# IB Physics tutoring online > Our IB Physics tutors teach the Diploma Programme Physics course at SL and HL through live 1:1 or small-group online classes. Lessons follow the five themes of the current guide, from space, time and motion to nuclear and quantum physics, and build confidence with data-based questions, extended responses and the scientific investigation. Source: https://www.gradeupinternational.com/ib/physics Last updated: 2026-10-01 Publisher: GradeUp International (https://www.gradeupinternational.com/) Taught by: our most qualified teachers for the subject. IB Physics attracts students aiming for engineering, physics, astrophysics, architecture and computer science, and it pairs naturally with Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches. Higher Level is commonly requested for physical science and engineering degrees, though each university sets its own conditions. The current guide, first assessed in 2025, is organised into five themes: space, time and motion; the particulate nature of matter; wave behaviour; fields; and nuclear and quantum physics, with HL adding rigid body mechanics, relativity, thermodynamics, induction and quantum physics. Paper 1 combines multiple-choice questions in Paper 1A with data-based questions in Paper 1B, lasts 90 minutes at SL or two hours at HL, and contributes 36%. Paper 2 contains short-answer and extended-response questions, runs for 90 minutes at SL or two and a half hours at HL, and carries 44%. The scientific investigation supplies the final 20% at both levels. Physicists also complete a collaborative sciences project with students from other science subjects, which is required but not graded. The biggest jump from IGCSE, GCSE or MYP science is mathematical: rearranging equations, resolving vectors and handling uncertainties become routine expectations. Fields and circuits often feel abstract until students draw careful diagrams, while the move from numerical answers to explained reasoning in extended responses surprises many. We use the physics data booklet in every lesson so its equations become familiar tools, and we practise estimating orders of magnitude so answers can be sense-checked quickly. ## How is IB Physics examined? ### IB Diploma Programme Physics, 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 physics 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/physics/ ## What topics are in IB Physics? - A.1 Kinematics: Treating displacement and distance as interchangeable, especially when reading velocity–time graphs. - A.2 Forces and momentum: Drawing free-body diagrams that include forces the object exerts rather than forces acting on it. - A.3 Work, energy and power: Forgetting to account for energy dissipated to the surroundings when calculating efficiency. - A.4 Rigid body mechanics (HL): Using linear quantities where angular equivalents such as moment of inertia are required. - A.5 Galilean and special relativity (HL): Mixing up proper time and proper length, or which observer's frame measures each. - B.1 Thermal energy transfers: Confusing specific heat capacity with specific latent heat during a change of state. - B.2 Greenhouse effect: Describing the absorption and re-emission of infrared radiation vaguely instead of naming the mechanism. - B.3 Gas laws: Substituting temperatures in degrees Celsius instead of kelvin. - B.4 Thermodynamics (HL): Applying the first law with the wrong sign for work done by or on the gas. - B.5 Current and circuits: Misplacing voltmeters and ammeters, or ignoring internal resistance when it is given. - C.1 Simple harmonic motion: Not stating that acceleration is proportional to displacement and directed opposite to it. - C.2 Wave model: Confusing the directions of oscillation in transverse and longitudinal waves when sketching them. - C.3 Wave phenomena: Using the wrong path-difference condition for constructive or destructive interference. - C.4 Standing waves and resonance: Mislabelling nodes and antinodes at the open and closed ends of pipes. - C.5 Doppler effect: Shifting the observed frequency in the wrong direction for an approaching or receding source. - D.1 Gravitational fields: Measuring distance from the planet's surface rather than from its centre. - D.2 Electric and magnetic fields: Drawing field lines that cross, or that point the wrong way between charges. - D.3 Motion in electromagnetic fields: Getting the direction of the magnetic force wrong for negatively charged particles. - D.4 Induction (HL): Quoting Lenz's law without explaining what change the induced current opposes. - E.1 Structure of the atom: Describing scattering results without linking them to the nuclear model of the atom. - E.2 Quantum physics (HL): Claiming intensity, rather than frequency, decides whether photoelectrons are emitted. - E.3 Radioactive decay: Misapplying half-life when the elapsed time is not a whole number of half-lives. - E.4 Fission: Not conserving nucleon and proton numbers when completing a nuclear equation. - E.5 Fusion and stars: Misreading the reversed temperature axis of a Hertzsprung–Russell diagram. - Internal assessment: scientific investigation: Choosing a research question that cannot generate enough data points or a meaningful range. ## How do you get top marks? - In Paper 1A, eliminate options using units and limiting cases before doing any calculation. - For Paper 1B data-based questions, read axis labels and units carefully before taking values from graphs. - Show substitution into each equation, with units, so method marks survive an arithmetic slip. - Match significant figures to the data in the question rather than copying every calculator digit. - In extended responses, use precise terms such as resultant force or work done instead of everyday words. - Know where each equation sits in the data booklet so you do not waste exam time searching. ## 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 ### Should I take IB Physics at HL or SL? Take IB Physics at HL if you are planning engineering, physics or another physical science degree, because many such courses expect it, but requirements vary, so check each university's published entry requirements. SL suits students who want a solid science background without the extra HL content in rotation, relativity, thermodynamics, induction and quantum physics. Strong mathematics makes either level considerably more manageable. ### Is IB Physics hard? IB Physics is challenging for most students because it combines conceptual understanding with substantial mathematics and written explanation. The hardest parts tend to be fields, relativity at HL and extended responses that require reasoning in clear steps. Regular problem practice, careful use of the data booklet and early feedback on written answers make the course far more manageable than cramming before exams. ### What changed in the new IB Physics syllabus? The current IB Physics guide, first assessed in 2025, reorganised the content into five themes, running from space, time and motion to nuclear and quantum physics. Paper 1 now combines a multiple-choice section with a data-based section, and Paper 2 holds the short-answer and extended-response questions. Students using older revision resources should check that topics and question styles match the current guide. ### What is the IB Physics IA? The IB Physics IA is a scientific investigation that you design and carry out yourself, and it counts for 20% of the final grade at both SL and HL. You choose a focused research question, collect and process data, evaluate uncertainties and reach a justified conclusion. Tutors can help you test ideas and understand what is expected, while the investigation and report remain your own. ### How do I get a 7 in IB Physics? No approach guarantees a 7, but secure understanding of every theme, fluent calculation skills and a well-planned investigation give you a strong foundation. Practise data-based questions regularly, since they reward careful reading of graphs and tables. Mark your own past-paper answers against mark schemes to learn the expected wording, and revisit weaker themes repeatedly rather than only once. ### Do I need IB Maths AA to take IB Physics? You do not need Maths AA to take IB Physics, but you must be comfortable with algebra, trigonometry, graphs and logarithms. Students taking Maths AI can succeed in physics at either level with extra practice on rearranging equations and resolving vectors. If you are aiming for engineering, check whether your target universities also specify a particular mathematics course and level.