How It Works
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Complete an application online which will be received by one of our dedicated Learning Advisors
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Our experienced Learning Advisor will review your application, and match you with the most appropriate tutor based on your application
Tutor makes contact
Once we confirm with the tutor, the tutor will make contact to organise your first session.
Have your first lesson
Our tutors will work around your schedule to organise a session whenever you would like. Only pay for tutoring you have completed.
Two kinds of GCSE tutor
Choose between top-performing recent graduates or qualified teachers. Either way, our matching process finds you a tutor based on subject, exam board, target grade and availability.
Academic Tutors
from $50 USD/hr
Top performing graduates who achieved top grades in the subject they teach.
- We accept only the top 5% of tutor applicants.
- Each tutor is chosen for their academic results, teaching ability, and connection with students.
Relatable role model: work with a tutor who is similar in age and can be a peer
Affordability: academic tutors are more cost-effective than professional tutors
First-hand experience: they sat these papers recently and know what worked
Professional Tutors
from $75 USD/hr
Current or past qualified teachers and examiners with 5+ years professional teaching experience.
- We only select highly experienced, qualified GSCE teachers.
- Every teacher is assessed on their teaching expertise, subject knowledge, and ability to engage students.
Quality assurance: trained and accredited teaching qualifications
Guaranteed track record: years of experience helping students succeed
Subject expertise: deep understanding of content and exam board requirements
Due to our international operations we quote our prices in USD. Pound amounts are an indicative conversion and you will be invoiced in USD.
Academic Tutors
from £37 GBP/hr
Top performing graduates who achieved top grades in the subject they teach.
Relatable role model: work with a tutor who is similar in age and can be a peer
Affordability: academic tutors are more cost-effective than professional tutors
First-hand experience: they sat these papers recently and know what worked
Professional Tutors
from £56 GBP/hr
Current or past qualified teachers and examiners with 5+ years professional teaching experience.
Quality assurance: trained and accredited teaching qualifications
Guaranteed track record: years of experience helping students succeed
Subject expertise: deep understanding of content and exam board requirements
Meet our GCSE Chemistry tutors
Our team is a combination of GCSE graduates who sat these exams recently and qualified teachers with years of classroom and examining experience.
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Mukul has tutored more than a thousand students (both Online and Classroom teaching in person) all over the world. He has worked as an Academic Tutor with Revision Village and Crimson Education, supporting school students for IB, A Levels, IGCSE and AP exams. Previously, he held Academic Head and Academic Director positions at Tutela Education. He had also gained experience working as a Math Instructor at The Princeton Review where he worked on improving test scores by inculcating time management skills and test taking strategies.
Mukul brings a proven track record of academic excellence, student success, and personalized instruction. With more than nine years of experience teaching Mathematics and Chemistry across international curricula and mentored students exclusively from Auckland, Berlin, Brisbane, Calgary, Chicago, Dubai, Hanoi, Jakarta, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Moscow, New Delhi, New Jersey, Perth, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Singapore, Sofia, Tashkent, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, and Zurich. He has supported students across IB, AP, A-levels, AQA, Edexcel, OCR, American, British, European Baccalaureate, IGCSE, Canadian, and NCEA curricula. These experiences have enabled him to develop an adaptable teaching style for his students and help them achieve their academic goals. He likes to take up challenges for short term assignments to prepare struggling students right before the exams. His students have been admitted to top undergraduate programmes at Cambridge, Stanford, Princeton, Cornell, Duke, Brown and many more. Mukul holds an Engineering degree in Biotechnology and worked as a Junior Scientist at a Bioelectronics startup after completing his Bachelor's. As a student, he secured 99.05 percentile on the JEE Mains exam in 2013, competing with over 1.1 million applicants. Hobbies - Playing Cricket and Football.
