Peru · IB Diploma maths, taught in English · AA and AI, SL and HL
An IB maths tutor for Diploma students in Peru
IB maths in Peru has a timing problem that students in Europe never face. The Peruvian school year runs from March to December, so at schools that sit the November exam session, as the COAR network did in 2025, the final papers arrive in the last weeks of 5th of secundaria, side by side with university admission tests in Lima. This page lays out that calendar from the universities' and MINEDU's own documents, explains how public-school students reach the Diploma through COAR, shows what an IB maths tutor does across two years, and works through one piece of calculus.
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The answer first
Modern Age Coders provides an IB maths tutor for Diploma students in Peru: live online classes taught in English for IB Mathematics Analysis and Approaches or Applications and Interpretation, at SL or HL, one to one or in a group of fifteen to twenty. Tutoring follows the student's own school through both Diploma years, works on paper technique and the exploration without ever writing it, and is planned around Peru's March to December school year and the November exams. Classes run at whatever hour suits the student in Peru time.
Courses for Diploma students
Three courses for IB students in Peru
The Diploma course itself, a foundation course for students who arrive with gaps, and a course for those applying to universities that ask for the SAT.
More students than most people expect. MINEDU reports that 2,502 students in Peru earned the IB Diploma in 2025, and that students of the public COAR network made up 47% of them.
COAR students
Pupils who won a place at one of the 25 public Colegios de Alto Rendimiento can take the Diploma Programme there. Most come from Spanish-medium schools. For a COAR student who wants IB maths in English, perhaps with a university abroad in mind, a tutor who teaches only in English adds the language of international mathematics to the subject.
Private IB school students
Students at private IB schools in Lima and other cities often study in English from an early age. For them the question is depth: an HL student aiming at engineering, or an AI student who finds the statistics slippery, needs time with one teacher that a full class cannot give.
Families arriving or leaving
Families who move to Peru mid-Diploma, or who plan to send a student to university abroad, need the maths to stay continuous whatever the school calendar does. Online tutoring travels with the student.
Everything on this page assumes the school leads. The IB school teaches the course, sets the internal deadlines and submits the work; our tutors work alongside, in English, on the mathematics and the habits of writing it. We are not connected with the IB, COAR or MINEDU, and nothing here is advice from them.
The November squeeze
When does an IB student in Peru sit the exams, and what else falls in the same weeks?
MINEDU's report on COAR results refers to the November 2025 session, the one that suits a school year ending in December. For a student in 5th of secundaria in Lima, that session sits beside several admission dates published by Lima universities.
Dates a 5th-of-secundaria IB student in Lima may meet, late 2026 to March 2027
Date
What happens
Published by
November 2026
IB Diploma exams, for schools on the November session (paper dates come from the school's IB coordinator)
The student's IB school
Sunday 15 November 2026, 07:00
Universidad de Lima school exam for 2027-1(A) entry, for pupils in 5th of secundaria
Universidad de Lima admission guide
29 November 2026
PUCP academic evaluation for La Primera Opción, for pupils in 5th of secundaria
PUCP admission guide (2027-1 entry)
18 December 2026
Last day of the fourth teaching block of the 2026 school year
RM 501-2025-MINEDU
Until 28 January 2027
PUCP Diploma de Bachillerato route, second call: interviews
PUCP admission guide
21 February 2027
PUCP Evaluación del Talento academic evaluation, for school leavers
PUCP admission guide (2027-1 entry)
Monday 29 March 2027
Classes begin at the Universidad de Lima for the 2027-1 term
Universidad de Lima admission guide
Sources: Universidad de Lima, Guía del postulante, Concurso de Admisión 2027-1(A); PUCP, Guía del postulante for 2027-1 entry (the PUCP guide gives 29 November and 21 February without a year; the 2027-1 cycle places them in 2026 and 2027); RM 501-2025-MINEDU, 2026 school-year norm; MINEDU press release of 17 April 2026 for the November 2025 session. All read on 8 November 2026. We could not read the IB's own pages (ibo.org refused our request), so no IB exam date is printed here.
What the table means
A Lima student taking the Diploma and applying through a school-leaver route may face a university exam, the IB papers and the end of the school year inside about five weeks. That is the November squeeze, and it is the reason we plan IB maths backwards from it.
Not every student meets every date: routes and universities differ, and some students wait for their Diploma results and apply through a Diploma route instead. Each university decides its own admissions; we only point out where the dates sit.
How a tutor plans around it
The heavy lifting moves earlier. We aim to finish new syllabus content by the July break, spend August to October on full papers and corrections, and keep November for short, calm sessions that rehearse the student's weakest question types.
