IB Chemistry Tutoring: HL and SL
Quick Answer
IB Chemistry is a Group 4 science offered at both Higher and Standard Level. At each level the assessment has three components: Paper 1 (36%), Paper 2 (44%) and the Internal Assessment (20%). HL covers more topics and treats them in greater depth. IB Courses offers 90-minute one-to-one online lessons at both levels.
Lesson packages
Prices are set in US dollars and charged in your local currency. Split 10 and 20-lesson packages across any subjects you like — no limit, no expiry date.
IB Chemistry is one of the most requested tutoring subjects in the Diploma Programme — less because the content is hard than because the form of answer the exam rewards is rarely practised at school. In the Paper 2 extended responses, marks go to the reasoning that is shown, not to the final number.
This page helps you settle the level question. If you already know whether you are on HL or SL, go straight to the relevant subject page for the syllabus, paper weightings and study plan.
Choose your level
IB Chemistry HL
Paper 1 36% · Paper 2 44% · IA 20%
For students heading towards medicine, pharmacy, chemical engineering or biochemistry. Covers the SL syllabus plus the HL-only material.
Go to subject pageIB Chemistry SL
Paper 1 36% · Paper 2 44% · IA 20%
For students taking chemistry as a supporting science, or consolidating before moving up to HL.
Go to subject pageWhat is the difference between IB Chemistry HL and SL?
The assessment weightings are identical at both levels; the difference is scope and depth.
| SL | HL | |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching hours | 150 hours | 240 hours |
| Additional content | None | HL-only sub-topics |
| Paper 1 | 36% | 36% |
| Paper 2 | 44% | 44% |
| Internal Assessment | 20% | 20% |
| Typical destination | Supporting science | Medicine, engineering, chemistry |
How is the IB Chemistry IA marked?
The Internal Assessment is 20% of the final grade and rests on a single independent investigation. What earns marks is not an elaborate experiment but a focused research question and visibly controlled variables.
Most marks are lost under evaluation: students report a result but never separate systematic from random error, never quantify uncertainty, and leave improvements vague. In lessons the draft is read against those criteria specifically.
You can use the free IA Grader for an estimated band. The result is an estimate and is not a substitute for official IB marking.
Why past papers alone are not enough
Working through past papers is necessary but not sufficient. The gain comes from reading the mark scheme as a marking logic rather than an answer key: which phrase carries the mark, which step can be skipped, and which term forfeits the mark when it is missing.
Every question worked in a lesson is treated this way. The aim is not to answer that question but to recognise the type when it reappears in a different session.
IB Chemistry tutoring: frequently asked questions
Is IB Chemistry HL hard?
- HL is roughly 1.6 times the size of SL in teaching hours (240 against 150). The difficulty comes less from the number of topics than from the depth of explanation the Paper 2 extended responses demand — students who revise topic by topic typically lose marks on exactly that question type.
Can I move from Chemistry SL to HL?
- Moving up depends on your school's IB coordinator and timetable; level changes can be registered with the IBO up to a published deadline. Academically the move means catching up the HL-only content, which typically takes a targeted 8-12 lesson programme.
How many lessons a week do I need?
- One 90-minute lesson a week is enough for most students. Two are advisable if there are fewer than 10 weeks to the exam session, or if the gap between your current and target grade is more than 2 points.
What does a lesson cost?
- A 90-minute one-to-one IB Chemistry lesson is 100 USD. A 10-lesson package is 970 USD and a 20-lesson package is 1,900 USD. Prices are set in US dollars and charged in your local currency.
Let's set the right chemistry plan for your level
In a free consultation we look at your current grade, exam date and target, and work out which level and how many lessons you actually need. We do not guarantee any specific IB grade.