In class, he is always thinking from your level, putting himself in your shoes and giving you the best opinions and strategies to apply. He tries to break the ice between the student and teacher asap, so he can understand their concerns and help them in an efficient way. He will constantly push you to your limits, so that you achieve as per your capability. His lessons are full of laughter and enthusiasm. He will make sure that you learn Math in the simplest manner. He believes in his students and gets things done via them, so that his students realise their potential. He knows that every student has a unique learning pattern and never backs away from giving extra time beyond the session timings to make sure the student understands the concept entirely. He strives to see the smile on his students' faces after watching them get over their weakness. He shares a great camaraderie with his students, and makes sure they are not trying to mug up the concepts rather understand them and finally derive them, which is the only way they get to know how to apply them, where to apply them.
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Teaching provides a unique opportunity to shape lives and influence young people towards a responsible future, hence, my passion for teaching. As one with a passion for Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, I understand that many students face real challenges grasping the concepts of the subjects. Hence, teaching provides me the avenue to tackle this, while also making a contribution; giving back to the society and also challenging myself towards further growth and development. I have taught since my secondary school days; taking more than 800 students in total; at various levels (on a one-on-one basis, in groups and at mass teaching levels). I have also taught at various educational levels (secondary and tertiary) as well as to a diverse range of student ethnic backgrounds with a very high success rate in student comprehension evinced by their later performance. Having gained significant experience teaching this subject, I have a very broad understanding of what is expected of students writing the GCSEs and A-level exams. I have also prepared students for varying exams including the – 11+, 13+, 16+, and curricula - GCSE and A-levels (Edexcel, OCR, AQA), IB (SL and HL) and Scottish National with excellent results from students - most of my students achieving grades 8 and 9. My teaching success rate has been largely due to my deep and vast understanding of the subject matter, coupled with my calm, interesting and engaging manner of communication that makes even an average and uninterested student develop a desire for Maths and Science. I use diverse teaching-aids, web-resources etc. as necessary."
I hold a First Class honours degree in Chemical Engineering and a Masters degree in Advanced Chemical Engineering from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. I am also a UK Qualified Teacher with more than 4000 hours teaching/tutoring experience over a period of 15+ years. This has provided me with diverse experience necessary for tutoring different students' backgrounds with evident successes in the exams. I am hoping to be of help and assistance to any student in need.
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I am Mr. Majid S, Chemistry Teacher at the German International School Beirut, with 30 years of experience teaching Chemistry at the secondary level (Grades 10, 11 and 12). I have a great passion for Chemistry and for helping students develop strong scientific understanding, problem-solving skills, and confidence.
I teach and support students preparing for GCSE, IGCSE and A-Level Chemistry, with particular emphasis on developing the knowledge, analytical skills, mathematical techniques, and examination strategies required for success. I also have two years of direct experience teaching A-Level students.
My extensive experience teaching international Chemistry curricula has given me a strong understanding of the level and style of questions students encounter in external examinations. A-Level and IB Chemistry share considerable common ground in both content and problem-solving skills, and throughout my teaching I regularly use carefully selected questions and problems from previous A-Level examinations because of their relevance, quality, and similarity to the skills required in other rigorous international Chemistry programmes.
This experience allows me to help A-Level students not only understand Chemistry but also learn how to approach examination questions effectively. I can support students with challenging calculations, structured questions, data analysis, practical and experimental concepts, interpretation of graphs and results, organic reaction pathways, and the application of chemical principles to unfamiliar situations.
I am also passionate about computer programming and the use of technology in education, and I integrate technology and interactive resources into my teaching whenever they can make difficult concepts clearer and learning more engaging.
My approach is based on identifying each student's difficulties, strengthening any weak foundations, and then progressively developing the skills needed to tackle more demanding examination questions with confidence. Past-paper practice is an important part of this process, helping students become familiar with question styles, command words, time management, and the level of precision expected in their answers.
Whether a student needs help understanding a particular topic, strengthening calculation and problem-solving skills, revising the full course, or preparing intensively for upcoming GCSE, IGCSE or A-Level examinations, I am ready to provide structured and personalised support.
I strongly believe that Chemistry can be both understandable and enjoyable. When concepts are taught clearly and students are shown how ideas connect, their confidence increases, their examination performance improves, and they begin to appreciate Chemistry as a fascinating scientific discipline.
