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IB Computer Science Tutoring

One-to-one IB Computer Science (computing) tutoring at HL and SL for the new course first examined in 2027: Paper 1 and the case study, Paper 2 programming in Java or Python, and your computational solution IA.

IB Computer Science changed for students first examined in May 2027. Options and HL Paper 3 are gone: SL and HL both sit two papers, the pre-seen case study is now part of Paper 1, and the IA is a computational solution to a problem you choose, with no client required. Tutoring covers Java and Python and targets what usually costs marks: tracing and writing code under time pressure, database and machine learning questions, and an IA that is scoped to fit the recommended 35 hours. The old course's last exams are in November 2026, and tutoring covers that session too; from May 2027 everyone sits the new course.

Quick answer: IB Doctor offers 1-to-1 IB Computer Science tutoring for course content, each assessment component and coursework. Lessons follow the syllabus and assessment criteria, and the work stays your own. Review tutor verification, student results and methodology before booking.
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Computer Science tutoring prices

From £52.50 to £70 per hour, depending on bundle size. Each bundle covers one subject.

  • Taster Bundle
    3 hours
    £210
    £70 per hour
  • Starter Bundle
    5 hours
    £330
    £66 per hour
  • Coursework Bundle
    10 hours
    £650
    £65 per hour
  • Assessment Bundle
    20 hours
    £1,250
    £62.50 per hour
  • Guardian Bundle
    50 hours
    £2,900
    £58 per hour
  • Ultimate Bundle
    100 hours
    £5,250
    £52.50 per hour
See full bundle details

What You Get with IB Computer Science Tutoring

Comprehensive support designed to help you achieve your target grade

Exam Technique

  • Paper 1: Theme A concepts (computer fundamentals, networks, databases, machine learning) and the pre-seen case study
  • Paper 2: Theme B computational thinking and programming, practised in Java or Python
  • Tracing, writing and correcting code by hand under exam timing
  • Exam-style practice with markscheme feedback, including older past paper questions that still fit the new syllabus

IA & Coursework

  • Choosing a problem you can solve well within the recommended 35 hours
  • Problem specification, planning, system overview, development and evaluation, the five IA criteria
  • Keeping the documentation within 2,000 words and the video within 5 minutes
  • Programming and documentation skills practised on other projects, while your solution stays yours

Concept Building

  • Programming fundamentals, arrays and lists, searching, sorting and Big O notation
  • SQL, entity relationship diagrams and normalisation
  • HL extension: recursion, inheritance and polymorphism, linked lists and binary search trees, machine learning approaches
  • A revision plan built around your mock and exam dates
Real student results

Students Improving Their Computer Science Grades

4 → 7
"My tutor helped me scope my IA properly and taught me how to structure pseudocode answers for Paper 1. Huge difference."
B

Ben F.

Computer Science HL, May 2024

5 → 7
"I finally understood recursion and abstract data structures after my tutor walked me through them step by step."
P

Priya S.

Computer Science HL, May 2024

3 → 6
"Went from failing to a 6. My tutor's approach to past papers and the case study was exactly what I needed."
O

Oliver T.

Computer Science SL, Nov 2023

How It Works

Simple steps to get started with IB Computer Science tutoring

1

Buy a Bundle

Choose 3 to 100 hours based on your needs. Split across subjects if needed.

2

Complete Onboarding

Tell us your course and level, weak areas, goals, and scheduling preferences.

3

Get Matched & Start

Matched within 24 hours. Schedule your first session immediately.

First Session Guarantee

Not satisfied? Contact us within 24 hours. We'll address concerns, offer a rematch, or provide a full refund.

Computer Science HL vs SL: What's the Difference?

Understanding the requirements at each level

SL
HL
Teaching Hours
150 hours
240 hours
Exam Papers
Paper 1 and Paper 2, 1 hour 15 minutes each (35% each)
Paper 1 and Paper 2, 2 hours each (40% each)
Case Study
Pre-seen case study in Paper 1, with two challenge questions
Pre-seen case study in Paper 1, with four challenge questions
HL-only Content
Not studied
Recursion, OOP with multiple classes, abstract data types, alternative databases, data preprocessing and machine learning approaches
IA Weighting
30% (computational solution)
20% (same task)
Programming Language
Java or Python, chosen by your school
Java or Python, chosen by your school

IB Computer Science Topics We Cover

The new course has two themes. Theme A, Concepts of computer science, is examined in Paper 1; Theme B, Computational thinking and problem-solving, in Paper 2. HL students cover the same units in more depth, plus the HL-only unit on abstract data types (HL content is marked below).

A1 Computer Fundamentals

  • CPU, GPU, memory and the fetch-decode-execute cycle
  • Data representation, binary and logic gates
  • Compression and cloud computing
  • Operating systems and scheduling
  • +2 more
    • Pipelining, multitasking and control systems (HL)
    • Compilers and interpreters (HL)

A2 Networks

  • Network types, devices and protocols
  • Topologies and networking models
  • IP addressing and packet switching
  • Firewalls, encryption and digital certificates
  • +1 more
    • TCP/IP model, routing and network vulnerabilities (HL)

A3 Databases

  • Relational databases and schemas
  • Entity relationship diagrams and normalisation to 3NF
  • SQL queries and updates
  • Aggregate functions, views and transactions (HL)
  • +1 more
    • Alternative databases and data warehouses (HL)

