Cognivia Tutoring offers 1:1 IB Physics lessons at Standard and Higher Level with Archie Dyer, a second-year Theoretical Physics student at UCL who scored a 7 in HL Physics. Lessons are one hour, online on Google Meet or in person around Marylebone, London, at £45 or £55.
By Archie Dyer, founder and tutor · Last updated 11 October 2026
IB Physics, SL and HLFive themes, two exam papers and one investigation.
Taught by Archie Dyer7 in HL Physics. Second-year Theoretical Physics at UCL.
£45 online, £55 in personOne hour, 1:1. The same price at SL and HL.
The scientific investigation, tooWritten feedback within 5 days. Guidance only.
Enhanced DBS checkedArchie is the founder and the only tutor.
Free 30-minute online trialNo card needed.
What IB Physics actually is
The current Diploma Programme physics course is the one the IB labels “First assessment 2025”. In the IB’s words, physics “is concerned with an attempt to understand the natural world; from determining the nature of the atom to finding patterns in the structure of the universe.” The content is arranged in five themes, lettered A to E, and SL and HL students study the same five. HL goes further into them.
Themes
A Space, time and motion. B The particulate nature of matter. C Wave behaviour. D Fields. E Nuclear and quantum physics.
Paper 1
Two parts: Paper 1A, multiple-choice questions, and Paper 1B, data-based questions. 1.5 hours at SL, 2 hours at HL. 36% of the final grade.
Paper 2
Short-answer and extended-response questions. 1.5 hours at SL, 2.5 hours at HL. 44% of the final grade.
Exam time
3 hours in total at SL and 4.5 hours at HL. The two papers together are 80% of the grade.
Internal assessment
One scientific investigation, written up as a report of at most 3,000 words. 20% of the final grade.
Teaching hours
110 recommended hours of syllabus content at SL, 180 at HL.
How SL and HL differ
Five topics are taught only at HL: rigid body mechanics, Galilean and special relativity, thermodynamics, induction and quantum physics. The recommended hours show where the rest of the extra time goes.
Recommended teaching hours for each IB Physics theme at SL and HL
Theme
SL hours
HL hours
A Space, time and motion
27
42
B The particulate nature of matter
24
32
C Wave behaviour
17
29
D Fields
19
38
E Nuclear and quantum physics
23
39
Not stated here: calculator rules, the data booklet, mark totals and exam dates. The IB’s subject brief does not give them, so this page does not either. Your child’s school has the full subject guide and is the right place to confirm them.
Themes, hours, papers, weightings and the investigation word limit are taken from the IB’s Diploma Programme subject brief for Physics, first assessment 2025. Checked on 11 October 2026 against the most recent archived copy of the IB’s published brief; confirm the current version with your school. Cognivia Tutoring is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the IB.
Where the course asks the most
These are observations about how the course is built, drawn from the structure above, not statistics about students.
Data is examined, not just done in the lab. Paper 1B is made up of data-based questions, and the IB says the practical programme is there to help students “evaluate the impact of error and uncertainty in scientific inquiry”. Reading graphs and handling uncertainties is exam content.
Paper 2 is the largest single component. At 44%, it is worth more than Paper 1, and its extended-response questions ask for reasoning set out in writing, which is a different skill from choosing one option in four.
Fields doubles at HL. Theme D goes from 19 recommended hours to 38, the largest jump of the five. Theme E goes from 23 to 39.
The course aims at unfamiliar problems. One of the IB’s stated aims is to “develop the ability to approach unfamiliar situations with creativity and resilience”, so rehearsing only question types already seen is a poor match for what the course says it is for.
In a 1:1 lesson the hour goes wherever the student’s own difficulty is.
Help with the scientific investigation (the IA)
The internal assessment is the scientific investigation. The IB describes it as “an open-ended task in which the student gathers and analyses data in order to answer their own formulated research question”, assessed through a written report. Cognivia helps in one way only: written feedback on the student’s own draft, within 5 days.
Up to 750 words — £50, written comments only.
Up to 1,500 words — £100, including a 30-minute call.
Up to 3,000 words — £200, including a 30-minute call.
Guidance only: Archie never writes any part of the work. The student remains responsible for their own work and for the IB’s rules on academic integrity.
Lessons are with Archie Dyer, the founder of Cognivia Tutoring and its only tutor.
43 out of 45 in the IB, with 7s in HL Maths, Physics and Economics.
Second-year Theoretical Physics student at UCL (University College London), after a First in his first year.
10 A*s at IGCSE.
Tutoring for over two years, in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Economics.
Enhanced DBS checked. Based in Marylebone, London.
So the person teaching IB Physics took it at Higher Level and now studies physics at university. The course structure on this page comes from the IB’s published brief.
What he will not do is promise a grade. The IB is marked by the IB, and no tutor sits in that room.
How he teaches. In Archie’s words: “I find where the understanding actually breaks down, which is usually two or three topics further back than where the marks were lost, and we rebuild from there. I keep lessons relaxed. I would far rather a student asked me something they think is obvious than sat quietly and nodded.” The free 30-minute trial is the way to judge that for yourself: bring a topic you find difficult. There is more on the About Archie page.
Prices and practical details
IB Physics tutoring prices at Cognivia Tutoring
What
Online
In person
One 1-hour 1:1 lesson
£45
£55
5-pack — five 1-hour lessons, £15 off
£210
£260
30-minute trial lesson
Free
Online only
The price is the same for SL and HL. A 5-pack is held in a My lessons account, so the five lessons can be booked one at a time.
1 hour, 1:1. Every lesson is with Archie, built around one student. There are no group classes.
Online on Google Meet, or in person around Marylebone, London (+£10). The Meet link is in your confirmation email; times are shown in your own time zone.
Free 30-minute online trial, no card needed. A relaxed session to meet and see if it clicks.
24 hours’ notice to cancel, by email or phone. See the refund policy.
Payment by Stripe at booking. Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Full prices for every subject and level are on the pricing section of the home page. Parents receive a short note after each lesson on what was covered and what to practise next.
At Cognivia Tutoring, IB Physics lessons are £45 an hour online, or £55 an hour in person around Marylebone, London. A 5-pack of five 1-hour lessons saves £15: £210 online or £260 in person. The price is the same at SL and HL, and the 30-minute online trial is free with no card needed.
It is a larger course. The IB recommends 180 teaching hours of syllabus content at HL against 110 at SL, and HL students sit 4.5 hours of exams against 3. Five topics are taught only at HL: rigid body mechanics, Galilean and special relativity, thermodynamics, induction and quantum physics. How hard that feels depends on the student.
Two. Paper 1 has two parts, Paper 1A (multiple-choice questions) and Paper 1B (data-based questions), and is worth 36% of the final grade. Paper 2 is short-answer and extended-response questions and is worth 44%. The remaining 20% is the internally assessed scientific investigation.
Yes, as written feedback on the student’s own draft. Detailed written comments are returned within 5 days: £50 up to 750 words (written comments only), £100 up to 1,500 words and £200 up to 3,000 words, both of which include a 30-minute call. It is guidance only: Archie never writes any part of the work. See the coursework feedback page.
Yes. Lessons run on Google Meet, with the link in the confirmation email, and the booking calendar shows times in your own time zone. Students join from the UK and across Europe.
Book the free 30-minute online trial and bring a topic you find difficult. You will see how Archie explains it and whether his teaching suits you before paying anything, and no card is needed. After every paid lesson, parents receive a short note on what was covered and what to practise next, so progress stays visible.
Where to go next
The free 30-minute online trial is the simplest way to find out whether this is the right fit.