I look forward to helping GCSE, IGCSE and A-Level Chemistry students develop their knowledge, improve their examination technique, and work towards achieving their full potential through engaging and interactive learning sessions.
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Shanze is an academic tutor with over four years of experience supporting students across IB, AP, A Levels, IGCSE, and SAT/ACT. She holds a Bachelor of Science with Honors from New York University and has worked with students in US, UK, Canada, and China.
She tutors a wide range of subjects, including Mathematics, English, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Business and Psychology along with academic writing, research skills, and standardized test preparation. Her philosophy centers on breaking down challenging concepts into steps that feel intuitive, manageable, and genuinely understandable. Many of her students have raised their scores by more than 60%, often surpassing their own expectations.
Shanze also encourages students and parents to think intentionally about academic goals and long term growth. By aligning expectations and creating an open line of communication, she aims to make tutoring a collaborative experience that supports students beyond classroom.
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Dr Suresh Kumar is a UK QTS-qualified teacher with 12+ years of international teaching experience, specialising in Cambridge A-Level Physics and Mathematics and Cambridge IGCSE Physics and Further and Extented Mathematics. He provides personalised tuition focused on conceptual understanding, problem-solving, exam technique and examination preparation, with extensive experience supporting students to meet Cambridge assessment requirements and achieve their academic goals. His Differential approach and scaffolded works are tailored to meet the student requirements.
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I have overall 10+ years of experience teaching various streams, ranging from IGCSE and A level. I teach both Cambridge and Edexcel A level Mathematics. I have thousands of hours of teaching A level and SAT students across the globe with amazing students and parents' feedback. Other than teaching, I use mathematical equations to sketch faces, shapes on geogebra which helps students to relate Math with Art.
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Samuel has three masters degrees - MSc Energy and Sustainable Management, MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering and LLM International Business and Commercial Law. Samuel's first degree was in BSc Petrochemical Engineering (First Class). Samuel is also a Qualified Teacher in the UK and has been teaching for over 10 years. Samuel also has several years of examining experience, and hence highly specialised and skilled in tutoring students. Samuel had A in mathematics, A in chemistry, A Biology and A in Physics. Samuel has been an A Level Maths and Further Mathematics Examiner since 2024. I tutor A Level and Further Mathematics as well as Chemistry, Physics and Biology.
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Giles graduated from university with a BSc in Physics and Electronics and later went on to an MA in Education focussing on mathematics and literacy. He worked in electronics and software before moving on to teaching. Now he works mostly as a tutor focussing on inspiring understanding of mathematics at all levels. He have been an examiner for GCE A-level and IAL Maths for 10 years with Pearson Edexcel. Mathematics should be fun, and Giles aims is to inspire interest and understanding of the concepts involved and how they link together. He has a great relationship with his students and gets glowing reviews.
The tutors you see here are just a selection from our team of hundreds of tutors, please contact our Learning Advisors to discuss tutoring options
Why GCSE Chemistry needs the right tutor
What makes GCSE Chemistry hard
GCSE Chemistry asks students to work at three levels at once: what they can see happening in a test tube, what the particles are doing, and how to write it in formulae and equations. A student who can describe a reaction often cannot yet explain it in terms of electrons, or balance the equation for it, and a single question can move between all three. There is also a large amount of exact recall: tests for ions and gases, colours, reaction conditions and definitions that have to be stated precisely to earn the mark.
