# IB Chemistry tutoring online > Our IB Chemistry tutors teach the Diploma Programme Chemistry course at SL and HL in live 1:1 or small-group online classes. Lessons follow the structure and reactivity framework of the current guide, covering bonding, energetics, kinetics, equilibrium and reaction mechanisms, with practice on data-based questions and support for the scientific investigation. Source: https://www.gradeupinternational.com/ib/chemistry Last updated: 2026-10-01 Publisher: GradeUp International (https://www.gradeupinternational.com/) Taught by: our most qualified teachers for the subject. IB Chemistry is a common choice for students heading towards medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, chemical engineering, biochemistry and veterinary science, and several of these degrees ask for it at Higher Level. The current guide, first assessed in 2025, organises content under two broad ideas, structure and reactivity, rather than a long list of separate topics. Structure explores the particulate nature of matter, bonding and classification, while reactivity asks what drives reactions, how much, how fast and how far, and by which mechanisms. External assessment uses two papers. Paper 1 pairs multiple-choice Paper 1A with data-based Paper 1B, takes 90 minutes at SL or two hours at HL and is worth 36%. Paper 2, with short-answer and extended-response items, lasts 90 minutes at SL or two and a half hours at HL and is worth 44%. The remaining 20% comes from an individual scientific investigation. A chemistry data booklet is provided in the exams, and every student contributes to the ungraded collaborative sciences project. Students who studied chemistry at IGCSE, GCSE or in the MYP know the mole and simple bonding, yet often struggle when calculations combine several steps or when explanations must refer to electrons and orbitals. Organic mechanisms and equilibrium questions can feel like memorisation until the underlying patterns of electron movement click. We practise stoichiometry until it is automatic, connect each reaction type to its mechanism, and use the data booklet to tackle enthalpy, entropy and acid–base questions confidently. ## How is IB Chemistry examined? ### IB Diploma Programme Chemistry, International Baccalaureate Organization | Paper | Duration | Marks | Weighting | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Paper 1 (Paper 1A multiple-choice + Paper 1B data-based questions) | 1 hour 30 minutes (SL) / 2 hours (HL) | | 36% (SL and HL) | | Paper 2 (short-answer and extended-response) | 1 hour 30 minutes (SL) / 2 hours 30 minutes (HL) | | 44% (SL and HL) | | Internal assessment: scientific investigation | | | 20% (SL and HL) | New guide, first assessment 2025. Teaching hours: 150 (SL) / 240 (HL). A chemistry data booklet is provided. Students also complete the collaborative sciences project, which is required but not graded. Official syllabus: https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/curriculum/sciences/chemistry/ ## What topics are in IB Chemistry? - S1.1 The particulate nature of matter: Describing changes of state without referring to particle energy and arrangement. - S1.2 The nuclear atom: Mixing up mass number and relative atomic mass when calculating isotopic abundance. - S1.3 Electron configurations: Removing electrons from the wrong sub-level when writing configurations for transition metal ions. - S1.4 The mole: Rounding intermediate values too early in multi-step calculations. - S1.5 Ideal gases: Not converting volume to cubic metres or temperature to kelvin in the ideal gas equation. - S2.1 The ionic model: Explaining the properties of ionic lattices in terms of molecules rather than ions. - S2.2 The covalent model: Predicting molecular shapes without counting lone pairs on the central atom. - S2.3 The metallic model: Mentioning delocalised electrons without explaining how they account for conductivity. - S2.4 From models to materials: Classifying a substance from one property instead of treating bonding type as a continuum. - S3.1 The periodic table: Explaining periodic trends without referring to nuclear charge and shielding. - S3.2 Functional groups: Naming organic compounds with the carbon chain numbered from the wrong end. - R1.1 Measuring enthalpy changes: Dropping the negative sign for exothermic reactions, or using the wrong mass in the heat calculation. - R1.2 Energy cycles: Reversing a Hess's law step without changing the sign of its enthalpy change. - R1.3 Energy from fuels: Leaving combustion equations unbalanced, particularly for incomplete combustion. - R1.4 Entropy and spontaneity (HL): Combining entropy in J K⁻¹ with enthalpy in kJ without converting units. - R2.1 The amount of chemical change: Identifying the limiting reactant by comparing masses rather than moles. - R2.2 The rate of chemical change: Explaining a temperature rise only through more collisions, without mentioning the proportion exceeding the activation energy. - R2.3 The extent of chemical change: equilibrium: Claiming that a catalyst shifts the position of equilibrium. - R3.1 Proton transfer reactions: Confusing strong with concentrated, or weak with dilute, when describing acids. - R3.2 Electron transfer reactions: Assigning oxidation states incorrectly and so naming the wrong species as oxidised. - R3.3 Electron sharing reactions: Omitting initiation, propagation or termination steps when describing radical substitution. - R3.4 Electron-pair sharing reactions: Drawing curly arrows that start from atoms instead of from lone pairs or bonds. - Internal assessment: scientific investigation: Planning a method that cannot collect a sufficient range of reliable data in the time available. ## How do you get top marks? - Carry units through every calculation and give the final answer to a sensible number of significant figures. - In Paper 1B, describe the trend in the data before explaining it, and quote values to support each point. - Use the data booklet for constants and enthalpy data, but know which ideas and equations you must recall yourself. - Draw curly arrows precisely, from a lone pair or bond towards an atom, because careless arrows lose marks. - When explaining, name the particles involved, such as electrons, ions or molecules, rather than just 'the substance'. - Learn what command terms such as outline, explain and deduce require so the depth of each answer fits the question. ## Fees 1:1: PKR 3,500 / AED 140 / GBP 28 per 60-minute class. Small group: PKR 12,500 per month. [All currencies](https://www.gradeupinternational.com/pricing). ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I get a 7 in IB Chemistry? There is no guaranteed path to a 7, but mastering the mole, practising data-based questions regularly and learning precise mechanistic language give you a strong foundation. Work through past papers by theme first, then under timed conditions, and rewrite weak explanations until they match mark scheme wording. A well-focused scientific investigation also matters, since it carries 20% of the grade. ### Is IB Chemistry harder than IB Biology? IB Chemistry is usually considered more mathematical than IB Biology, while biology tends to involve a larger volume of content and extended written explanation. Which feels harder depends on your strengths: confident problem-solvers often prefer chemistry, whereas strong readers and writers may find biology more natural. Many students intending to study medicine take both, so preparation matters more than the comparison. ### Do I need IB Chemistry HL for medicine? Many medical schools ask for IB Chemistry at Higher Level, but requirements vary by university and country, so check each university's published entry requirements before confirming your subjects. Some courses accept chemistry or biology at HL with the other at SL, while others expect both at HL. Making this decision early avoids having to change levels after the Diploma has started. ### What is the IB Chemistry IA? The IB Chemistry IA is an individual scientific investigation worth 20% of your final grade at both SL and HL. You develop a research question, design a method, collect and analyse data, and evaluate your conclusion. Safety, feasibility and a sufficient range of data all need attention at the planning stage. Tutors can help you refine ideas, while the design and write-up stay your own. ### How is the new IB Chemistry syllabus organised? The current IB Chemistry guide, first assessed in 2025, is organised under two frameworks: structure and reactivity. Structure covers the particulate nature of matter, models of bonding and the classification of matter, while reactivity covers energetics, the amount, rate and extent of change, and reaction mechanisms. HL students study extra content within these same headings rather than in separate options. ### How can I improve at IB Chemistry calculations? A reliable way to improve chemistry calculations is to practise a small set of core methods, such as moles, concentration, gas volumes and enthalpy, until each one is automatic. Write every step with units, check that answers are chemically sensible, and round only at the end. Mixing question types during revision builds the ability to choose the right method under exam pressure.