Pre-IB Bridging Programme Singapore — Entering IB DP Ready

The Pre-IB Bridging Programme is an intensive tuition programme for students who have just completed IGCSE, MYP or IP and are entering IB Diploma Year 1 in the coming academic year. It runs primarily over the June–August period before IB Year 1 begins. The programme closes subject-specific content gaps, introduces IB DP assessment style, and builds the skills that IB Year 1 assumes students already have.

Any student entering IB DP Year 1 who wants to arrive with stronger foundations than their pre-IB programme alone provided. Particularly valuable for: IGCSE students planning IB Math AA HL who didn't take Additional Maths; MYP students with weaker algebraic foundations entering AA HL; IP students who want to arrive benchmarked against real IB DP standards; any student entering IB HL Sciences who wants their content foundations solid before the pace of IB Year 1 kicks in.

The main bridging programme runs June–August, between IGCSE/MYP results and IB DP Year 1 start. Intensive sessions are available daily or every other day depending on availability and student schedule. The programme can also run from April–August for students who want maximum preparation time.

The bridging programme covers IB Mathematics (AA HL, AA SL, AI HL, AI SL), IB Physics, IB Chemistry, and IB Biology. The specific content covered depends on the student's pre-IB programme, intended IB subjects, and identified gaps from an initial diagnostic session.

Each student begins with a diagnostic session to identify specific gaps. The programme is then structured around those gaps, covering the content IB Year 1 assumes students already know. By the end of the programme, students have worked through real IB DP past paper questions and understand how the IB's mark scheme and command terms work — so the first week of Year 11 is familiar, not overwhelming.

Bridging programme pricing is the same as regular tuition: $480 for 4 lessons per month (1.5 hours each, max 4 students) or $600 for 1-to-1. For intensive daily programmes during the summer, custom scheduling and pricing is available — enquire via WhatsApp for details.

Yes. The programme is designed for students from IGCSE (Cambridge and Edexcel), IB MYP, and IP (including SOTA). The content covered is tailored to the specific gaps each pathway leaves — so an IGCSE student and a MYP student joining for the same IB Math AA HL bridging programme will receive different diagnostic-informed content even within the same group.

Students who complete the bridging programme with Photon Academy consistently report a smoother IB Year 1 experience than peers who did not. Our overall IB DP student results — 95%+ scoring 6–7 — reflect years of teaching students whose foundations were built carefully from pre-IB onwards.

Yes. Bridging sessions are available both in-person at 5 Tank Road, Singapore and online via Zoom. Pricing is identical for both formats at $480 per month for group sessions (4 lessons, max 4 students) and $600 per month for 1-to-1. Online sessions include the same whiteboard access, past paper walkthroughs, and direct tutor attention as in-person.

The bridging programme significantly reduces the likelihood of struggling in IB Year 1 — but IB DP is demanding and year-round tuition is available from the same tutors. All bridging programme students receive priority placement in our regular IB DP groups. The relationship built and the diagnostic knowledge gained during bridging carries directly into Year 1 tuition, so there is no restart — we pick up exactly where we left off.