Other things that make it hard:
- Mole calculations, concentrations and reacting masses, where the method has to be set out and units carried through
- Writing and balancing equations, including ionic equations and half equations for the top grades
- Explaining properties from structure and bonding, for example why one substance conducts electricity and another does not
- Questions on practical methods such as titration, salt preparation, electrolysis and rates experiments, including errors and improvements
- Six-mark extended answers that need a logically ordered explanation rather than a list of facts
How tutoring changes the outcome
Our Chemistry tutors work from your board's own past papers, mark schemes and examiners' reports, so students learn the exact wording and working that earn the marks. Sessions target where Chemistry marks are actually lost:
- calculations with no working or units, so no method marks can be given when the final answer is wrong
- equations with incorrect formulae or charges, or that do not balance
- explanations of bonding and properties that describe rather than explain, or confuse atoms, ions and molecules
- practical questions on methods, observations and improvements for experiments the student has only read about
What you'll learn in GCSE Chemistry tutoring
Core skills developed
Every GCSE Chemistry specification tests the same progression: knowing the chemistry, applying it, and analysing and evaluating information and experimental evidence. On AQA, OCR, Edexcel and WJEC, the split is about 40% knowledge, 40% application and 20% analysis and evaluation, and OCR and WJEC state that at least 20% of the marks assess mathematical skills. Edexcel International uses the same broad 40/40/20 split. Cambridge puts 50% on knowledge with understanding, 30% on handling information and problem-solving and 20% on experimental skills, all examined in its practical paper, and OxfordAQA adds a fourth objective, selecting, describing and evaluating scientific procedures, worth about 10%. We work through past-paper questions objective by objective, so you can see which skill is costing you marks rather than just seeing a lower total.
- Quantitative chemistry: moles, reacting masses, concentrations and percentage yield
- Writing and balancing formulae and equations, including ionic equations
- Explaining properties and reactions from structure, bonding and position in the Periodic Table
- Practical techniques: titration, chromatography, electrolysis, salt preparation and tests for ions
- Analysing data and evaluating methods, including errors, reliability and improvements
How are students assessed
Chemistry is assessed almost entirely by written exams. AQA, OCR, Edexcel and OxfordAQA set compulsory practicals, but the marks come from exam questions about them, and Edexcel International examines experimental skills in its two written papers. Cambridge examines practical skills in a paper of their own worth 20%: either Paper 5, a hands-on Practical Test, or Paper 6, a written Alternative to Practical. WJEC in Wales is the only board with a practical unit, worth 10%, carried out in school and marked by WJEC. Most courses are linear, with every paper sat in one series at the end, but WJEC is unitised and Edexcel International's modular 4XCH1 lets students sit and resit each unit separately.
- Multiple-choice and short-answer questions: drilled against real past papers for speed and exact terminology
- Calculations and data questions: setting out working so that method marks are kept even when the final answer is wrong
- Practical and six-mark questions: rehearsed and rewritten until each step is linked and an examiner could award full marks
What GCSE Chemistry topics do we cover?
OxfordAQA GCSE Chemistry
Ten sections examined in two papers taken in the same series at the end of the course, in May/June or November. Paper 1 and Paper 2 are each 1 hour 30 minutes and 90 marks, worth 50% each, with structured and open questions, and either paper can assess any part of the specification. There are no tiers, and grades 9–1 are available to everyone.
- 3.1 Atomic structure and the periodic table
- 3.2 Structure, bonding and the properties of matter
- 3.3 Chemical changes
- 3.4 Chemical analysis
- 3.5 Acids, bases and salts
- 3.6 Quantitative chemistry
- 3.7 Trends within the periodic table
- 3.8 The rate and extent of chemical change
- 3.9 Energy changes
- 3.10 Organic chemistry
OxfordAQA's specification overlaps with AQA's UK GCSE Chemistry but adds a fourth assessment objective, the ability to select, describe and evaluate scientific procedures, worth about 10% and weighted more heavily in Paper 2. Its five required practicals, including electrolysis of copper sulfate solution, flame tests and an acid-base titration, are examined in the written papers. Sessions on this board practise procedure questions on every required practical and prepare both papers across the whole specification.
WJEC GCSE Chemistry
WJEC GCSE Chemistry is offered in Wales; Eduqas no longer offers a GCSE in Chemistry in England. The course is unitised. Unit 1 and Unit 2 are each a 1 hour 45 minute written exam worth 80 marks and 45% of the qualification, set at Foundation or Higher tier and sat in the summer series. Unit 3: Practical Assessment, worth 10% (30 marks), is untiered and takes place in school in the first half of the spring term, then is marked by WJEC. WJEC has said the current separate science GCSEs remain available until summer 2031.
