One-to-one online IB Chemistry tutoring for SL and HL students across the UAE, from Sharjah to Abu Dhabi. IB teachers and specialists with examiner experience help with the calculations, the data-based questions and the investigation in the new Structure and Reactivity course, especially for students who need Chemistry HL for medicine. Lessons fit around school on Gulf time, from £58 (~285 AED) an hour.
Our Chemistry tutors are specialists with examiner experience, DP Chemistry teachers and graduates with a 7 in the subject, chosen for your level and for whether you need theory, calculations or lab skills.
IB Chemistry Tutor20+ years' teaching
I’m an IB Chemistry teacher and examiner with over 20 years of experience in international education, including Robert College, Koç School, and a Fulbright Exchange year in the U.S. I’ve also been tutoring with Lanterna for two years. I graded 340 HL Paper 2 scripts for the May 2025 IB Chemistry exam, giving me unique insight into what examiners look for.
IB Chemistry TutorIA moderator10+ years' teaching
I’m Pratik, an experienced IB Chemistry educator, IB examiner, and IB Internal Assessment (IA) moderator with nearly 13 years of international teaching experience across India and China. My recent experience includes teaching IB DP and MYP Chemistry at Mahindra International School, where I also served as an MYP Personal Project Coordinator.
IB Chemistry TutorIA moderator10+ years' IB teaching
I’m Anita, and I have been teaching IB Diploma Chemistry for nearly 14 years. I also serve as an IBDP Examiner as well as IA Moderator— roles that have not only broadened my understanding of the IB curriculum but also allowed me to contribute to its ongoing development. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working at some of the most prestigious international schools in Dubai, UAE, which has deepened my subject expertise and given me the opportunity to engage with students of diverse abilities and cultural backgrounds. Many of the schools I’ve worked with—such as Dubai International Academy, Emirates Hills where I’ve spent a significant part of my career, are recognized for their exceptionally high standards —an environment that has continually pushed me to elevate both my teaching practices and my expectations of student performance. My students find my classes focused, supportive, and exam oriented. I always strive to bring out the best in every student I teach, and the most fulfilling part of my work is guiding students to find strategies that suit their learning styles, witnessing their confidence develop, and celebrating their success as they secure admission to their chosen universities.
IB Chemistry TutorDP coordinator16+ years' teaching
I’m Harish, an experienced IB educator and Diploma Programme Coordinator with over 16 years of international teaching and leadership experience. I specialize in guiding students through the IB Diploma Programme, particularly in Chemistry, Theory of Knowledge (TOK), and the Extended Essay (EE). I hold a Master’s degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of Missouri, and a PGCEi (Distinction) from the University of Nottingham, UK. Over the years, I’ve taught and mentored hundreds of IB students in schools across Asia, helping them achieve academic success and confidence in their learning journey. My professional experience includes curriculum leadership, examiner training, and mentoring teachers as part of the IB Educator Network (IBEN). As a tutor, I focus on conceptual understanding, critical thinking, and effective exam preparation, helping students connect ideas across subjects and express their thinking clearly. I believe in creating a supportive and reflective learning environment where students feel empowered to take ownership of their progress. Outside the classroom, I enjoy travelling, exploring different cultures, and reading about education and philosophy. I also love connecting chemistry and TOK ideas to real-world issues that inspire curiosity and insight.
IB Chemistry TutorHead of Science13+ years' teachingCohort average of 6.4
I hold a master’s degree in Organic Chemistry, an International Teaching Diploma, and a certification in Teaching and Learning from Harvard University. I have successfully guided IB students to outstanding results, with my recent cohort achieving an average Chemistry score of 6.4 compared to the world average of 4.6.
IB Chemistry TutorIB curriculum reviewerIB workshop leader
I specialize in IBDP Chemistry, MYP Science, and IGCSE Chemistry, and currently serve as the Science Coordinator at Cambridge College Lima, Peru. With the IB, I work as an IBDP Chemistry and World Studies Examiner, Workshop Leader, and IBDP Chemistry Curriculum Reviewer.
“Marlen is exceptionally knowledgeable in the content area, and she is able to break the material down and organize it in a way that promotes learning. Marlen is also able to ask good questions to sort out where the student is struggling, and then identify areas to reteach, or provide more practice opportunities. We have been so lucky to meet Marlen!”
“After receiving a 2 in my Chemistry exam in May, i believed I would never be able to comprehend Chemistry as no matter how hard I would try, it would just go through one ear and out the other. However, my incredible Chemistry tutor Esteban has completely changed that for me.”
“The people at Lanterna were so kind and understanding of my situation, and helped me find a suitable online tutor - who tailored his sessions so that he could help me with my subjects and assignments in the best way possible. I ended up with a score of 42 points, and that would definitely not have been possible without the help from my amazing tutor and everyone at Lanterna.”
These reviews are from IB families we have tutored; you can read many more on our testimonials page.
The two levels behave very differently. Chemistry HL averaged 4.8 in May 2025, with more than a third of candidates on a 6 or 7, while at SL one student in eight finished on a 1 or 2. Weak SL results usually trace back to calculations that were never secure.
| IB grade | Share of candidates |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1% |
| 2 | 8% |
| 3 | 17% |
| 4 | 20% |
| 5 | 22% |
| 6 | 18% |
| 7 | 12% |
From a 3.3 average before tutoring to a 5.5 after tutoring with Lanterna.
