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IB Latin Tutoring

IB Latin tutoring at SL and HL for the current classical languages course. Build accurate unseen translation, read your prescribed texts closely, and get support with the research dossier and the HL composition.

IB Latin follows the classical languages guide first examined in May 2024. At both levels you sit Paper 1 on unseen Latin and Paper 2 on your prescribed texts, and complete the research dossier as your internal assessment. At HL, Paper 1 covers both a prose and a verse passage, you study a second prescribed core text, and you write the HL composition, an original piece of Latin prose. Tutoring combines grammar and translation practice with close reading of the texts your school has chosen.

Quick answer: IB Doctor offers 1-to-1 IB Latin 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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Latin 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 Latin Tutoring

Comprehensive support designed to help you achieve your target grade

Paper 1 and Paper 2

  • Paper 1: comprehension and translation of unseen Latin, one passage at SL, prose and verse at HL
  • Systematic parsing so you translate accurately under time pressure
  • Paper 2: short-answer questions on extracts from your prescribed core texts
  • Planning extended responses that quote and analyse the Latin

Research Dossier and HL Composition

  • Framing a research question your primary sources can actually answer
  • How 7-9 primary sources build an argument in the research dossier
  • HL composition: writing original Latin prose and explaining your choices in the rationale
  • Annotation practised on other sources, while your dossier stays your own

Language and Literature

  • Morphology and syntax: declensions, conjugations, the subjunctive, participles, indirect speech
  • Core vocabulary and strategies for unfamiliar words
  • Style in verse and prose: word order, metre and rhetoric
  • A study plan built around your exam dates and your weakest component
Real student results

Students Improving Their Latin Grades

4 → 7
"My tutor made Latin grammar click. Unseen translations went from terrifying to something I looked forward to."
J

James W.

Latin HL, May 2024

3 → 6
"I couldn't analyse Virgil effectively until my tutor taught me how to connect language choices to wider themes."
C

Charlotte E.

Latin SL, May 2024

5 → 7
"Paper 2 commentary was my weakest area. My tutor's systematic approach to close reading transformed my responses."
O

Oscar B.

Latin HL, Nov 2023

How It Works

Simple steps to get started with IB Latin 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.

Latin HL vs SL: What's the Difference?

Understanding the requirements at each level

SL
HL
Teaching Hours
150 hours
240 hours
Prescribed Core Texts
One
Two: one prose, one verse
Paper 1
One unseen passage (prose or verse), 1 hr 30 min, 35%
Unseen prose and verse passages, 2 hrs, 30%
Paper 2
1 hr 30 min, 35%
1 hr 30 min, 30%
Research Dossier
30% of the grade
20% of the grade
HL Composition
Not taken
Original Latin prose with a rationale, 20%

IB Latin Topics We Cover

The current IB classical languages course treats language and literature together: every component asks you to understand Latin and analyse how it creates meaning. SL students study one prescribed core text and HL students two, one in prose and one in verse, alongside shorter companion texts set by the IB. Tutoring follows the texts your school is using for your exam session.

Latin Grammar & Syntax

  • Noun declensions and adjective agreement
  • Verb conjugations: all tenses, active and passive
  • Subjunctive mood and its uses
  • Participial phrases and ablative absolutes
  • +1 more
    • Indirect speech and complex subordination

Unseen Translation and Comprehension

  • Unseen prose technique
  • Unseen verse: word order and metre
  • Vocabulary strategies for unseen passages
  • Comprehension answers supported by the Latin
  • +1 more
    • Accuracy under timed conditions

Paper 2: Prescribed Texts

  • Prescribed core texts set for your exam session
  • Shorter companion texts
  • Short-answer questions on an extract
  • Extended responses to a prompt
  • +1 more
    • Literary, historical and cultural context

Style and Technique

  • Word order and emphasis
  • Metre and scansion
  • Rhetorical devices
  • Imagery and allusion
  • +1 more
    • Linking language choices to meaning

Research Dossier (IA)

  • Framing a research question
  • Choosing 7-9 primary sources
  • Writing annotations that build an argument
  • Linking every source to the question
  • +1 more
    • Referencing and academic integrity

HL Composition

  • Planning an original prose composition in Latin
  • Choosing a form, such as a letter or a speech
  • Drawing on the style of classical authors
  • Explaining your choices in the rationale
  • +1 more
    • Accuracy and register in Latin prose
Assessment breakdown

IB Latin Assessment Structure

IB Latin follows the classical languages guide first examined in May 2024. SL students sit Paper 1 (unseen comprehension and translation, 35%) and Paper 2 (prescribed texts, 35%) and complete the research dossier (internal assessment, 30%). HL students sit a 2-hour Paper 1 with both a prose and a verse passage (30%) and Paper 2 (30%), and complete the research dossier (20%) and the HL composition (20%). Resources describing a 45% literature paper or a set translation author describe the old course.