Unit 1: Chemical Substances, Reactions and Essential Resources
- 1.1 The nature of substances and chemical reactions
- 1.2 Atomic structure and the Periodic Table
- 1.3 Water
- 1.4 The ever-changing Earth
- 1.5 Rate of chemical change
- 1.6 Limestone
Unit 2: Chemical Bonding, Application of Chemical Reactions and Organic Chemistry
- 2.1 Bonding, structure and properties
- 2.2 Acids, bases and salts
- 2.3 Metals and their extraction
- 2.4 Chemical reactions and energy
- 2.5 Crude oil, fuels and organic chemistry
- 2.6 Reversible reactions, industrial processes and important chemicals
WJEC grades on the A* to G scale used in Wales, not 9 to 1. Unit 3 has two sections: obtaining results in a group (6 marks) and individually analysing and evaluating them under supervision (24 marks). WJEC has amended Unit 3 for students starting the course in September 2026, to follow the practical approach of the new GCSE The Sciences (Double Award); Units 1 and 2 are unchanged. Sessions on this board prepare the analysis and evaluation section of Unit 3 as carefully as the written units.
IAL GCSE Chemistry
Four topics examined in two untiered papers taken in the same series at the end of the course, in June or November. Paper 1 (2 hours, 110 marks, 61.1%) assesses the core content. Paper 2 (1 hour 15 minutes, 70 marks, 38.9%) assesses all the content, including the bold statements with a C reference that go beyond the Science (Double Award). Every student sits the same papers, graded 9–1. Pearson also offers a modular version, 4XCH1, first examined in June 2025: two units, each 1 hour 40 minutes, 90 marks and 50%, that can be sat and resat in any order in June and November.
1 Principles of chemistry
- (a) States of matter
- (b) Elements, compounds and mixtures
- (c) Atomic structure
- (d) The Periodic Table
- (e) Chemical formulae, equations and calculations
- (f) Ionic bonding
- (g) Covalent bonding
- (h) Metallic bonding
- (i) Electrolysis
2 Inorganic chemistry
- (a) Group 1 (alkali metals): lithium, sodium and potassium
- (b) Group 7 (halogens): chlorine, bromine and iodine
- (c) Gases in the atmosphere
- (d) Reactivity series
- (e) Extraction and uses of metals
- (f) Acids, alkalis and titrations
- (g) Acids, bases and salt preparations
- (h) Chemical tests
3 Physical chemistry
- (a) Energetics
- (b) Rates of reaction
- (c) Reversible reactions and equilibria
4 Organic chemistry
- (a) Introduction
- (b) Crude oil
- (c) Alkanes
- (d) Alkenes
- (e) Alcohols
- (f) Carboxylic acids
- (g) Esters
- (h) Synthetic polymers
Because Paper 2 is the only paper that tests the C-referenced content, students who revise only the core lose marks there. Practical investigations are written into the content as specification points in italics and examined in both papers, with experimental skills, analysis and evaluation worth about 20% of the marks. Sessions on this board give the C-referenced content dedicated time and practise questions on every practical investigation.
EDEXCEL GCSE Chemistry
Nine topics examined in two papers sat in May/June of the same year, both at Foundation or both at Higher tier. Paper 1 covers Topics 1–5 and Paper 2 covers Topic 1 and Topics 6–9. Each is a 1 hour 45 minute written exam worth 100 marks and 50% of the qualification, with multiple-choice, short-answer, calculation and extended open-response questions. Students must complete eight mandatory core practicals.
- Topic 1: Key concepts in chemistry
- Topic 2: States of matter and mixtures
- Topic 3: Chemical changes
- Topic 4: Extracting metals and equilibria
- Topic 5: Separate chemistry 1
- Topic 6: Groups in the periodic table
- Topic 7: Rates of reaction and energy changes
- Topic 8: Fuels and Earth science
- Topic 9: Separate chemistry 2
Topic 1, Key concepts in chemistry, is examined on both papers, so formulae, equations, bonding and mole calculations come up throughout. Topics 5 and 9 hold the separate-chemistry content, such as transition metals, alloys and corrosion, and the core practicals include an accurate acid-alkali titration and identifying the ions in unknown salts. Sessions on this board build Topic 1 skills from the start and link each core practical to the questions set on it.
