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IB Philosophy Tutoring

Online IB Philosophy tutoring for HL and SL with verified tutors who scored 40+ IB points. Help with Paper 1 essays, the open-book prescribed text paper, HL Paper 3 and your philosophical analysis IA.

IB Philosophy rewards clear arguments, precise concepts and genuine evaluation, written under time pressure. Your tutor works on the current course, first examined in May 2025 and in place for every session from November 2026 to May 2029: the core theme Being human, your optional themes, your prescribed text, the HL extension on philosophy and contemporary issues, and the 2,000-word philosophical analysis of a non-philosophical stimulus (IA). Sessions are online, at SL or HL.

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

Comprehensive support designed to help you achieve your target grade

Exam Technique

  • Paper 1: the stimulus-based question on Being human, then thematic essays on your optional themes
  • Paper 2: explaining and then evaluating ideas from your prescribed text, in the open-book format
  • HL Paper 3: responding to an unseen philosophical text of about 800 words on a contemporary issue
  • Command terms such as 'evaluate', 'discuss' and 'to what extent', and how to reach a reasoned conclusion

Philosophical Analysis (IA)

  • Choosing a non-philosophical stimulus, such as a film scene, painting, poem or song lyric
  • Identifying the philosophical issue it raises and framing a focused question
  • Building an argument that answers counter-arguments and reaches a justified conclusion
  • Argument practice on other stimuli within the 2,000-word limit, while your IA stays your own

Concept Building

  • Being human: identity, the self, freedom, human nature and personhood
  • Optional themes: aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, philosophy of religion, philosophy of science, political or social philosophy
  • Close reading of your prescribed text, whether it is by Plato, Lao Tzu, Descartes, Fanon or Nussbaum
  • HL extension: philosophical issues around technology and the environment, and the nature of philosophy itself
Real student results

Students Improving Their Philosophy Grades

4 → 7
"My tutor helped me learn how to structure a proper philosophical argument. My essays went from descriptive to genuinely analytical."
I

Isaac L.

Philosophy HL, May 2024

3 → 6
"I had no idea how to approach Paper 1 stimulus questions. After practising with my tutor, I felt confident walking into the exam."
A

Amira N.

Philosophy SL, May 2024

5 → 7
"The prescribed text was daunting, but my tutor broke down every argument systematically. Paper 3 became my strongest paper."
F

Felix T.

Philosophy HL, Nov 2023

How It Works

Simple steps to get started with IB Philosophy 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.

Philosophy HL vs SL: What's the Difference?

Understanding the requirements at each level

SL
HL
Teaching Hours
150 hours
240 hours
Core Theme
Being human (45 hours)
Being human (45 hours)
Optional Themes
One theme (45 hours)
Two themes (90 hours)
Prescribed Text
One text (40 hours), Paper 2
One text (40 hours), Paper 2
HL Extension
Not studied
Philosophy and contemporary issues (45 hours), assessed in Paper 3
Paper 1
1 h 45 min, 50%: one core question + one optional theme essay
2 h 30 min, 40%: one core question + two optional theme essays
Internal Assessment
2,000-word philosophical analysis, 25%
Same task, 20%

IB Philosophy Topics We Cover

Every student studies the core theme Being human, one optional theme (two at HL) and one prescribed text from the IB list of 12, and writes the philosophical analysis IA. HL students also study the extension topic Philosophy and contemporary issues. Your tutor can help with whichever themes and text your school has chosen.

Core Theme: Being Human

  • Identity, the self and personhood
  • Freedom and human nature
  • What sets humans apart from other species
  • Whether animals or machines could count as persons

Optional Themes

  • Aesthetics, epistemology or ethics
  • Philosophy of religion or philosophy of science
  • Political philosophy or social philosophy
  • SL: one theme | HL: two themes

Prescribed Text

  • One text from the IB list of 12
  • Authors range from Plato and Lao Tzu to Martha Nussbaum
  • The list includes Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy and Fanon's Black Skin, White Masks
  • Examined open book: you take in a non-annotated copy

HL Extension

  • Philosophy and contemporary issues
  • Pressing issues relating to technology
  • Pressing issues relating to the environment
  • Reflecting on what philosophy is and how it works

Internal Assessment

  • Philosophical analysis of a non-philosophical stimulus
  • For example a film scene, painting, poem, song lyric, TV show or a personal experience
  • Up to 2,000 words
  • About 20 hours of class time
Assessment breakdown

IB Philosophy Assessment Structure

IB Philosophy is assessed through Paper 1 (a stimulus-based question on the core theme plus thematic essays on your optional themes), Paper 2 (an open-book paper on your prescribed text) and the internal assessment, a 2,000-word philosophical analysis of a non-philosophical stimulus. HL students also sit Paper 3, a response to an unseen philosophical text on a contemporary issue. At SL the weightings are 50%, 25% and 25%; at HL they are 40%, 20%, 20% for Paper 3 and 20% for the IA.

