IB Biology Tuition Singapore
SL and HL Biology for the four-theme course first assessed in 2025
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No contract and no minimum number of lessons. The first lesson is a paid trial at the tutor's rate. Cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours ahead, or that lesson is charged.
- Typical rate
- S$45 to S$130/hr
- Your shortlist
- 2 to 4 tutors in 16h
- Wrong fit?
- Free re-match
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IB Biology Tuition rates in Singapore
Hourly rates for IB and IGCSE, by type of tutor.
The same rates as a table
| Level | Part-time / undergrad | Full-time | Ex-MOE or NIE-trained |
|---|---|---|---|
| IB Diploma (DP1-DP2) / IGCSE | S$45-60/hr | S$65-90/hr | S$90-130/hr |
The final rate is set when you choose a tutor. See all tuition rates for 2027.
Where IB Biology gets difficult
IB Biology connects molecules to ecosystems across four themes. These signs suggest the connections are not forming yet.
Long answers describe a process but skip the link to function, so they read as a list of facts.
Data questions are answered from memory instead of from the graph in front of the student.
Water potential and membrane transport questions get the direction of water movement wrong.
HL students fall behind on gene expression and chemical signalling, which build on earlier work on DNA and proteins.
1 more
The investigation stalls because the research question cannot be measured with school equipment in the time allowed.
These are fixable with steady practice, and fixing them in DP1 leaves DP2 free for revision and timed papers.
IB Biology's four themes
Each theme runs from molecules to ecosystems. Topics marked HL only are not taught at SL. The tutor follows your school's order.
Unity and diversity
What living things share, and how they differ and are classified.
Topics covered
- Water and nucleic acids
- Origins of cells (HL only)
- Cell structure, and viruses (HL only)
- Diversity of organisms, and classification and cladistics (HL only)
- Evolution, speciation and conservation of biodiversity
Form and function
How structure suits function, from molecules to whole organisms.
Topics covered
- Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins
- Membranes and membrane transport
- Organelles, compartmentalization and cell specialization
- Gas exchange and transport
- Muscle and motility (HL only)
- Adaptation to environment and ecological niches
Interaction and interdependence
Metabolism, signalling and how organisms and ecosystems depend on each other.
Topics covered
- Enzymes and metabolism
- Cell respiration and photosynthesis
- Chemical signalling (HL only) and neural signalling
- Integration of body systems and defence against disease
- Populations, communities and transfer of energy and matter
Continuity and change
How life copies itself, stays stable and changes over time.
Topics covered
- DNA replication, protein synthesis, mutations and gene editing
- Cell and nuclear division, and gene expression (HL only)
- Water potential
- Reproduction, inheritance and homeostasis
- Natural selection, sustainability and climate change
IB Biology SL and HL compared
Based on the IB Biology subject brief for first assessment in 2025. SL and HL share the four themes and the weighting.
| Feature | SL | HL |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching hours recommended by the IB | 150 | 240 |
| Syllabus content | 110 hours, topics common to both levels | 180 hours, common topics in more depth plus HL-only topics |
| HL-only topics | Not studied | Origins of cells, viruses, classification and cladistics, muscle and motility, chemical signalling, gene expression |
| Paper 1 (1A multiple choice, 1B four data-based questions) | 1.5 hours | 2 hours |
| Paper 2 (data-based, short-answer and extended-response) | 1.5 hours | 2.5 hours |
| Weighting | Paper 1 36%, Paper 2 44%, investigation 20% | Identical to SL |
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IBO, DP Biology subject brief, first assessment 2025. Open the IB brief.
For IB Mathematics AA and AI support, see our IB Math tuition page.