OCR GCSE Chemistry
OCR offers two GCSE Chemistry specifications, and each school chooses one. Both are linear and tiered: students sit two papers at Foundation tier (grades 5–1) or two at Higher tier (grades 9–4), each 1 hour 45 minutes, 90 marks and 50% of the GCSE, all in the same May/June series. Practical skills are examined in the papers, and learners must complete at least eight practicals covering OCR's Practical Activity Groups. We match tutors to the specification code on your exam entry.
Chemistry A (Gateway Science) · J248
- Topic C1: Particles
- Topic C2: Elements, compounds and mixtures
- Topic C3: Chemical reactions
- Topic C4: Predicting and identifying reactions and products
- Topic C5: Monitoring and controlling chemical reactions
- Topic C6: Global challenges
- Topic C7: Practical skills
Chemistry B (Twenty First Century Science) · J258
- Chapter C1: Air and water
- Chapter C2: Chemical patterns
- Chapter C3: Chemicals of the natural environment
- Chapter C4: Material choices
- Chapter C5: Chemical analysis
- Chapter C6: Making useful chemicals
- Chapter C7: Ideas about Science
- Chapter C8: Practical Skills
On Gateway, the first paper of each tier covers Topics C1–C3 and the second covers Topics C4–C6, with C1–C3 assumed and synoptic questions included. Twenty First Century Science teaches chemistry through contexts and splits each tier into a Breadth paper of short-answer questions and a Depth paper with at least two 6-mark extended response questions, both drawing on all eight chapters. Sessions on this board follow your specification's order and, for J258, give the Depth paper's extended answers dedicated practice.
AQA GCSE Chemistry
Ten topics plus a Key ideas section, examined in two papers sat at the end of the course. Paper 1 covers Topics 1–5 and Paper 2 covers Topics 6–10, and Paper 2 can also draw on the fundamental ideas in sections 4.1 to 4.3. Each paper is a 1 hour 45 minute written exam worth 100 marks and 50% of the GCSE, set at Foundation or Higher tier, with multiple-choice, structured, closed short-answer and open-response questions. Students carry out eight required practicals, and questions drawing on them count for at least 15% of the marks.
- 4.1 Atomic structure and the periodic table
- 4.2 Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter
- 4.3 Quantitative chemistry
- 4.4 Chemical changes
- 4.5 Energy changes
- 4.6 The rate and extent of chemical change
- 4.7 Organic chemistry
- 4.8 Chemical analysis
- 4.9 Chemistry of the atmosphere
- 4.10 Using resources
- 4.11 Key ideas
AQA states that sections 4.1 to 4.3, atomic structure, bonding and quantitative chemistry, underpin much of the rest of the course, so weaknesses there cost marks on both papers. Higher tier content is marked HT only throughout the specification, and the required practicals and their content are shared with AQA Combined Science: Trilogy, which makes moving between the courses straightforward. Sessions on this board secure Topics 1–3 early and work through each required practical the way the papers ask about it.
CIE GCSE Chemistry
Twelve topics, with Core content for all candidates and Supplement content for Extended candidates. Everyone sits three papers: a 45-minute paper of 40 multiple-choice questions (30%), a 1 hour 15 minute theory paper of short-answer and structured questions (80 marks, 50%) and a practical paper (40 marks, 20%). Core candidates take Papers 1 and 3 and Extended candidates take Papers 2 and 4. 0620 is graded A* to G and 0971 is graded 9 to 1. Exams run in June and November, with a March series in India for 0620. Cambridge has republished the syllabus for 2029 with no significant changes that affect teaching.
- 1 States of matter
- 2 Atoms, elements and compounds
- 3 Stoichiometry
- 4 Electrochemistry
- 5 Chemical energetics
- 6 Chemical reactions
- 7 Acids, bases and salts
- 8 The Periodic Table
- 9 Metals
- 10 Chemistry of the environment
- 11 Organic chemistry
- 12 Experimental techniques and chemical analysis
Cambridge examines practical skills directly. Paper 5 is a hands-on Practical Test in the laboratory (1 hour 15 minutes) and Paper 6 is a written Alternative to Practical (1 hour). Both test the same experimental skills, both are worth 20%, and notes for qualitative analysis are provided in both, so identifying ions and gases from test results is a regular feature. Your school decides which one you sit. Sessions on this board give the practical paper regular timed practice alongside the theory.