Paper 1

External Assessment
SL: 50%
HL: 40%

Part A is one stimulus-based question on the core theme, Being human. Part B is thematic essays on your optional themes.

SL: 1 hour 45 min | HL: 2 hours 30 min
SL: one core question + one optional theme essay | HL: one core question + two optional theme essays
Being human and your optional theme(s); the IB's sample essay questions are worth 25 marks each

Paper 2

External Assessment
SL: 25%
HL: 20%

An open-book paper on your prescribed text. You may take a non-annotated copy of your text into the exam.

1 hour (SL and HL)
Two-part questions, for example 'Explain...' (10 marks) followed by 'Discuss...' or 'Evaluate...' (15 marks)
Your prescribed text from the IB list

Paper 3 (HL only)

External Assessment
HL only: 20%

You respond to an unseen extract of about 800 words from a philosophical text that discusses a pressing contemporary issue relating to technology or the environment.

1 hour 15 min
Response to an unseen philosophical text
HL extension: Philosophy and contemporary issues

Internal Assessment

Internal Assessment
SL: 25%
HL: 20%

A philosophical analysis of a non-philosophical stimulus of your choice, such as a film scene, painting, poem, song lyric or a personal experience.

Written analysis of up to 2,000 words
About 20 hours of class time; the same task at SL and HL

Key Assessment Notes

  • This course was first assessed in May 2025 and applies to every session from November 2026 to May 2029
  • The biggest change from the previous course is that the prescribed text paper is now open book
  • Both SL and HL study a prescribed text; only HL sits Paper 3
  • Past papers from before 2025 follow a different structure, so use them selectively
IB Philosophy 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 Philosophy tutoring

Yes. Tutors cover the whole current course at both levels: the core theme Being human, your optional themes, your prescribed text and the IA. HL students also get help with the second optional theme and the HL extension, Philosophy and contemporary issues, which is examined in Paper 3. You are matched with a tutor for your level, and sessions follow the themes and text your school has chosen.

You study one text from the IB list of 12 prescribed philosophical texts. The list ranges from classics such as Plato, Lao Tzu and Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy to newer additions such as Frantz Fanon's Black Skin, White Masks and work by Martha Nussbaum. Your tutor works on the text your school has chosen, focusing on its key arguments and how to evaluate them.

Paper 2 is now open book: you take a non-annotated copy of your prescribed text into the 1-hour exam. That does not leave time to search for answers, so your tutor helps you know where the key arguments are and practise two-part questions, such as an explanation worth 10 marks followed by a discussion or evaluation worth 15. The focus is critical engagement with the ideas, not memorising the text.

Yes. The IA is a philosophical analysis of a non-philosophical stimulus, such as a film scene, painting, poem, song lyric or a personal experience, in up to 2,000 words. Your tutor can help you test whether a stimulus raises a clear philosophical issue and practise linking a stimulus to arguments, building counter-arguments and reaching a justified conclusion on other examples. You write every word yourself, and feedback on your draft comes from your teacher.

In Paper 3 you have 1 hour 15 minutes to respond to an unseen extract of about 800 words from a philosophical text on a pressing contemporary issue relating to technology or the environment. Your tutor practises reading unfamiliar texts quickly, identifying the main claims and assumptions, and writing a structured response that evaluates them and draws on what you have learned across the course.

Yes, and it is the most common reason students ask for help. Your tutor teaches you to state a clear thesis, explain each argument precisely, test it against a strong counter-argument and reach a reasoned conclusion. You practise with questions in the IB style, such as 'Evaluate the claim that...' and 'To what extent do you agree...', and get feedback on structure as well as content.

HL has more content and one more exam: a second optional theme, the HL extension and Paper 3, with 240 teaching hours against 150. In May 2026 the mean grade was 4.9 at both HL and SL, according to the IB provisional statistical bulletin. Different students choose each level, so pick the one that fits your interests, your other subjects and your university plans.

In May 2026, 8.6% of candidates received a 7 at both HL and SL, according to the IB provisional statistical bulletin. The mean grade was 4.9 at HL (2,173 candidates) and 4.9 at SL (2,934 candidates). In May 2025, the first session of the current course, 9.9% of HL and 9.0% of SL candidates scored a 7.

Yes. Most students are matched with a tutor within 24 hours, so you can start quickly. Close to the exam, sessions focus on timed essay plans for Paper 1, two-part prescribed text questions for Paper 2 and, at HL, unseen texts for Paper 3. Your tutor helps you decide which themes and arguments to prioritise in the time you have left.

Every tutor scored 40 or more IB points and is verified. All sessions are online, so you can work with a tutor wherever you study. You are matched with a tutor for your level, HL or SL, and most students are matched within 24 hours, so you can book your first session straight away.

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.

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