / lesson
Four Courses
€1,161
€29 / lesson
Not happy after the first week of group lessons? Full refund. Split 10- and 20-lesson packages across any subjects you like, with no expiry date.
How you can take this programme
- Open group: an online class of no more than 6. The programme's standard format and the lowest cost per lesson.
- Private group: when three or more friends join together we open a closed group of just those students, at the same price as the open group. How a private group works
- One-to-one: you can take the same programme on your own. Lessons are 90 minutes at the one-to-one rate, with the pace and topic order set around you.
Study Plan Framework
How the Pre-IB Courses run, in five phases.
Getting started and diagnostics
week 1
- A short diagnostic in mathematics and the sciences
- Introducing the components of the IB programme
- Setting the goals for the five weeks
The language of assessment
week 2
- Command terms through real exam questions
- Reading criteria tables
- Practice at writing short answers
Foundations
weeks 3-4
- Refreshing algebra and functions
- Units, graphs and reading measurements in the sciences
- Text types in academic English
The HL and SL decision
week 4
- Reading the entry requirements of target courses
- A realistic look at the workload
- Putting the choice and its reasoning in writing
A rehearsal of the pace
week 5
- Working with several deadlines in the same week
- The habit of drawing up a weekly plan
- A study routine for the first month of IB 1
This framework is the course's overall outline; the details are settled around the group's needs.
How the Lessons Work
How Pre-IB Courses sessions are structured
We teach the rules, not the content
This programme does not claim to finish IB topics in advance. Most of the marks students lose in the first year come not from not knowing the content but from not knowing how the assessment works. That is what the five weeks are for.
We teach it by having you write
Explaining the difference a command term makes does not make it stick; writing does. Each session includes short answers, and when the same topic is asked with different verbs the difference becomes obvious by itself.
Groups of at most 6
The group stays small so the short answers you write can be read individually. It is still a group programme and the pace follows the group. For a serious gap in one particular subject we point you to one-to-one support.
A written progress report every week
We share which topics were covered, where the subject-choice decision stands and what comes next, in writing, every week.
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
When do the Pre-IB courses start?
Which subjects does the Pre-IB programme cover?
Are the Pre-IB courses online?
Programme Features
- Five weeks in the summer before the programme starts
- 10 live lessons of 90 minutes (15 hours) in each subject
- A first look at the assessment criteria
- An introduction to command terms
- Getting used to the IB's working pace
- Deciding HL and SL subjects together
- Groups of no more than six
- Each subject's group runs if enough students enrol
- A short readiness note for each student at the end
- A 90-minute one-to-one session if the HL/SL call is still open
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
- Tolga Ş.
Pre-IB Teacher
- Nehir A.
Pre-IB 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 Pre-IB Courses
IB Revision Courses
Prepare for IB finals with a 10-week plan covering topic review, past-paper practice and exam strategies built around your subjects.
Go to the IB Revision Courses pageIB ProgrammeMid-IBMid-IB Revision Courses
The 5-week Mid-IB Revision programme reviews IB 1 topic by topic and builds a plan for the move into IB 2.
Go to the Mid-IB Revision Courses pageIB ProgrammeTOKIB TOK Tutoring
IB TOK support covers the essay, exhibition, knowledge questions and assessment criteria with a focus on academic integrity.
Go to the IB TOK Tutoring pageIB ProgrammeExtended EssayIB Extended Essay Tutoring
Get support throughout the Extended Essay process with the research question, structure, source use, academic writing and rubric-focused feedback.
Go to the IB Extended Essay Tutoring pageLet's work out where to start with Pre-IB Courses
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.