Before you book an IB Biology tutor
What DP parents ask before IB Biology lessons start.
| Question | For IB Biology |
|---|---|
| Which tutor suits IB Biology? | Look for a tutor who has taught the four-theme course first assessed in 2025 and who is at ease with data-based questions and extended responses. Each profile lists the tutor's qualifications, experience and the curricula taught, including SL or HL. |
| What does it cost? | IB Biology falls in our IB Diploma and IGCSE band: S$45 to S$60 an hour with an undergraduate tutor, S$65 to S$90 with a full-time tutor and S$90 to S$130 with an ex-MOE teacher. Four 1.5-hour IB Biology lessons with a full-time tutor total S$390 to S$540. |
| How does it start? | Share your child's school, DP year, SL or HL, and the last internal test result. We send 2 to 4 tutor profiles within 16 hours. The first lesson is a paid trial at the tutor's hourly rate. |
| What are the terms? | No contract and no minimum, so lessons can pause in a heavy assessment period and resume after. Cancel or move a lesson at least 24 hours ahead, or it is charged. If the fit is wrong, we re-match you free. |
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IB Biology Tuition: a guide for parents
IB Diploma Biology for students first assessed in 2025 is organised in four themes: unity and diversity, form and function, interaction and interdependence, and continuity and change. Topics run from water, nucleic acids and cell structure to gas exchange, neural signalling, defence against disease, inheritance, natural selection and climate change. The IB recommends 150 teaching hours at SL and 240 at HL. Six topics are taught only at HL: origins of cells, viruses, classification and cladistics, muscle and motility, chemical signalling, and gene expression. The experimental programme adds practical work, a collaborative sciences project and the scientific investigation.
Read the full guide
IB Biology is a reading and data subject as much as a content subject. Paper 1B has four data-based questions linked to the syllabus and covering all themes, and Paper 2 opens with data-based and short-answer questions before the extended responses. A tutor builds the vocabulary first, then practises reading graphs and tables quickly and writing extended answers that link a molecule or cell to the whole organism. For the scientific investigation, lessons cover choosing a measurable research question, processing data, and evaluating limitations, while the report itself remains your child's work.
A data task close to IB Biology practical work: potato cylinders are left in sucrose solutions of different concentrations, and the percentage change in mass is calculated. A cylinder that goes from 2.50 g to 2.20 g has changed by (2.20 - 2.50) ÷ 2.50 × 100 = -12.0%, so water left the tissue by osmosis because the solution had a lower water potential. Plotting percentage change against concentration and reading where the line crosses zero gives the concentration with the same water potential as the potato cells.
Common errors are dividing by the final mass and dropping the sign. A tutor then asks the evaluation questions the IB values: how many repeats were done, what was controlled, and how uncertain is that crossing point?
Official syllabus: MOE Singapore · SEAB Singapore
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IB Biology Tuition: frequently asked questions
SL or HL IB Biology: what is the difference?
HL takes 240 recommended teaching hours against 150 at SL, studies shared topics in more depth, and adds six HL-only topics: origins of cells, viruses, classification and cladistics, muscle and motility, chemical signalling and gene expression. HL exams are longer, 4.5 hours in total against 3 hours at SL, but each paper and the investigation carry the same weighting at both levels.
What is on IB Biology Paper 1 and Paper 2?
Paper 1 has two parts: 1A is multiple choice, and 1B has four data-based questions linked to the syllabus and covering all four themes. Together they count for 36%. Paper 2 has data-based and short-answer questions, then extended-response questions, and counts for 44%. At SL each paper is 1.5 hours. At HL, Paper 1 is 2 hours and Paper 2 is 2.5 hours.
How does the scientific investigation work in IB Biology?
It is worth 20% of the grade, with 10 recommended hours at both levels. Your child formulates a research question, gathers and analyses data to answer it, and writes a report of no more than 3,000 words. A tutor can teach design, data processing and evaluation on practice examples, while the school supervises the investigation itself.
Is IB Biology mostly memorising?
There is a lot of content, but the exams test understanding. Paper 1B and much of Paper 2 use data your child has not seen before, and the IB's assessment objectives include analysing and evaluating experimental procedures, data and trends. A tutor helps your child learn content in linked chains rather than lists, which makes data questions easier to reason through.
How much does IB Biology Tuition Singapore cost?
Rates run S$45 to S$130 an hour, depending on the tutor: undergraduate tutors at the lower end, ex-MOE teachers at the upper end. You pay only the hourly rate on your tutor's shortlist.
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