Students who also sit a university exam in Spanish get a different kind of help from us: not that exam's content, which we do not teach, but the same habits of reading a question twice, estimating first and leaving a guess blank where wrong answers cost marks.
COAR and the IB
How do public-school students in Peru reach the IB Diploma?
Mainly through COAR, MINEDU's network of 25 public high-achievement schools. Students win a place after 2nd of secundaria and can take the Diploma Programme in their final two years.
Getting in
MINEDU's single admission process for 2026 offered 2,650 places to students from public schools who had finished 2nd of secundaria. Registration was online and free, from 12 to 30 January 2026.
MINEDU describes COAR as a specialised service with personal tutoring, a student residence, meals and materials. It also says that the Diploma Programme widens students' access to more than 2,000 universities in Peru and abroad; that figure is MINEDU's statement, not ours.
How the 2025 class did
The COAR students assessed in the November 2025 session had followed the Diploma Programme through 2024 and 2025. Of 2,296 who took part, 1,740 entered for the full Diploma and 1,179 earned it; another 556 entered for individual course certificates and 390 earned them.
By our own division, that is about 68% for the Diploma and 70% for course certificates. MINEDU adds that ten COARs, in Arequipa, Cajamarca, Ica, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima Provincias, Piura, Puno and San Martín, saw more than 70% of their Diploma candidates succeed.
Ages help with planning. MINEDU's normative ages put a student in 4th of secundaria at 15 and in 5th at 16, measured on 31 March, so a typical Peruvian Diploma student sits the final exams at 16 or 17. Inside a school week, the national curriculum gives maths four periods of 45 minutes on the regular day and six on the full day; IB schools organise their own Diploma timetables on top of that.
Our Spanish-language page for the same tutoring, tutor de IB Matemáticas en inglés, sets out the Diploma figures and the university routes for Spanish-speaking parents. For the computer science side of the Diploma, see tutor de IB Computer Science. Both describe classes that are live and in English.
AA or AI
Which IB maths course should a student in Peru take, AA or AI?
That choice belongs to the student, the school and, often, the university course the student hopes to enter. What we can give is our own description of how the two feel to study, as our course teaches them.
Analysis and Approaches
In our course, AA is the algebra-and-calculus route: proof, functions, sequences and calculus done by hand. As our course page describes it, AA includes a paper sat without a calculator, so fluent manipulation is a skill we train on purpose. It tends to suit students heading for engineering, physics, maths or economics.
Applications and Interpretation
In our course, AI leans on modelling and statistics, with the graphic display calculator used throughout. The hard part is not the algebra; it is deciding which model fits and saying in clear English what a number means. It tends to suit students heading for social sciences, biology, business or design.
SL or HL
Higher Level adds depth and an extra paper. Our honest advice is sometimes "stay at SL", when a student's other subjects need the time. The university's own entry requirements, not our view, should settle the question; check them before choosing.
A note on sources. Every description above is ours, based on our course. We could not read the IB's own subject guides for this page because ibo.org refused our request, and we did not try to get round that. For the exact syllabus, the weight of each paper and the exploration rules, the school's IB coordinator is the right person to ask.
A real lesson
What does IB maths tutoring look like? The derivative as a limit, in Python
This is a lesson we use with AA students before they meet differentiation from first principles, and with AI students who want to know what their calculator is doing. It shows a limit being approached, predicts the error with algebra, and ends with a surprise about computers.
The set-up
Take f(x) = x³ at x = 2. The derivative is 3x², so the exact gradient there is 12. A difference quotient estimates it from two nearby points: the forward quotient uses x and x + h; the central quotient uses x - h and x + h.
Version 1 computes both for h = 0.1, 0.01 and 0.001. Before running it, we ask the student to expand (2 + h)³ by hand and predict the forward quotient exactly.
The algebra that predicts it
Expanding gives a forward quotient of 12 + 6h + h², so its error shrinks in step with h. The central quotient simplifies to 12 + h², so its error shrinks with h squared: ten times smaller h, a hundred times smaller error.
When the output matches the algebra to every printed digit, the student has seen the definition of the derivative behave exactly as the theory says. That is a far stronger memory than a formula in a textbook.
Version 1: forward and central quotients approach 12Python
def f(x):
return x ** 3
x = 2 # exact gradient of x cubed at x = 2 is 3 * 2**2 = 12
for h in (0.1, 0.01, 0.001):
forward = (f(x + h) - f(x)) / h
central = (f(x + h) - f(x - h)) / (2 * h)
print(f"h={h}: forward {forward:.6f}, central {central:.6f}")
It prints h=0.1: forward 12.610000, central 12.010000, then h=0.01: forward 12.060100, central 12.000100 and h=0.001: forward 12.006001, central 12.000001, exactly 12 + 6h + h² and 12 + h².
