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IB French Ab Initio Tutoring

Tutoring for IB French ab initio, the SL course for beginners. Build grammar and vocabulary across the 20 prescribed topics and prepare for Paper 1 writing, Paper 2 listening and reading, and the individual oral.

French ab initio is the IB course for students with little or no previous French, and it is offered at SL only. Over the course you go from the basics to writing short texts, understanding authentic audio and written texts, and holding a conversation about a photo, all within five themes and 20 prescribed topics. Tutoring builds the grammar and vocabulary you need, then turns them into exam technique for each component. If you already have a solid base in French, French B may suit you better, and it has its own tutoring page.

Quick answer: IB Doctor offers 1-to-1 IB French Ab Initio 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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French Ab Initio 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 French Ab Initio Tutoring

Comprehensive support designed to help you achieve your target grade

Paper 1 and Paper 2

  • Paper 1: two tasks of 70-150 words, each chosen from three options, in 1 hour
  • Choosing and using the right text type, such as an email, blog post or short article
  • Paper 2 listening: three audio passages in 45 minutes
  • Paper 2 reading: three written texts in 1 hour

Individual Oral

  • Describing a visual stimulus and linking it to a course theme
  • Answering follow-up questions in full, accurate sentences
  • Holding a general conversation on another course theme
  • Using the 15 minutes of preparation to plan what you will say

Language Building

  • Core grammar: present tense, passé composé with avoir and être, imparfait, futur proche
  • Vocabulary for all 20 prescribed topics
  • Pronunciation and listening practice with authentic French
  • A study plan built around your exam dates and your weakest skill
Real student results

Students Improving Their French Ab Initio Grades

3 → 6
"I started with zero French. My tutor built my skills step by step and I ended up loving the language."
K

Kai J.

French Ab Initio SL, May 2024

4 → 6
"Grammar clicked once my tutor explained it in context rather than just rules. The passé composé finally made sense."
E

Emily R.

French Ab Initio SL, May 2024

5 → 7
"My tutor's oral preparation was excellent. We practised until I could present confidently on any visual stimulus."
L

Lucas W.

French Ab Initio SL, Nov 2023

How It Works

Simple steps to get started with IB French Ab Initio 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.

IB French Ab Initio Topics We Cover

French ab initio is organised around five themes, each with four prescribed topics, so 20 topics in total. Any topic can appear in any part of the assessment. Tutoring works through the topics in order while building the grammar, so you can write, listen, read and speak about each one with confidence.

Theme: Identities

  • Personal attributes
  • Personal relationships
  • Eating and drinking
  • Physical well-being

Theme: Experiences

  • Daily routine
  • Leisure
  • Holidays
  • Festivals and celebrations

Theme: Human Ingenuity

  • Transport
  • Entertainment
  • Media
  • Technology

Theme: Social Organisation

  • Neighbourhood
  • Education
  • The workplace
  • Social issues

Theme: Sharing the Planet

  • Climate
  • Physical geography
  • The environment
  • Global issues

Grammar & Language Skills

  • Present, passé composé, imparfait and future tenses
  • Articles, adjectives and noun agreement
  • Common irregular verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir)
  • Question formation and negation
  • +1 more
    • Connecting ideas with conjunctions and basic structures
Assessment breakdown

IB French Ab Initio Assessment Structure

IB French ab initio is SL only and has three components: Paper 1 (writing, 25%), Paper 2 (listening 25% and reading 25%) and the individual oral (25%). The written assignment found in older ab initio guides is not part of the current course, which was first examined in 2020. A new ab initio guide starts teaching in August 2027 for first exams in May 2029, so students sitting exams in 2026, 2027 and 2028 follow the current guide.

