Becoming an online IB physics tutor means working with some of the most demanding students in secondary education. IB Physics students are often heading for engineering, medicine or physics at university, and their families want a tutor who knows the course in detail, including the syllabus first assessed in 2025. If you teach physics, hold a physics or engineering degree, or took IB Physics HL yourself, this guide covers what families expect and what changed in the new syllabus. It also covers guiding the Internal Assessment and how to apply to Tutopiya.

Key takeaways

• IB DP Physics drew 9 trial requests on Tutopiya in March to early June 2026, the second-largest IB subject.
• The current syllabus (first assessed 2025) uses five themes, two exam papers and no options.
• The IA is a scientific investigation worth 20%. Tutors guide it within IB academic-integrity rules.
• Families expect course-specific knowledge: HL vs SL, command terms and data-based questions.
• You set your starting rate and keep 100% of it. Tutopiya’s commission is added on top.

Is there demand for online IB physics tutors?

Yes. Between March and early June 2026, IB DP Physics drew 9 trial requests on Tutopiya, with students in China, Singapore and the UAE. Many IB physics students also take IB Maths AA, so tutors who teach both reach more families.

See current demand and apply on the IB Physics tutor jobs page. All IB subjects are listed on the IB DP tutor jobs hub.

What the current IB Physics course looks like

The IB Diploma Programme Physics syllabus, first assessed in 2025, organises content into five themes: space, time and motion; the particulate nature of matter; wave behaviour; fields; and nuclear and quantum physics. HL students study additional content within these themes. External assessment is two papers. Paper 1 combines multiple-choice questions (1A) with data-based questions (1B), and Paper 2 has short and extended responses. The Internal Assessment is a scientific investigation worth 20% of the grade. The IB summarises the programme on ibo.org, and schools have access to the full subject guide.

Old vs new IB Physics: what tutors need to update

	Previous syllabus (last assessed 2024)	Current syllabus (first assessed 2025)
Structure	Core topics plus one option	Five themes, no options
Papers	Paper 1 MCQ, Paper 2, Paper 3 (data and option)	Paper 1 (1A MCQ + 1B data-based), Paper 2
IA	Individual investigation, 20%	Scientific investigation, 20% (collaboration allowed in some stages)
What to check	Old past papers still useful for practice	Use specimen and 2025-onward papers for format

If you learned or taught the old course, older past papers are still useful for practising physics, but use specimen and recent papers to practise the format.

Who makes a good IB physics tutor?

Background	Fit	What strengthens your profile
IB physics teacher	Excellent	HL/SL taught; students’ scores; IB workshops
IB examiner or IA moderator	Excellent	Mention it clearly
A Level physics teacher	Strong, after IB preparation	Learn the themes, command terms and Paper 1B style
Physics or engineering graduate or PhD	Good	Show you can teach at pre-university level
IB alumnus with a 7 in Physics HL	Welcome	Your own scores

How to become an online IB physics tutor: step by step

1. Learn the current syllabus. Read the themes and the HL extensions, and work through specimen papers.
2. Practise data-based questions. Paper 1B is new and many students find it hard.
3. Know the IA criteria so you can give students useful feedback.
4. Create your Tutopiya profile. It takes about 15 minutes over 10 stages. Write “IB DP Physics HL/SL (2025 syllabus)” precisely.
5. Record an intro video that explains one concept, for example why satellites don’t fall.
6. Choose a plan: Essential (SGD 10/month), Professional (SGD 20 for 3 months) or Professional Annual (SGD 90/year).
7. Get approved (usually within 24 hours) and open evening slots for Asia and the Gulf.

What makes a great online IB physics tutor

Great IB physics tutors teach students to reason from principles when the question looks unfamiliar, because IB questions often do. In a trial, choose a data-based question, ask the student what the graph shows before any calculation, then build the answer together. Students who learn to “read the physics” first improve quickly.

For the IA, help students sharpen their research question and understand the criteria, then give feedback on their drafts. The work, data and writing must be their own. If you also teach maths, read our guide to becoming an IB maths tutor. For physics at A Level, see how to become an online A-Level physics tutor.

A sample 1-hour IB physics trial lesson

Every Tutopiya trial lesson is one hour and unpaid, so make every minute show the family what regular lessons with you would be like. Here’s a structure that works:

1. Minutes 0–5: Goals. SL or HL, year, upcoming tests and IA status.
2. Minutes 5–15: Diagnostic. One calculation, one concept question and one data-based question.
3. Minutes 15–35: Read the physics. Take a data-based question and interpret the graph before any calculation.
4. Minutes 35–45: Command terms. Show the difference between “determine”, “estimate” and “explain” on a real question.
5. Minutes 45–60: Plan. Outline the next few weeks and any IA milestones. Leave time for the parent’s questions.

Keep your camera on, write clearly, and send a short summary to the student afterwards.

How tutoring with Tutopiya works

Tutopiya provides 1-on-1 online tutoring for Cambridge IGCSE, Edexcel IGCSE, IB and International A Level students. Tutors set their starting hourly rate and keep all of it, because Tutopiya’s 40–50% commission is added on top and paid by the student. Later rate changes are requested through Tutopiya, which approves them at its discretion. You add free slots, Tutopiya converts time zones and matches students to you, and you’re paid on the 15th of each month for the previous month’s lessons. Trial lessons are unpaid. Every plan includes Microsoft Teams, past papers, learning resources, AI tools and free teacher training. Read more on the Tutopiya Become a Tutor page.

Common mistakes new IB physics tutors make

• Teaching the old syllabus. Options and Paper 3 are gone. Teach the current structure.
• Ignoring Paper 1B. Data-based questions need dedicated practice.
• Overstepping on the IA. Guide; never write or analyse data for the student.
• Skipping command terms. “Determine”, “estimate”, “deduce” and “explain” each mean something specific.
• Too much university-level depth. Teach to the IB guide.

Talk to us

Apply on the IB Physics tutor jobs page. Questions? Contact the Tutopiya team.

Frequently asked questions

What changed in the IB Physics syllabus? +

The IB introduced a new Diploma Programme Physics syllabus for first assessment in 2025. Content is organised into five themes, the option topics were removed, and external assessment is now two papers, with Paper 1 combining multiple-choice and data-based questions. The Internal Assessment remains a scientific investigation worth 20%.

Do I need IB teaching experience to tutor IB Physics? +

It's the strongest qualification, but not the only route. A physics or engineering degree combined with A Level or IGCSE teaching can work if you learn the IB guide, the command terms and the paper style. Be clear on your profile about which syllabus you've taught.

Is there demand for IB Physics tutors? +

Yes. IB DP Physics drew 9 trial requests on Tutopiya between March and early June 2026, with students in China, Singapore and the UAE. It's the second-largest IB subject on the platform after IB Maths.

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