IB Economics tutors

What the course demands

Economics sits in Group 3, Individuals and Societies. Higher Level requires a minimum of 240 instructional hours against 150 at Standard Level, with the HL extension adding quantitative content and greater depth, particularly in the theory of the firm and in international economics.

Internal assessment takes the form of commentaries applying course concepts to real published news articles. Internal assessment contributes between 20% and 50% of a subject grade across IB subjects, and in economics it is one of the more controllable components — the article is chosen by the student, which means a poor choice is a self-inflicted ceiling.

Where the marks actually are

Evaluation is the first and largest gap. Higher-band answers do not merely present both sides; they reach a supported judgement, qualify it by context, consider the short and long run, and identify which assumptions the conclusion depends on. Students who list advantages and disadvantages and stop have written a 4-band answer however accurate the content.

Diagrams are the second. Economics diagrams are marked on precision: axes labelled correctly, curves labelled, the initial and final equilibria identified, and the shift explained in the text rather than left to speak for itself. A diagram that is approximately right earns considerably less than one that is exactly right, and this is quick to fix.

The third is real-world application. The strongest answers reference actual economies, policies and events with enough specificity to show they were understood rather than name-dropped.

• Evaluate to a supported judgement, not a two-sided list
• Label axes, curves and both equilibria on every diagram
• Explain the diagram in prose — do not let it stand alone
• Use specific real-world examples, not generic references

The internal assessment commentaries

The commentaries reward a well-chosen article more than elegant writing. The article must allow genuine application of a specific syllabus concept, be recent enough to satisfy the requirements, and be narrow enough that a short commentary can say something substantive.

Students consistently choose articles that are too broad — a general piece on inflation, for instance — leaving them summarising rather than analysing. A tutor adds most value at the selection stage, and comparatively little once a weak article has been committed to.

Timing and cost

Economics responds well to short, focused blocks because its main weaknesses are technique rather than content. A block on evaluation structure, a block on diagram precision, and support at commentary-selection points covers most of the available gain.

This suits the evidence on one-to-one tuition, which favours short, regular sessions over a defined period of up to ten weeks rather than indefinite weekly hours.

Expect roughly €45 to €100 an hour, with former examiners at the upper end — examiner experience is particularly valuable here because evaluation marking is where mark schemes are least intuitive from outside. TutorDeluxe takes no commission and charges students nothing.