IB Diploma · Years 12-13
IB Physics tutors
The Internal Assessment is a substantial slice of the grade and is regularly rushed. HL adds significant depth in fields and thermodynamics; the data-booklet culture means the skill assessed is selection and application rather than recall.
- USD 30-36 per hour
- One-to-one, online
- Free 1-hour trial class
What IB Diploma actually demands
Six subjects plus Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and CAS. The workload is the defining feature, and the Internal Assessments, coursework worth a substantial share of each subject grade, are what most often slip.
The most mathematical of the sciences and the one where students most often understand the concept and still lose the marks. Physics rewards precise definitions, correct units and the ability to turn a described situation into an equation.
Where IB Physics students lose marks
- Definitions written loosely: the mark scheme wants specific words and awards nothing for the general idea
- Units and significant figures dropped, which costs marks on questions that were otherwise correct
- Difficulty converting a described scenario into the right equation, especially in multi-stage questions
- Required practicals and graph analysis treated as secondary, when they carry predictable and recoverable marks
Is this the right subject at this level?
Students heading for engineering, medicine, computing or any physical science, and anyone whose grade is stuck a level below their apparent understanding, which is usually an exam-technique problem rather than a knowledge one.
What it costs
USD 30-36 per 60-minute one-to-one lesson at IB Diploma, the same rate in every city we teach in. Billed monthly against lessons actually taught, with no prepaid blocks and no minimum commitment.
Paired lessons (2 students) are USD 21-25 per student. Small group lessons (up to 6 students) are USD 15-18 per student. What each format is good for is here.
How we teach it
One-to-one, online, with a shared whiteboard. The first thing we establish is the exact syllabus the student is entered for: schools do not always publish the version they actually enter, and preparing for the wrong paper structure wastes a term.
After that the work is diagnostic: a past paper under timed conditions, marked together against the published scheme, to find out where the marks are genuinely going. That is almost always more useful than covering the syllabus again more slowly. The full process is here.
Physics: questions parents ask
My child understands physics but the grade does not show it. What is going on?
This is the most common pattern in the subject, and it is usually exam technique. Definitions must use specific wording, units and significant figures must be right, and extended answers must be structured. All three are trainable quickly, and none of them are about understanding physics better.
Does my child need A Level Maths to take A Level Physics?
It is not always a formal requirement but it is a significant advantage. The mathematical demand rises sharply at A Level, and students without Maths alongside it usually need deliberate support on the mathematical content specifically.
How important are the practical components?
More than students assume. Practical and graph-analysis questions appear reliably and the question types repeat across series, which makes them some of the most recoverable marks on the paper.