Subject selection in the IB International Baccalaureate (IB Diploma Programme)

Pre-IB online tutoring – the foundation for a confident start in the IB Diploma

Choosing the IB Diploma Programme is one of the most important steps in a teenager’s education, and the transition from pre-IB to the full programme can be stressful for both students and their parents. Many questions arise: which subjects should be taken at HL, and which at SL? Is the current level of English sufficient to understand lectures and analyse academic texts from day one? How do you avoid drowning in new terminology, markschemes, and IBO requirements? Pre-IB online tutoring at MonPat Education is the answer to these concerns – comprehensive support that allows students to begin the IB Diploma Programme feeling confident, with a clear plan and a solid foundation in key subjects.

Our mentors – graduates of Cambridge, Oxford, and other leading universities worldwide – work remotely with students across Poland, adapting the pace and content to individual needs. We help not only catch up on gaps or strengthen specific areas, but also plan the subject declaration thoughtfully, so that HL and SL choices perfectly match both the student’s abilities and their plans for studying abroad.

Who is pre-IB online tutoring for?

Our offer is aimed at students in the final years of primary school and the first years of secondary school who are consciously choosing the path of the International Baccalaureate and want to enter the IB DP fully prepared. We work with young people who:

• are finishing their pre-IB year and want to transition into the full IB Diploma Programme without stress,
• are considering switching to a school with an international programme and need to improve their academic English and selected subjects,
• are aiming for studies abroad – in the UK, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, the USA, or Italy – and know that IB is the natural pathway to the most selective universities,
• are planning degree programmes that require specific subjects at HL (medicine, biochemistry, engineering, economics, natural sciences),
• want to avoid the typical pitfalls of the first year of IB: a poor choice of HL/SL levels, unpredictable predicted grades, and chaos around the Internal Assessment.

We also support parents who do not always understand the structure of IB, the assessment system, and how grading works. We explain the programme’s rules in plain language, show the roadmap for the next two years, and provide concrete tools for making informed educational decisions.

Why is good pre-IB preparation so important?

IB is a demanding programme valued by universities abroad and provides a real advantage in applications – but only when students make informed decisions from the very start. Choosing subjects for the IB Diploma Programme is not a mere formality; it is a strategic decision that will determine which degree programmes the student will be eligible to apply for at all.

Many programmes – medicine, physics, engineering, economics – require specific IB subjects at HL. HL Chemistry, Biology, or Mathematics are often a prerequisite for applications to medicine, biochemistry, or engineering. Humanities programmes and psychology, on the other hand, reward social sciences and languages. Without a considered subject selection, a student with excellent grades may still be rejected simply for not meeting the entry requirements of a particular university.

The second reason pre-IB is so crucial is the difference between “understanding a topic” and “writing to the markscheme”. Students who enter IB without preparation often quickly realise that their previous study methods are not enough. IB demands deeper analysis, critical thinking, independence, and an academic style of working. The earlier a student becomes familiar with these requirements, the more easily they will build the habits that will pay off in the final exams.

In the long run, it looks like this: better pre-IB preparation → stable predicted grades → a stronger application → a better university → a stronger professional network and greater career opportunities. This is not an abstraction – it is exactly the path taken by our alumni now studying at Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, and Imperial College London.

How to choose IB subjects? Structure and levels in a nutshell

As part of pre-IB tutoring, we explain the system in full to both students and parents. In brief: a student chooses 6 subjects – one from each of six groups. These are: mother tongue, foreign language, social studies, experimental sciences, mathematics, and arts or a second subject from groups 2–4. Three or four of them are studied at Higher Level (HL), the rest at Standard Level (SL).

HL requires more hours, deeper analysis, and a greater workload. Choosing three demanding science subjects at HL (e.g. Mathematics HL + Chemistry HL + Physics HL) can therefore be overwhelming and may affect predicted grades. How should you choose IB subjects wisely? You need to consider the student’s motivation, natural aptitudes, study plans, and what the school realistically offers – because the range of available subjects varies between schools. We analyse all of this during consultations.

Our working method – why parents and students choose us

Pre-IB online tutoring is delivered in an individual model, tailored to the student’s pace as well as the specifics of their school. We work systematically, with a clearly defined roadmap and concrete goals for each stage. After each session the student receives brief feedback, and the parent receives an update on progress and areas for further work. This way, nobody is left in uncertainty about where their child stands.

Our approach rests on several pillars. First, we analyse the markscheme and teach students how to write answers to IB criteria – not just understand the topic. Second, we work through past papers and model solutions so that the student learns to think in the way IBO expects. Third, we introduce students to the structure and methodology of the Internal Assessment, which for many is the greatest challenge of the programme. Fourth, we build a revision strategy and support students ahead of key tests and mock examinations.

An important element is also ongoing contact between sessions. Students can message their mentor with a question about homework, a paragraph from an essay, or a concern before a test – we never leave anyone alone with a problem. It is precisely this availability, and the sense that someone truly knows the system from the inside, that most often appears in parents’ reviews of our work.

Scope of support within pre-IB online tutoring

• Analysis of the initial subject selection – we help plan the subject declaration so that HL and SL choices align with the student’s study plans.
• Matching HL/SL to the entry requirements of chosen universities (UK, NL, USA, Italy, Scandinavia) and specific programmes – medicine, engineering, economics, psychology.
• Workload assessment – together we analyse whether the planned HL combination is realistic given the student’s abilities and working pace.
• SL/HL preparation in key subjects – mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, economics, English, history, psychology, and others.
• Support with completing the subject declaration and any subsequent changes during the programme.
• Introduction to the structure of IB DP – Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay, CAS, Internal Assessment.
• Practice writing answers to IB criteria and working through past papers.
• Preparation for mock examinations and optimisation of predicted grades.
• Development of the academic English required for working with IB literature and textbooks.
• Psychological support for time management and stress management from the very start of the programme.

Pre-IB tutoring is the beginning of a longer journey

At MonPat Education, we treat pre-IB online tutoring as the first element of a comprehensive educational pathway that guides students from the moment they enter the IB programme all the way to acceptance at their dream university. A well-prepared start means not only a calmer two years of IB DP, but also a stronger foundation for the stages that follow: individual IB tutoring in specific subjects, support with the Internal Assessment, help with the Extended Essay and TOK, and, further down the line – applications to universities in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the USA, and Italy.

If a student is aiming for the most selective universities, a well-considered IB Diploma Programme subject selection at the pre-IB stage is the foundation on which we later build the Oxbridge, Ivy League, or medical programme application – whether for Italy or Ireland. To put it plainly: whether a student will one day be able to apply to medicine in Bologna or natural sciences in Cambridge is often decided by choices made right now.

We invite you to a free initial consultation, during which we will assess the student’s current level, discuss their study plans, and propose a personalised study plan. It is a good first step towards clearing up the confusion around IB and entering the programme with confidence and a sense of control.