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GCSE Chemistry tutoring for both tiers
Whichever tier you are entered for, we match you with a tutor who knows those papers and the grades they lead to. Not sure which tier is right? Your tutor will help you decide before entries close.
Foundation (or core) tier tutoring
Foundation papers cover most of the same topics without the Higher-only content, and the highest grade available is a 5.
- Secure the core topics, from atomic structure to rates of reaction
- Learn the required practicals, which England’s boards draw on for at least 15% of the marks
- Build confidence with formulae, equations and simple calculations
Higher (or extended) tier tutoring
Higher papers add Higher-only content and open grades up to a 9, but on UK boards a result below a 3 is ungraded.
- Master the Higher-only content, such as moles calculations and half equations
- Multi-step calculations, laid out to earn method marks
- Six-mark extended answers, structured the way examiners mark them
We teach Foundation and Higher for AQA, OCR, Edexcel and WJEC, Core and Extended for Cambridge IGCSE, and the untiered Edexcel International GCSE and OxfordAQA courses.
FAQs
We have answers to your most frequently asked questions. Anything not answered here, please reach out to our team.
Yes. Our GCSE Chemistry tutors teach both tiers on AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC, and Core and Extended for Cambridge IGCSE. On Foundation, lessons secure the core topics and the required practicals. On Higher, they add the Higher-only content, such as moles calculations and half equations, and the six-mark extended answers that decide the top grades. If your child is between tiers, their tutor will help you choose before entries close.
On AQA, OCR and Pearson Edexcel, Foundation covers grades 1–5 and Higher covers 4–9. A Higher student who narrowly misses grade 4 can be given an allowed grade 3, but below that the result is U. In June 2026 the Higher grade 4 boundary was 43 out of 200 on AQA and 55 on Pearson Edexcel, so it pays to check where your mock marks sit against your own board. Anyone who needs a 6 or 7 for A-Level Chemistry has to sit Higher, while students working below grade 4 are usually safer on Foundation. On Cambridge IGCSE, Core is capped at grade C and Extended runs from A* to G, so a weaker Extended paper still earns a grade; Edexcel International GCSE is untiered. Schools usually decide the tier after mocks, so ask early. Sources: AQA and Pearson.
GCSE Chemistry means the UK specifications from AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel or WJEC, while IGCSE Chemistry means Cambridge IGCSE 0620 (0971 on the 9–1 scale) or Edexcel International GCSE 4CH1. The main differences are tiering and practical assessment. The UK GCSEs are tiered and examine required practicals inside the written papers; Edexcel International is untiered, so every grade is open to everyone; and Cambridge has Core and Extended papers plus a separate practical paper worth 20%. The core content of atomic structure, bonding, quantitative chemistry and organic chemistry is very similar on all of them. Universities and sixth forms accept both. The UK GCSE is sat in May and June only, while Cambridge IGCSE and Edexcel International GCSE also run a full November series, which suits students outside the UK and anyone who needs a resit. Read more about online IGCSE tutoring.
Each sixth form and college sets its own entry requirements, so check the prospectus of the one you're applying to. As a guide, most ask for at least a grade 6 in GCSE Chemistry, or 6-6 in Combined Science, for A-Level Chemistry, and selective schools often ask for a 7. Most also ask for a grade 6 in GCSE Maths, because A-Level Chemistry relies heavily on calculations. You need the Higher tier, because Foundation caps the grade at 5. If you take Cambridge IGCSE on the A*–G scale, a grade A is broadly equivalent to a 7 and a C to a 4, the points that were aligned when the 9–1 scale was introduced (GOV.UK grading factsheets), so a requirement of grade 6 usually means a strong B. See A-Level Chemistry.