Paper 1 - Writing

External Assessment
SL only: 25%

Two writing tasks in French, each chosen from three options, using a text type from the list in the exam instructions

1 hour
Task A and Task B: 70-150 words each, 15 marks each
Marked on language, message and conceptual understanding

Paper 2 - Listening

External Assessment
SL only: 25%

Comprehension questions on three audio passages in French

45 min
Drawn from the five themes and 20 prescribed topics

Paper 2 - Reading

External Assessment
SL only: 25%

Comprehension questions on three written texts in French

1 hour
Drawn from the five themes and 20 prescribed topics

Individual Oral

Internal Assessment
SL only: 25%

Presentation on a visual stimulus, a follow-up discussion with your teacher, then a general conversation on at least one other theme

7-10 min, after 15 min of supervised preparation
Visual stimulus linked to one of the five themes

Key Assessment Notes

  • Ab initio is offered at SL only and is designed for students with little or no experience of French.
  • A new ab initio guide begins teaching in August 2027, with first exams in May 2029. Exams in 2026, 2027 and 2028 use the current guide.
  • There is no written assignment in the current course.
IB French ab initio 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 French Ab Initio tutoring

Yes. Ab initio courses are SL only, with 150 recommended teaching hours, and are designed for students with little or no previous experience of the language. There is no HL version. If you want to take French at HL, the course is French B, which assumes you have already studied some French and adds two literary works at HL.

Ab initio starts from the beginning and stays at SL; French B builds on previous study and runs at SL or HL. Both use the same five themes and assess writing, listening, reading and speaking. Ab initio writing tasks are 70-150 words and the oral lasts 7-10 minutes, while French B SL asks for one task of 250-400 words and a 12-15 minute oral. Your school decides which course fits your background.

Five themes, each with four prescribed topics. Identities: personal attributes, personal relationships, eating and drinking, physical well-being. Experiences: daily routine, leisure, holidays, festivals and celebrations. Human ingenuity: transport, entertainment, media, technology. Social organisation: neighbourhood, education, the workplace, social issues. Sharing the planet: climate, physical geography, the environment, global issues. Grammar is taught through these topics.

No. Older ab initio guides included a written assignment, but the current guide, first examined in 2020, has three components: Paper 1 writing (25%), Paper 2 listening (25%) and reading (25%), and the individual oral (25%). If a book or website mentions a written assignment, it is describing the old course. The current guide applies to everyone sitting exams in 2026, 2027 and 2028.

You get 15 minutes of supervised preparation with a visual stimulus linked to a course theme. You then describe it and connect it to the theme in a short presentation, answer your teacher's follow-up questions, and finish with a general conversation on at least one other theme. It lasts 7-10 minutes and is worth 25% of the grade. Tutors run mock orals in this format so the structure feels familiar on the day.

Yes, that is what ab initio is designed for. Early sessions focus on pronunciation, everyday vocabulary and core grammar such as the present tense, articles and adjective agreement, then build towards the passé composé, imparfait and futur proche. As your French grows, sessions move to exam-style writing tasks, listening practice and short conversations on the prescribed topics.

Official past papers and markschemes are published by the IB, and your school or IB coordinator may already hold copies. Your tutor can work through past-style tasks with you: timed Paper 1 writing marked against the criteria, listening and reading practice on authentic French texts, and mock orals with a visual stimulus. Use full papers under timed conditions in the final months, once your grammar base is secure.

In May 2026 (IB provisional statistical bulletin), 5,964 candidates took French ab initio and 8.5% of them got a 7. The mean grade was 4.7, the same as in May 2025, and the most common result was a 5, for 28.2% of candidates. A further 20.3% got a 6, so 28.8% of candidates finished with a 6 or a 7.

Yes. As your French improves, your tutor can run more of each session in French to build listening and speaking confidence, and switch to English for grammar explanations and feedback. More French in sessions is especially useful in the weeks before the individual oral.

Most students are matched with a tutor within 24 hours, and all sessions are online. If your oral or exams are close, share the dates when you sign up so the first sessions focus on the component that matters most.

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

Language B Oral Strategies and Preparation

Oral preparation strategies that also apply to the ab initio individual oral.

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How to Use Past Papers Effectively

Timed Paper 1 and Paper 2 practice that builds exam technique.

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Understanding IB Assessment Criteria

See how the language, message and conceptual understanding criteria work.

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