IB English Tuition Singapore
IB Diploma English A: Language and Literature or Literature, at SL or HL
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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
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- 2 to 4 tutors in 16h
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IB English 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 English marks are lost
IB English A asks for analysis that is both personal and precise. These problems show up most often in DP1 and DP2.
Paper 1 answers describe the unseen passage instead of answering the guiding question about how it works.
The Paper 2 comparative essay discusses two works one after the other, with little actual comparison.
The individual oral uses extracts that do not clearly connect to the chosen global issue.
At HL, the 1,200 to 1,500 word essay has a broad topic and no clear line of inquiry.
1 more
Quotations are dropped in without analysis of the language, so the marker sees evidence but no argument.
Each of these is a structure problem more than a reading problem, and structure can be practised.
IB English A, component by component
Both English A courses share the same assessment model. The tutor works through each component in the order your child's school sets, at SL or HL.
Paper 1: guided textual analysis
Analysis of an unseen passage, non-literary in Language and Literature and literary in Literature, written to time.
Topics covered
- Reading the guiding question first
- Annotating for purpose, audience and technique
- A thesis that answers the guiding question
- Analysis paragraphs with short quotations
- Working to 1 hour 15 minutes at SL, or two analyses in 2 hours 15 minutes at HL
Paper 2: comparative essay
An essay comparing two literary works studied, answering one of four questions.
Topics covered
- Choosing which two works suit each question
- Comparative thesis statements
- Paragraphs that discuss both works together
- Remembering key quotations
- Timed essays in 1 hour 45 minutes
Individual oral
A prepared response on how two works or bodies of work approach a common global issue.
Topics covered
- Choosing a global issue and suitable extracts
- Structuring the prepared response
- Linking language and technique to the issue
- Delivering the response clearly and to time
- Recorded practice with feedback
HL essay
A 1,200 to 1,500 word essay on one work or body of work studied, for HL students only.
Topics covered
- Narrowing a topic to a line of inquiry
- Planning and drafting to the word limit
- Using secondary reading with care
- Feedback that keeps the work your child's own
- Referencing and academic honesty
IB English A: SL and HL, and the two courses compared
Taken from the IBO subject briefs for both English A courses, first assessed in 2021.
Standard level and higher level
| SL | HL | |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended teaching hours | 150 | 240 |
| Works studied (Language and Literature) | 4 literary works | 6 literary works |
| Works studied (Literature) | 9 works | 13 works |
| Paper 1 guided analysis | 1 hour 15 minutes, 35% | 2 hours 15 minutes, 35% |
| Paper 2 comparative essay | 1 hour 45 minutes, 35% | 1 hour 45 minutes, 25% |
| HL essay, 1,200 to 1,500 words | Not taken | 20% |
| Individual oral | 30% | 20% |
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Language and Literature or Literature
| Language A: language and literature | Language A: literature | |
|---|---|---|
| What is studied | Literary works plus a range of non-literary texts | Literary works only, some in translation |
| Paper 1 passage | Unseen non-literary text | Unseen literary text |
| Individual oral | One literary work and one non-literary body of work, on a global issue | One work in the language studied and one in translation, on a global issue |
| Areas of exploration | Readers, writers and texts. Time and space. Intertextuality: connecting texts. | The same three areas |
IBO, Language A: language and literature course and subject brief. Open the IBO brief.
IBO, Language A: literature course and subject brief. Open the IBO brief.
IBO course page for Language A: language and literature. Visit the IBO page.
Before you book an IB English tutor
What DP families ask before choosing a tutor.
| Question | For IB English A |
|---|---|
| Which tutor suits IB English? | Choose a tutor who has taught your child's course, Language and Literature or Literature, at the right level. Ask whether they know the works your school has set. Every profile sets out the tutor's qualifications and experience. |
| What does it cost? | IB English A is priced in the 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 lessons a month with a full-time tutor add up to S$390 to S$540. |
| How does it start? | Tell us the course, SL or HL, DP1 or DP2, and which component is due next. 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 you can book extra lessons around the oral and the final papers. 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 English Tuition: a guide for parents
IB Diploma English is usually one of two courses. Language A: language and literature studies literary works alongside non-literary texts such as speeches, adverts and articles. Language A: literature studies literary works only, including some in translation. Both run at standard level (SL) or higher level (HL), across three areas of exploration: readers, writers and texts, time and space, and intertextuality: connecting texts. The current courses were first assessed in 2021. A tutor should know which course and level your child takes before the first lesson, because the works and tasks differ.
Read the full guide
Both courses are assessed the same way. Paper 1 is a guided analysis of an unseen passage, Paper 2 a comparative essay on two works, and the individual oral a prepared response on a global issue, with an extra written essay at HL. Students most often need help turning a good reading into a timed, structured answer, especially in Paper 1, where the passage is unseen. Our IB English tutors teach analysis paragraph by paragraph, coach the oral with recorded practice, and give feedback on HL essay plans while keeping the work your child's own.
A Language and Literature Paper 1 might give an unseen charity advert with a photograph, a headline and a short paragraph, and a guiding question such as: how does the text use image and language to move its audience to act? A weak response describes the photograph, then the headline, then the paragraph, in order. A stronger one opens with a thesis that answers the question, for example that the advert moves readers from pity to responsibility.
Each paragraph then follows one stage of that movement, quoting a few words and naming the technique and its effect. A tutor teaches your child to spend the first minutes reading and planning, then to write three or four focused paragraphs. At SL that has to fit inside 1 hour 15 minutes, so timed practice starts early in DP1.
Official syllabus: MOE Singapore · SEAB Singapore
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IB English Tuition: frequently asked questions
What is the difference between English A Language and Literature and English A Literature?
Language and Literature studies literary works and non-literary texts such as speeches, adverts and articles. Paper 1 uses unseen non-literary passages. Literature studies literary works only, including works in translation, and Paper 1 uses unseen literary passages. Both have the same components and weightings. The individual oral differs: Language and Literature pairs a literary work with a non-literary body of work.
How much does IB English tuition cost?
IB English is in our IB Diploma and IGCSE rate band: S$45 to S$60 an hour for an undergraduate tutor, S$65 to S$90 for a full-time tutor and S$90 to S$130 for an ex-MOE teacher. Many DP students book weekly lessons, adding sessions before the oral and the final papers.
How is IB English weighted at SL and HL?
At SL, Paper 1 is 35%, Paper 2 is 35% and the individual oral is 30%. At HL, Paper 1 is 35%, Paper 2 is 25%, the individual oral is 20% and the HL essay is 20%. The IB's subject briefs set these weightings for both English A courses, first assessed in 2021.
Can a tutor help with the HL essay and the oral?
Yes, with limits. A tutor can teach how to choose a line of inquiry, how to structure the essay and the oral, and how to analyse language, and can give feedback on plans and practice pieces. The final work must be your child's own, so the tutor does not write or rewrite it.
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