Criterion-based marking
IB work is marked against published criteria and command terms, not against a class average. A student can know the content and still lose marks by answering in the wrong shape.
A parent's guide
IB Specialist vs General Tutoring: What Actually Matters
The short answer: for work that IB assesses, curriculum fluency matters as much as subject knowledge, because IB marks technique against published criteria. For foundational skill gaps, a strong general tutor can be exactly right. This guide explains the difference and gives you neutral questions to ask any service, including ours.
We name no competitors on this page. The checklist applies to every tutoring service, Hack Your Course included.
The starting point
What makes IB assessment different
IB is not just harder content; it is a different assessment system. Four structural features decide where marks are won and lost.
Internal Assessments in every subject
Each Diploma Programme subject includes an internally assessed component: lab investigations, commentaries, oral assessments, or research projects, each with its own rubric a tutor must know in detail.
The core: Extended Essay and TOK
The 4,000-word Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge sit outside normal subject teaching entirely. Coaching them well means knowing IB-specific criteria that no general curriculum uses.
Papers with their own grammar
Paper 1 vs Paper 2 vs Paper 3, data-response and source-analysis questions, mark bands and grade boundaries: each IB exam has structures that reward trained technique, not just subject knowledge.
The gap
Where subject knowledge alone falls short
None of this means general tutors lack ability. It means IB rewards things that only curriculum experience teaches.
- A strong calculus tutor who has never seen IB Math AA or AI papers cannot train the paper technique those exams reward.
- IA rubrics are subject-specific and updated on syllabus cycles; coaching to an outdated or generic rubric costs real marks.
- Command terms such as evaluate, discuss, and to what extent carry precise meanings that determine which mark band an answer can reach.
- IB syllabuses update on multi-year cycles, so a tutor must know which assessment session the student sits and teach to the current guide.
- The academic-integrity line for IA and EE support is stricter than most homework-help norms; a tutor who does not know it puts the student at risk.
Use this on any service
Nine questions to ask before you hire
These questions are deliberately neutral. A well-run service of any kind should answer all nine clearly and in writing.
- 1
Does the tutor know the current syllabus and the student's exact exam session?
- 2
Has the tutor taught this specific subject and level (HL or SL) before, with real IB or AP results to their name?
- 3
Can they explain the IA or EE criteria for the student's subject, in detail, from the current guide?
- 4
Do sessions train command terms, mark bands, and timed past-paper technique, not just content?
- 5
Is the academic-integrity boundary stated in writing: guidance and feedback, never writing or editing assessed work?
- 6
Who matches the tutor to the student, and what happens if the fit is wrong?
- 7
Is billing transparent: clear hourly rates, no prepaid packages or long-term contracts?
- 8
Are proper tools required, such as graphing tablets for online Math and Science sessions?
- 9
Will you receive real session reports, and does anyone at the service actually read them?
To be fair
When a general tutor is the right call
Specialist tutoring is not always the answer, and an honest guide should say so. A capable general tutor is often the better fit for:
- Rebuilding foundational skills from earlier grades, such as algebra gaps or reading fluency.
- General homework support in pre-IB and middle-school years.
- Enrichment or study-habit coaching that is not tied to a specific assessed curriculum.
Once marks depend on IB or AP assessment structures, though, curriculum fluency starts paying for itself, and that is the point at which the checklist above becomes your best tool.
Verify the facts yourself
Curriculum facts on this page were reviewed August 20, 2026 against official IB and College Board sources. Always confirm the student's exact syllabus and exam session with their school coordinator.
Choosing a tutor: common questions
What makes IB assessment different from other high-school programs?
The IB Diploma Programme combines externally examined papers with internally assessed components in every subject, plus the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge in the core. Work is marked against published criteria and command terms rather than a class curve, and syllabuses are revised on multi-year cycles. Those structures are exactly what a specialist tutor trains and a generalist typically has never seen.
Learn more: Official IB assessment and exams overview · Our IB Diploma grading guide · Our Internal Assessment guide
Is a subject expert automatically a good IB tutor?
No. Subject mastery is necessary but not sufficient. An IB tutor also needs fluency in the current syllabus, the paper structures, the IA rubric, command terms, and the academic-integrity boundary for coached work. A brilliant chemist who has never marked or taught IB Chemistry papers will miss the technique that separates a 5 from a 7.
Learn more: IB exam strategies
What should I ask before hiring any tutoring service?
Ask about syllabus currency and exam session, subject-and-level teaching history, IA and EE criteria fluency, technique training on past papers, a written academic-integrity policy, how matching and re-matching work, billing transparency, required tools, and session reporting. Any reputable service, ours included, should answer all nine without hesitation.
Learn more: The Hack Your Course Standard
Do IB examiners make better tutors?
Examining experience gives real insight into how marks are actually awarded, and our roster includes experienced IB teachers and examiners. But teaching skill, syllabus currency, and fit with the student matter just as much, which is why we match tutors ourselves and charge one flat rate with no examiner surcharge instead of selling credentials as a premium tier.
Learn more: The Hack Your Course Standard
Does the same logic apply to AP courses?
Yes, in a milder form. AP is exam-centric: each course ends in a standardized College Board exam with its own free-response formats and scoring guidelines. There are no IB-style Internal Assessments, but technique on released questions and scoring rubrics still separates specialist AP tutoring from general subject help.
Learn more: College Board: what is AP
When is a general tutor the right choice?
When the gap is foundational rather than curricular: missing algebra skills, weak writing fundamentals, or study habits in pre-IB years. In those cases a strong general tutor is effective and appropriate. Once the student's marks depend on IB or AP assessment structures, curriculum fluency starts paying for itself.
How can I verify IB curriculum facts myself?
Go to the source. The IB publishes its programme structure, subject briefs, assessment principles, and academic-integrity expectations at ibo.org, and the student's school IB coordinator can confirm the exact syllabus and exam session that apply. Never rely on any tutoring website, including ours, as the final authority on IB rules.
Learn more: Official IB Diploma Programme overview
Where can I get specialist IB and AP tutoring?
Hack Your Course has focused on IB and AP tutoring since 2014; about 90% of our students are in the IB Diploma Programme. Tutoring is offered online across the United States and Canada at $70 USD per hour for American clients and $90 CAD per hour for Canadian clients, one flat rate for every tutor, with in-person sessions available in Vancouver and Toronto at $120 CAD per hour.
Learn more: IB & AP tutoring in the USA and Canada
Put our answers to the test
Bring the nine questions to us. Tell us the student's courses and levels, and we will answer every one, in writing, before you commit to anything.
Contact Hack Your Course