Chemistry was rebuilt around Structure and Reactivity for first exams in May 2025, and the old options were removed, so everything above is examined. HL grows most in Reactivity 3, from 24 to 45 hours, with deeper acid-base, redox and organic mechanisms.
A further 40 or 60 hours of practical work include the scientific investigation, a report of up to 3,000 words and the only internally assessed component (20%). Choosing a question that yields enough reliable data is half the battle; our 25 experiment-friendly investigation ideas are a good place to start.
The nuclear atom, electron configurations, the mole and ideal gases.
Ionic, covalent and metallic models, and how they explain the properties of materials.
Periodic trends and functional groups in organic chemistry.
Enthalpy changes, energy cycles and fuels; entropy and spontaneity are HL only.
Reacting quantities, rates of reaction and equilibrium.
Acids and bases, redox and electrochemistry, and organic reaction mechanisms.
The step from SL to HL is mostly quantitative: more equilibrium and energetics calculations, harder organic sequences and longer written answers in Paper 2. Tutoring is matched to the level you sit, using past questions from that level only.
Moving from HL to SL in DP1 is common when a medicine plan changes; moving up is harder after the first term, so ask us early.
A large share of IB Chemistry marks depend on numbers: moles, concentrations, enthalpy cycles, rate data and equilibrium constants. Students who understand the ideas but rush the arithmetic tend to cap out around a 5, because the same slips repeat across Paper 1B and Paper 2.
Paper 1B, new in the 2025 course, gives you experimental results to process, judge for reliability and improve. Tutors practise this with real data and the IB's own mark schemes, which our mark scheme guide explains how to read.
Most future doctors take Chemistry HL with IB Biology HL. Biochemistry topics such as enzymes and respiration overlap, so a tutor can plan revision across both. Some pair it with Physics instead for engineering.
Chemistry is the subject medicine checks first. At UAE University, the MD programme asks for Maths and two sciences at HL with at least a 5 in each, alongside an admissions test and interviews; it is open only to UAE nationals and the children of Emirati mothers.
Many UAE students who want medicine look to the UK. Oxford, for example, makes Chemistry compulsory at HL plus Biology, Physics or Maths, with 39 points and 7, 6, 6 at HL; in the US, medicine is a graduate degree. Our guide to IB subjects for medicine in the UK and US sets the two side by side.
UK medicine applications close on 15 October of DP2, so the DP1 predicted grade in Chemistry matters as much as the final one, which is why families in Dubai often start tutoring in the spring of DP1.
The IB's November session runs from late October and can be used to retake Chemistry. Students who want the subject for a strong Extended Essay can also work with the same tutor.
Learn how to ace IB Chemistry with expert revision tips, strategic study plans, and guidance on the Internal Assessment (IA) to help you score a Grade 7 in the IB Diploma.
Read the guide: How to Ace IB Chemistry: A Practical GuideAce your IB Chemistry IA with top tips from an expert tutor. Learn how to score highly and browse 15 unique IA examples for inspiration.
Read the guide: How to Ace Your IB Chemistry IA (Tips & Ideas)Master the IB exams: Learn how to use IB past papers and mark schemes effectively throughout your revision. Understand how examiners think and analyze your mistakes with the MARCKS method.
Read the guide: How to Use IB Past Papers and Mark SchemesLanterna matches Chemistry students anywhere in the UAE with an online tutor chosen for their level and for whether they need theory, calculations or lab skills. Our Chemistry tutors are specialists with examiner experience, DP Chemistry teachers and graduates with a 7 in the subject, and lessons run on Gulf time, so a student in Abu Dhabi and one in Dubai choose from the same people. Start with a free consultation.
Yes, within the IB's academic honesty rules. A tutor can help you narrow a research question, plan a method that produces enough data, and understand how to process uncertainties, but the investigation and report must be your own work. Our page on the internal assessment explains where that line sits.
Usually the calculations, because that is where most Chemistry marks are lost: a mole ratio read the wrong way round, a volume left in cm³, a limiting reagent missed. Tutors teach a layout that earns method marks even when the final number is wrong, then move to Paper 1B, practising with real titration, calorimetry and rate data and the IB's own mark schemes. Students who are already secure on numbers spend the time on organic mechanisms and Paper 2 written answers instead.
It can close much of the gap, but we do not promise grades. Lanterna's Chemistry students have moved from an average of 3.3 to 5.5; UK medical schools usually want HL at 6 or 7, and UAE University's MD asks for a 5 at HL. Because UK applications close on 15 October of DP2, the DP1 predicted grade matters, so the earlier the work starts the more of it counts.
Weekly is typical from the autumn of DP2, rising to two lessons a week before mocks and in the spring. Lessons are online on Gulf time, so they fit around school and travel, and start at £58 (~285 AED) an hour; ask us which package fits that rhythm.
Yes. The IB's November session, which starts in late October, is the retake route for UAE students who miss an offer, and a tutor who knows the Structure and Reactivity course can build a short programme around the papers where marks were lost. Our IB retake tutoring page explains how that works; ask your school's IB coordinator about registration deadlines.
Prefer a different time? Every open time is listed below, week by week.
None of these work? Email us the times that suit you and we'll find one.
Our team replies within one working day, on Gulf time.
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