Now the question every good student asks: if smaller h is better, why not make h tiny? Version 2 tries h from 10-4 down to 10-15 with the forward quotient.
Version 2: shrinking h until the computer pushes backPython
def f(x):
return x ** 3
x = 2
for k in (4, 8, 12, 15):
h = 10 ** -k
forward = (f(x + h) - f(x)) / h
print(f"h=1e-{k}: forward {forward:.10f}, error {abs(forward - 12):.1e}")
It prints h=1e-4: forward 12.0006000100, error 6.0e-04, h=1e-8: forward 11.9999999271, error 7.3e-08, h=1e-12: forward 12.0010668070, error 1.1e-03 and h=1e-15: forward 10.6581410364, error 1.3e+00.
The error falls until h is about 10-8, then rises again, and at 10-15 the estimate is off by more than one whole unit. The computer stores numbers to about sixteen significant digits, so subtracting two almost equal values of f throws most of those digits away. A limit is a mathematical idea, not a button you can press forever.
For an AA student this is first principles made visible, with the algebraic error terms checked by experiment. For an AI student it explains why a calculator's numerical derivative is an approximation and how to judge it. For both, it is the kind of question, "where does this method stop working?", that turns an ordinary exploration into a thoughtful one, provided the student chooses and writes it themselves.
Before the Diploma. Compute (f(2 + h) - f(2))/h by hand for f(x) = x² and h = 0.1. What number is it heading towards?
SL. Expand (2 + h)³ and show that the forward quotient equals 12 + 6h + h². Explain in English why the error is roughly proportional to h.
HL. Show that the central quotient for x³ at any x is 3x² + h². Then predict which h gives the smallest error on a computer, and test it.
AI students. Repeat Version 1 with f(x) = eˣ at x = 0, where the exact answer is 1, and report the errors in a table with one honest sentence of interpretation.
What a tutor does
What does an IB maths tutor do across the two Diploma years?
Less lecturing than parents imagine and more careful practice. A tutor's value is in the gaps a school class has no time for, and in the written English that the papers reward.
Repair the base early. Algebra, functions and trigonometry from the MYP or from secundaria are checked in the first weeks. A weak base costs marks in every later topic.
Follow the school's order. We teach topics when the school teaches them, so tutoring deepens class work instead of competing with it.
Train each paper differently. As our course teaches it, AA work includes non-calculator fluency and AI work includes efficient calculator routines. Both include writing working that an examiner can follow.
Teach the command words. "Show that", "hence", "justify" and "interpret" each ask for something specific. We practise answering exactly what was asked, in full English sentences where needed.
Support the exploration honestly. We teach the mathematics a student's idea needs, the assessment criteria and how to critique a draft of their own. We never write, edit or ghost-write the real exploration; the school's rules decide what help is allowed.
Rehearse under time. From August of the final year, full timed papers, then careful correction of every lost mark, sorted by cause: knowledge, method, reading or rushing.
Keep November calm. In the final weeks, short sessions on the student's three weakest question types, and nothing new.
One tutor stays with the student across both years. That matters in IB maths, where the same student may be confident in calculus and lost in probability, and a teacher who knows their pattern of mistakes saves months.
Peru times
What time would IB maths tutoring be in Peru?
Whenever the student's week allows. Peru keeps UTC minus 5 all year and India UTC plus 5:30, a fixed gap of 10 hours 30 minutes with no clock changes on either side. The rows below are conversions only.
Peru hours an IB student might choose, with the time in India
Peru time
India time
A typical reason
05:30
16:00
Before a long Diploma school day
06:45
17:15
A short pre-school review of yesterday's topic
13:30
00:00, next day
A free afternoon in the July break
16:00
02:30, next day
Straight after school
19:30
06:00, next day
Evening study, after other subjects
23:00
09:30, next day
Late practice in the weeks of mock exams
Clock source: the IANA tz database (America/Lima at UTC minus 5 with no daylight saving since 1994; Asia/Kolkata at UTC plus 5:30). The last column is our own illustration.
The hour is agreed on the student's clock. Because neither country changes time, an hour fixed in March holds through November's exam weeks. Extra sessions before mocks or exams can be added at short notice.
Integrity
Will an IB maths tutor do the work for my child?
No, and a tutor who would is putting the Diploma at risk. We teach students to think through problems and to own every line they submit.
The student writes
In every session the student holds the pen on the shared board. Explanations come after an attempt, not instead of one.
AI with care
Most Diploma students are under 18. Claude's consumer terms require users to be at least 18, and OpenAI requires under-18s to have a parent's permission for ChatGPT. Students who do use AI with permission should use it to test their reasoning, never to produce assessed work.
