ONLINE AP PHYSICS 1 & 2 TUTORING
Online AP Physics tutoring for Physics 1 and 2, from forces and fluids to the four FRQs
Educifly is an online AP Physics tutoring service. We match each student with a physics specialist for live one-to-one lessons in AP Physics 1 or AP Physics 2, the algebra-based College Board courses. Lessons follow your class, fix the topics that cost you points, and build up to the May exam — with extra time on the four free-response questions and the lab skills behind them.
Free trial lesson · No card · No contract · No pressure
Built for AP students across the US and Canada — and at American and international schools in London, The Hague, Paris, Madrid, Hong Kong and Dubai.
Teaching since 2018
Families in 12 countries
Free trial, no card
Taking the calculus-based course instead? See our AP Physics C tutoring for Mechanics and E&M.
15 units · two courses
AP Physics 1
Units 1–8
1 Kinematics
2 Forces
3 Energy
4 Momentum
5 Torque
6 Rotating systems
7 Oscillations
8 Fluids
AP Physics 2
Units 9–15
9 Thermodynamics
10 Electric fields
11 Circuits
12 Magnetism
13 Optics
14 Waves
15 Modern physics
Four free-response types on each exam. We practice all four.
1 & 2
Both algebra-based AP courses: Physics 1 and Physics 2
1:1
One student, one tutor
4 FRQ types
Practiced until each one feels familiar
THE REAL CHALLENGE
Lots of students know the formulas and still lose points on AP Physics
AP Physics 1 and 2 don’t reward memorizing equations. The exam hands you a situation you’ve never seen and asks you to pick the right idea, draw it, explain it in words, and then back it up with math. That’s a different skill from homework, and most classes don’t have time to practice it.
The words matter as much as the math
Many questions ask you to explain why in a few sentences, with no numbers at all. A right answer with a fuzzy reason can still lose the point.
One wrong diagram breaks the whole problem
A missing force on a free-body diagram, or an arrow pointing the wrong way, and every line after it goes wrong too.
The lab question is a skill of its own
One free-response question asks you to plan an experiment and make sense of data. If you’ve only done labs by following a worksheet, it can feel brand new.
START HERE
AP Physics 1 and 2, explained in plain English
Two College Board courses, one exam style. Here’s what each one covers and how the exam works.
PHYSICS 1
What is AP Physics 1?
AP Physics 1 is an algebra-based College Board course that matches a first-semester college physics class. It has eight units: kinematics, force and translational dynamics, work, energy and power, linear momentum, torque and rotational dynamics, energy and momentum of rotating systems, oscillations, and fluids. It uses algebra and trigonometry, not calculus. Forces and energy carry the most weight on the exam.
PHYSICS 2
What is AP Physics 2?
AP Physics 2 is the algebra-based course that follows AP Physics 1 and matches a second-semester college physics class. Its seven units are numbered 9 to 15: thermodynamics, electric force, field and potential, electric circuits, magnetism and electromagnetism, geometric optics, waves, sound and physical optics, and modern physics. It builds on the problem-solving habits from Physics 1.
THE EXAMS
How the AP Physics 1 and 2 exams work
Each exam has two sections, each worth half your score. Section I is multiple choice. Section II has four free-response questions, one of each type: mathematical routines, translation between representations, experimental design and analysis, and qualitative/quantitative translation. Calculators are allowed on the whole exam, and a reference sheet of equations is provided. It’s a hybrid digital exam: you answer the multiple choice in the Bluebook app, then handwrite your free-response answers in a paper booklet.
The short version
AP Physics 1
Units
8 (Units 1–8)
College match
First semester of algebra-based physics
Main topics
Motion, forces, energy, momentum, rotation, oscillations, fluids
Math used
Algebra and trigonometry
Free-response
4 questions, one of each type
AP Physics 2
Units
7 (Units 9–15)
College match
Second semester of algebra-based physics
Main topics
Heat, electricity, circuits, magnetism, light, waves, modern physics
Math used
Algebra and trigonometry
Free-response
4 questions, one of each type
Still choosing which course to take? Our AP Physics 1 vs 2 guide walks through it. Or tell us your school and your last test score, and we’ll talk it through in your free trial.
WHY ONLINE WORKS
One-to-one online lessons, built for the way physics is learned
Physics is learned by drawing the picture, setting up the problem and talking it through, with someone who spots the missing force the moment you draw it. A shared whiteboard does exactly that. Searching for an AP Physics tutor near me makes sense — but the best physics tutor for your course is rarely on your street. Online, your choice isn’t limited by your zip code.
🎯
A physics specialist, wherever you live
In Chicago, Toronto or Brussels, you learn with someone who teaches AP Physics week in, week out — not a general tutor who covers it now and then.
✏️
Diagrams drawn together, live
Free-body diagrams, energy bar charts, circuit sketches and ray diagrams, drawn on the same screen. Mistakes get caught at the drawing stage, before they spread.