A4 Machine Learning

  • Types of machine learning and real-world uses
  • Hardware for machine learning
  • Ethical issues
  • Data preprocessing (HL)
  • +1 more
    • Regression, classification, clustering and neural networks (HL)

B1-B2 Computational Thinking & Programming

  • Problem specification and computational thinking
  • Variables, strings, exceptions and debugging
  • Arrays, lists, stacks and queues
  • Selection, loops, functions and file processing
  • +2 more
    • Linear and binary search, bubble and selection sort, Big O
    • Recursion (HL)

B3 Object-Oriented Programming

  • Classes, objects and methods
  • Static and non-static members
  • Encapsulation and information hiding
  • Inheritance, polymorphism and composition (HL)
  • +1 more
    • Design patterns (HL)
Assessment breakdown

IB Computer Science Assessment Structure

From May 2027, IB Computer Science is assessed by Paper 1 (Theme A plus the pre-seen case study), Paper 2 (Theme B: computational thinking and programming in Java or Python) and the computational solution IA. There are no options and no Paper 3. The previous course, with options and an HL case study paper, is examined for the last time in November 2026.

Paper 1

External Assessment
SL: 35%
HL: 40%

Theme A: computer fundamentals, networks, databases and machine learning, plus questions on the pre-seen case study

SL: 1 hour 15 min | HL: 2 hours
SL: 50 marks | HL: 80 marks. Section B is the case study, with two challenge questions at SL and four at HL
The case study is released by the IB well before the exam

Paper 2

External Assessment
SL: 35%
HL: 40%

Theme B: computational thinking, programming, object-oriented programming and (HL) abstract data types

SL: 1 hour 15 min | HL: 2 hours
Separate Java and Python versions; your school chooses the language
Reading, tracing, writing and correcting code

Internal Assessment

Internal Assessment
SL: 30%
HL: 20%

The computational solution: a working solution to a real-world problem you choose (recommended 35 hours)

Documentation up to 2,000 words (code excluded) plus a video of up to 5 minutes
Criteria: problem specification (4), planning (4), system overview (6), development (12), evaluation (4)

Key Assessment Notes

  • This structure applies from May 2027 (first teaching August 2025)
  • The previous course (Paper 1, Paper 2 on an option, HL Paper 3 on the case study) is last examined in November 2026
  • The new IA does not require a client
IB Computer Science grade distribution and average gradeHow students actually scored in the latest IB results: the share of each grade, HL vs SL, and how many got a 7.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about IB Computer Science tutoring

Yes. The new course was first taught in August 2025 and is first examined in May 2027. It has two themes (concepts of computer science, and computational thinking and problem-solving), two papers at SL and HL, the case study inside Paper 1 for every student, and a computational solution IA with no client. Your tutor works from that structure, not the old options-based course.

Yes. The previous course is examined for the last time in November 2026. It has Paper 1 on the core (and HL extension), Paper 2 on your option (databases, modelling and simulation, web science or object-oriented programming) and, at HL, Paper 3 on the annual case study. Tell us when you sign up that you are on the old course so your tutor prepares the right papers.

Yes. Your tutor can help you test whether a problem fits the recommended 35 hours and teach, on other problems, the planning, testing and documentation skills behind the five criteria: problem specification, planning, system overview, development and evaluation. The code, the documentation (up to 2,000 words) and the video (up to 5 minutes) must be your own work, and feedback on your draft comes from your teacher.

The new course supports both, and your school chooses one. Paper 2 comes in separate Java and Python versions, so you should practise in the language you will be examined in. Tutoring covers both. Tell us which language your school uses when you sign up so your sessions use the same one.

The IB releases a case study before the exam and examines it in Section B of Paper 1, with two challenge questions at SL and four at HL. Your tutor works through the scenario with you, links it to the Theme A topics it draws on, and practises explaining technical ideas clearly in the scenario's context so you are ready for unseen angles.

HL has more content and longer papers: 2 hours per paper at HL against 1 hour 15 minutes at SL, and 240 teaching hours against 150. HL-only material includes recursion, object-oriented programming with multiple classes, abstract data types such as linked lists and binary search trees, alternative databases and more machine learning. The IA task is the same, but it counts for 30% at SL and 20% at HL.

In May 2026 (IB provisional statistical bulletin), 10.9% of the 4,536 HL candidates and 8.4% of the 4,140 SL candidates were awarded a 7. The mean grade was 4.8 at HL and 4.4 at SL, up from 4.7 and 4.3 in May 2025. These results come from the previous course; the new course is first examined in May 2027.

Yes, if the time is focused. Short-term help usually means timed exam-style questions, then going back through every lost mark: code you could not trace, definitions you could not apply, or case study answers that stayed too general. You buy a bundle of hours on the pricing page, are usually matched with a verified tutor who scored 40+ IB points within 24 hours, and work online.

Common sticking points are tracing code accurately by hand, recursion and abstract data types at HL, SQL and normalisation, and the newer machine learning content. In the IA, the most frequent problem is a project that is too big for the time available. Your tutor first finds which of these is costing you marks and works on that.

We offer a first session guarantee. If you're not satisfied after your first session, we'll rematch you with a different tutor or give you a full refund.

Recommended Guides

Computer Science IA Guide

Planning, building and documenting your IA solution.

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How to Structure Your IA

Essential framework for IAs across all subjects.

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How to Use Past Papers Effectively

Strategic approach to IB past paper practice.

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Construct in IB Exams

What 'construct' asks for in code and diagram questions.

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