GCSE Chemistry tutoring with an academic tutor costs from $50 USD (£38) per hour, and packages save 5–15%, which suits steady weekly lessons through Years 10 and 11, then extra past paper sessions before mocks and the summer exams. Pay as you go is invoiced after each lesson, with no lock-in contracts. Professional tutors (qualified teachers and examiners) cost from $75 USD (£56) per hour. See pricing.
Late cancellations and no-shows are charged at half the lesson fee. That applies if you cancel less than one hour before the start time, or don't turn up. You can still change a session time whenever you need to, as long as you give your tutor notice.
Our academic tutors are high-achieving graduates and undergraduates who scored in the top band in Chemistry themselves, and our professional tutors are qualified teachers or examiners with 5+ years' experience. We accept only the top 5% of applicants. You are matched to a tutor who knows your board, so they can spot the calculation types your board repeats, explain bonding and electrolysis clearly, and rehearse every required practical in your specification. Read more about our GCSE tutors and how we select tutors.
Lessons are one-to-one and online, with a tutor matched to GCSE Chemistry, your exam board and your target grade. Each session works on your weakest areas using past paper questions from your own board, whether that is AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel, Edexcel International GCSE or Cambridge IGCSE 0620. For Chemistry that usually means mole and concentration calculations set out step by step, balanced and ionic equations drilled until they are automatic, and every required practical rehearsed until method questions are straightforward. See how it works or start with the student application.
Chemistry is often rated the hardest of the three sciences because it combines abstract ideas with calculation. Students need to picture what happens to particles in bonding, electrolysis and rates of reaction, write balanced and ionic equations accurately, and handle moles and concentration calculations, with at least 20% of the marks testing maths skills. Higher tier questions often set the calculation in an unfamiliar context, which is where most marks are lost. Our online GCSE tutoring focuses on exactly those areas.
In summer 2026, 14.7% of GCSE Chemistry entries in England achieved a grade 9 and 47.0% achieved a 7 or above (JCQ), from 159,731 entries. Those figures reflect a strong cohort, because separate Chemistry is mostly taken in triple science sets. Internationally, 22.8% of Edexcel International GCSE Chemistry candidates achieved a 9 (provisional figures from Pearson), and 16.9% of Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry candidates achieved an A* (Cambridge). A 9 needs confident calculations, accurate equations and extended answers that explain observations rather than just describe them.
Grade boundaries are set after each exam series and change every year, so older figures are only a guide. In June 2026, AQA's Higher tier grade 9 boundary for Chemistry was 155 out of 200 (78%), and Pearson Edexcel's was 165 out of 200 (83%). Grade 4 on Higher needed 43 marks on AQA and 55 on Pearson Edexcel. Edexcel International GCSE 4CH1 set grade 9 at 141 out of 180 (78%), or 150 on the alternative R papers used in some time zones, and Cambridge IGCSE 0620's Extended A* threshold was 168 to 175 out of 200 (84–88%), depending on the paper variant. Sources: AQA, Pearson, Pearson International and Cambridge.
There is no coursework, but practical work is compulsory. On AQA you complete eight required practicals, on Pearson Edexcel eight core practicals and on OCR at least eight practical activities, and the written exams then ask about them, for example on method, variables, errors and results. Cambridge IGCSE examines practical skills in a separate paper worth 20%: either Paper 5, a hands-on Practical Test, or Paper 6, a written Alternative to Practical. WJEC in Wales has a practical unit worth 10%, carried out in school and marked by WJEC. See the Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry 0620 syllabus.
GCSE Chemistry is assessed by written exams, with no coursework. On AQA, OCR and Pearson Edexcel you sit two papers of 1 hour 45 minutes, each worth 50%, at either Foundation or Higher tier, all at the end of the course. Edexcel International GCSE 4CH1 is untiered, with a 2-hour Paper 1 (61.1%) and a 1 hour 15 minute Paper 2 (38.9%). Cambridge IGCSE 0620 sets a multiple-choice paper (30%), a theory paper (50%) and a practical paper (20%), at Core or Extended. See the AQA specification.
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