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Real lab skills, even from home
We work with real data sets: plotting, finding a slope, and saying what it means. That’s the core of the experimental design question.
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Lessons that fit a busy school year
Around school, sports, other APs and the SAT. Weekend and early-evening slots in US time zones, plus after-school times in Europe, the Gulf and Asia.
HOW IT WORKS
From your first lesson to a calm test day
A simple path, shaped around your course, your school’s pace and the score you’re aiming for.
01
Free trial and diagnosis
We look at a recent test, work a few problems together, and find the exact units and habits that are costing you points.
02
Your plan
A week-by-week plan matched to your school’s unit order, your course (Physics 1 or Physics 2) and the May exam.
03
Weekly one-to-one lessons
Each lesson mixes the idea, worked problems and real free-response practice. You leave knowing exactly what to practice before next time.
04
The exam run-in
From early spring: timed sections, full free-response sets and lab-question practice, until test day feels familiar.
A typical AP Physics 1 year with us
Sep – Oct
Kinematics and forces. We lock in graphs, free-body diagrams and Newton’s laws, and help with homework and unit tests along the way.
Nov – Dec
Work, energy and momentum. Free-response practice starts here, one question type at a time.
Jan – Feb
Torque, rotation and rotating systems — the units students find hardest to picture.
March
Oscillations and fluids, then the first full free-response sets under time.
Apr – early May
Full practice exams, a lab question every week, and a last pass on your weakest units.
Starting late?
We shrink the plan around the units and question types worth the most points.
Physics 2 students follow the same shape: thermodynamics and electric fields in the fall, circuits and magnetism through winter, optics, waves and modern physics in spring, with timed practice from March.
WHAT WE COVER
Every AP Physics 1 and 2 unit, and where students lose points in each
Here’s every unit in both courses, its share of the multiple-choice section, and the mistake we see most often — because knowing where points go is half the battle.
AP Physics 1 tutoring — Units 1 to 8
1
10–15%
Motion in one and two dimensions, from graphs, equations and words.
Where points go: Mixing up the slope of a graph with the area under it.
2
18–23%
Newton’s laws, free-body diagrams, friction, springs, circular motion and gravity.
Where points go: Adding a made-up “force of motion” or a separate “centripetal force” to the diagram.
3
18–23%
Work, kinetic and potential energy, and conservation of energy.
Where points go: Not saying which objects are in the system, so energy seems to appear or vanish.
4
10–15%
Impulse, momentum and collisions.
Where points go: Forgetting that momentum has a direction, so a bounce-back is counted as the wrong sign.
5
10–15%
Torque, rotational inertia and Newton’s second law for rotation.
Where points go: Using the full distance instead of the lever arm.
6
5–8%
Rotational kinetic energy, angular momentum and rolling.
Where points go: Leaving out the spinning energy of a rolling object.
7
5–8%
Springs, pendulums and simple harmonic motion.
Where points go: Thinking a bigger swing means a longer period.
8
10–15%
Density, pressure, buoyancy and fluid flow.
Where points go: Using the object’s weight instead of the weight of the water it pushes aside.
AP Physics 2 tutoring — Units 9 to 15
9
15–18%
Heat, gases, pressure-volume graphs and the laws of thermodynamics.
Where points go: Getting the sign of work wrong on a pressure-volume graph.
10
15–18%
Charges, Coulomb’s law, electric fields and electric potential.
Where points go: Treating field (which has a direction) and potential (which doesn’t) as the same thing.
11
15–18%
Current, resistance, series and parallel circuits, and capacitors.
Where points go: Assuming current gets “used up” as it goes around a circuit.
12
12–15%
Magnetic fields and forces, and electromagnetic induction.
Where points go: Using the right-hand rule the wrong way round, or for a negative charge.
13
12–15%
Reflection, refraction, mirrors and lenses.
Where points go: Ray diagrams with rays that don’t follow the rules.
14
12–15%
Wave behavior, sound, interference and diffraction.
Where points go: Mixing up path difference with the distance between slits.
15
12–15%
Photons, the photoelectric effect, energy levels and nuclear physics.
Where points go: Believing brighter light gives electrons more energy.
Percentages are each unit’s share of the multiple-choice section, from AP Central.
THE FOUR FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS
The four free-response questions we drill every week
Every AP Physics 1 and 2 exam has four free-response questions, one of each type. We practice each one until you know what it wants the moment you read it.
Type 1
Mathematical routines
Solve a problem step by step with equations, then say what your answer means.
Where points go: A correct number with no starting equation shown.
Type 2
Translation between representations
Draw a diagram or graph, write the matching equation, and show the two agree.
Where points go: A sketch and an equation that tell two different stories.
Type 3
Experimental design and analysis
Plan an experiment, then use real data: make a graph, find the slope and explain what it means.