One standard, every city
A COAR student in Puno and a private-school student in Miraflores get the same tutors and the same expectations. The internet removes the distance, not the standard.
For more on Lima's bilingual and IB families, English-medium classes in Lima covers what Peruvian school gives in English and computing, and our Peru page lists every class we teach for learners in Peru.
Milestones
Milestones in IB maths tutoring
These milestones are ours. They tell a student and family where the work stands at each point of the two years, in terms more useful than a single predicted grade.
IB maths milestones (ours)
Milestone
When
The student can
1. Secure base
First weeks of year one
Handle algebra, functions and trigonometry without slips
2. Reads questions
Year one
Say what each command word asks for before starting
3. Writes working
Year one
Produce working an examiner could mark line by line
4. Judges methods
Year two
Say where a method or model stops working, as in the lesson
5. Owns the exploration
Year two, by the school's deadline
Explain every step of their own exploration aloud
6. Performs on time
August to November of year two
Finish a full paper in time and correct their own errors
For parents
Milestone 4 is the turning point. A student who asks "when does this break?" is thinking like a mathematician.
Ask your child which question type lost the most marks this month. A precise answer shows the tutoring is working.
For students
Predict before you calculate. A prediction you can check is worth more than a result you cannot.
When a method fails, write down why. That sentence is often the best line in an exploration.
Before, during and after
Nine more courses for IB students
Live and in English, with one teacher who stays with the student.
I
Before the Diploma
3rd of secundaria or MYP
IBM / PRE / 01
IGCSE maths
Cambridge Core, Extended and Additional Mathematics.
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Fees
IB maths tutoring fees for Peru
Fees are charged in US dollars to a card. The bank converts each charge into soles on the day, at its own rate, so the soles figure on your statement can vary a little month to month.
Free first class
Free
no card required
A free first class
A short check of the student's course, level and gaps
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Questions from Peru
IB maths tutor in Peru: questions and answers
Are the classes in Spanish?
No. All our classes are live, online and taught only in English, so a student who sits IB maths in English practises in the language of the exam. Tutors speak clearly, adapt to each student's pace and accent, and write key terms on the shared board.
Do you tutor both AA and AI, at SL and HL?
Yes. Our IB course covers Analysis and Approaches and Applications and Interpretation at both levels, and a tutor works on the course and level the student is actually taking.
Are you approved or endorsed by the IB?
No. We are an independent online school and are not connected with or endorsed by the International Baccalaureate, COAR, MINEDU or any school. We teach alongside the student's IB school, which teaches, sets deadlines and submits assessed work.
Will you help with the IB maths exploration?
We teach the mathematics a student's idea needs, the assessment criteria and how to critique their own draft. We never write, edit or ghost-write the exploration itself, and the school's IB coordinator decides what help is allowed.
When are the IB exams for students in Peru?
It depends on the school. MINEDU's report on COAR results refers to the November 2025 session, which fits Peru's March to December school year, but each school chooses its session. Exact paper dates for any year come from the school's IB coordinator; we do not print them here.
What time would tutoring be?
Any day, any time, flexible: choose a batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at the hour that suits your family. Peru is 10 hours 30 minutes behind India all year, so a 19:30 session in Lima is 06:00 the next morning for the tutor.
Does the IB Diploma help with university entry in Peru?
Some universities publish Diploma routes. The Universidad de Lima admits Diploma holders who apply within three years of earning it, and PUCP has a Diploma de Bachillerato route that can recognise up to 23 credits, or 36 after an extra Bachillerato year. Each university decides; we promise no admission.
Can you prepare me for a Peruvian university admission exam?
Not as an exam course: those exams are in Spanish and set by each university. Our tutoring strengthens the mathematics and the habits of careful reading and estimation underneath any exam.
When should tutoring start?
Ideally at the start of the first Diploma year, or in 3rd of secundaria for a student whose algebra needs work. Students who start in the final year can still gain a lot, but there is less time to repair the base.
How are fees paid from Peru?
By card, in US dollars; your bank converts each payment into soles. The first class is free and booking it needs no card.
In the free class the tutor asks about the student's course, level and school calendar, works through two or three short questions together, and notes where marks are being lost. Afterwards you get a plain recommendation: one to one or a group, how often, and when to start relative to the November session.
Every class is live on video with a tutor in India, and in English only. WhatsApp in English is the quickest way to reach us.
Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo
A priority demo is a full class of about 45 to 60 minutes. After the class the mentor sends a written skill report and a personal learning roadmap on WhatsApp. If you enrol, the demo fee is adjusted against your first month's fee. Share your demo Order ID with us on WhatsApp and we take it off.