Paper 1 - Unseen Latin

External Assessment
SL: 35%
HL: 30%

Reading comprehension and translation questions on previously unseen Latin

SL: 1 hour 30 min | HL: 2 hours
SL: one passage, prose or verse | HL: one prose and one verse passage

Paper 2 - Prescribed Texts

External Assessment
SL: 35%
HL: 30%

Short-answer questions on an extract from a prescribed core text, plus an extended response to one of two prompts

SL: 1 hour 30 min | HL: 1 hour 30 min
Answer one of four options, each built on prescribed core texts
SL: one prescribed core text | HL: two, one prose and one verse

Research Dossier

Internal Assessment
SL: 30%
HL: 20%

Annotated collection of 7-9 primary sources that together answer a research question on classical language, literature or culture

Marked by your teacher and moderated by the IB

HL Composition (HL only)

External Assessment
HL only: 20%

Short original prose composition in Latin, about 100 words, with a supporting rationale explaining your choices

Coursework completed during the course and assessed by the IB

Key Assessment Notes

  • The current classical languages guide was first examined in May 2024 and applies to candidates sitting exams in 2026, 2027 and 2028.
  • Prescribed core and companion texts are set by the IB for each exam session, so check which texts your school is using.
  • The old course had a 45% literature paper at SL and a 20% dossier at both levels; those weightings no longer apply.
IB Latin 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 Latin tutoring

Yes. Both levels sit Paper 1 and Paper 2 and complete the research dossier. HL adds a second unseen passage in Paper 1, so you work on both prose and verse, a second prescribed core text in Paper 2, and the HL composition, an original piece of Latin prose. Your tutor plans sessions around your level, your prescribed texts and the component costing you most marks.

IB Latin follows the classical languages guide first examined in May 2024. SL has three components: Paper 1 (35%), Paper 2 (35%) and the research dossier (30%). HL has four: Paper 1 (30%), Paper 2 (30%), the research dossier (20%) and the HL composition (20%). Older guides, still quoted online, had a translation paper on a set author and a literature paper worth 45% at SL, so check the date of any resource you use.

Yes. Paper 1 tests comprehension and translation of Latin you have not seen before: one passage at SL, and both a prose and a verse passage at HL. Tutors teach a systematic way to parse sentences, build high-frequency vocabulary and handle constructions such as ablative absolutes, indirect speech and the subjunctive, then practise under timed conditions of 1 hour 30 minutes (SL) or 2 hours (HL).

Paper 2 asks short-answer questions on an extract from a prescribed core text and an extended response to a prompt. SL students study one prescribed core text and HL students two, one in prose and one in verse, alongside shorter companion texts. Your tutor reads your texts with you, covers style, context and themes, and practises extended responses that quote and analyse the Latin instead of paraphrasing it.

Yes. The research dossier is the internal assessment: an annotated collection of 7-9 primary sources that together answer a research question on classical language, literature or culture. It is worth 30% at SL and 20% at HL. A tutor can help you test whether a research question is workable, explain what makes a set of sources build an argument and practise annotations that analyse rather than describe on other sources. You choose your own sources, and feedback on your draft comes from your teacher.

It is an HL-only component worth 20%. You write a short original prose composition in Latin, about 100 words, and a rationale explaining the choices you made, drawing on the style and themes of classical authors. A tutor teaches accuracy and register through composition exercises and shows, with examples, how a rationale explains choices clearly. The Latin and the rationale must be your own work.

In May 2026 (IB provisional statistical bulletin), 15.8% of Latin HL candidates and 8.1% of SL candidates got a 7. The mean grade was 4.5 at HL and 4.2 at SL. Latin is a small subject, with 190 HL and 729 SL candidates that session, and results are widely spread: the most common grade was a 4 at HL (28.4%) and a 3 at SL (32.1%).

The IB sets grade boundaries after each exam session, and they can differ between sessions and time zones, so any published table is a guide only. Your IB coordinator receives the official boundaries. What you can control is your raw mark in each component, so tutors mark practice translations and responses against the Latin criteria and show you where marks are lost.

Yes. Close to the exam, sessions usually focus on timed unseen translation, revision of your prescribed core texts and practice extended responses for Paper 2. Most students are matched with a tutor within 24 hours, so you can start quickly. Earlier support gives more time for the research dossier and, at HL, the composition.

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

IB Internal Assessment: What It Is, Methods, Structure

How internal assessments are marked, useful when planning your research dossier.

Read guide

IB Citation Format: Referencing Your Extended Essay

Referencing habits that also apply to dossier sources.

Read guide

How to Use Past Papers Effectively

Timed unseen and Paper 2 practice that builds exam technique.

Read guide

Understanding IB Assessment Criteria

See how IB criteria reward analysis as well as accuracy.

Read guide
View all resources

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