Where points go: A procedure too vague for someone else to follow.
Type 4
Qualitative/quantitative translation
Explain something in words first, then prove it with math, and check the two match.
Where points go: A paragraph that lists facts but never links them into a reason.
Lab skills, made simple
The experimental design question is where students who’ve only followed lab worksheets get stuck. We teach a short routine you can use on any lab question:
1
Name what you change, what you measure and what stays the same.
2
Say exactly how you’d measure it, and with what tool.
3
Pick what to graph so the result is a straight line.
4
Explain what the slope or intercept tells you.
5
Name one real source of error and how to reduce it.
Stuck on a unit right now?
Bring your last test to the free trial and we’ll work through it together.
Book a Free AP Physics Trial →
No card. No contract. No pressure.
YOUR TUTOR
AP Physics tutors who teach physics every week
You’re matched with a physics specialist, not a generalist covering five subjects. Our AP Physics tutors come from the same team that teaches IB Physics and IGCSE Physics, so mechanics, circuits and waves are everyday work for them.
✓
Physics specialists
Comfortable across Physics 1 and Physics 2, from the first motion graph to the last nuclear equation, with the depth to answer the “but why?” questions textbooks skip.
✓
They know how the AP exam gives points
The multiple-choice and free-response format, the four question types, and exactly how points are given for the diagram, the setup, the answer and the reasoning.
✓
They teach you to explain
Patient when you’re behind, demanding when you’re aiming for a 5, and focused on you writing clear, complete answers yourself.
WHO IT’S FOR
Built for every kind of AP Physics student
From the student who’s lost after the first unit test to the one chasing a 5 in Physics 2, there’s a plan for you.
Taking more than one AP? We also offer AP Calculus tutoring, AP Chemistry tutoring and AP Biology tutoring — and AP Physics C tutoring for the calculus-based course. Or browse all our AP tutoring.
WHY EDUCIFLY
A specialist AP Physics tutor vs. the usual options
Most physics help isn’t built around the AP exam. Here’s the honest difference.
Knows the current Physics 1 and 2 courses
✓
Educifly: Yes — all 15 units
A tutoring marketplace
Depends who you book
Videos and apps on your own
Some still teach old courses
Practice on all four free-response types
✓
Educifly: Every week
A tutoring marketplace
Hit or miss
Videos and apps on your own
No feedback
Lab and data skills
✓
Educifly: Built into every plan
A tutoring marketplace
Rarely planned
Videos and apps on your own
Up to you
Matched to your school’s pace
✓
Educifly: Yes
A tutoring marketplace
Sometimes
Videos and apps on your own
No
Same tutor every week
✓
Educifly: Yes
A tutoring marketplace
Not always
Videos and apps on your own
—
Plan built from a diagnosis
✓
Educifly: Yes, from the free trial
A tutoring marketplace
Rarely
Videos and apps on your own
No
Pricing
AP Physics tutoring from
$50 to $150 per hour
1-on-1 online AP Physics tutoring at Educifly costs $50–$150 USD per 60-minute session. Where you sit in that range depends on three things — and your first lesson is free.
Tutor experience
Rates depend on your tutor's experience: a more experienced tutor costs more, and the most experienced AP specialists sit at the top of the range.
Level and pathway
Your rate also reflects your course: AP Physics 1 or AP Physics 2.
Crash courses
Intensive pre-exam programs in the weeks before the May AP exams are priced above regular weekly lessons.
Included at every rate
1-on-1 live online lessons. Help with homework and unit tests. Full practice exams. A new AP Physics specialist if the fit isn't right.
Prices are in USD; invoices are issued in your local currency. Pay as you go, or buy a package for a lower price per session — no hidden fees, cancel anytime. We share package options after your free trial. Prices last updated: October 2026.
Book a free trial →
WHAT FAMILIES SAY
Real progress, in real students’ words
“Rotation made no sense to me until my tutor had me draw every problem first. Now torque is the unit I’m fastest at.”
AP Physics 1 student
Chicago, IL · AP Physics 1
“He used to write one line for the ‘explain’ questions. Now he writes a real argument, and his practice scores show it.”
AP parent
Munich · AP Physics 1
“Circuits and magnetism were my weak spot. A few weeks of drawing them out together and they finally clicked.”
AP Physics 2 student
Brussels · AP Physics 2
WHY WE EXIST
Hand-picked physics specialists, one student at a time
Educifly began with a simple problem. As an IB Mathematics educator, Richa saw bright students lose marks — not because they lacked ability, but because nobody taught them how the exam actually works. Good, specialist tutoring was hard to find, especially online.
Physics leans on the same algebra and problem-solving she has taught since 2010, so she hand-picks every tutor on our AP Physics team herself. The goal is simple: a student in Denver, Toronto or Paris gets the same quality of teaching as one in a big test-prep hub — one student at a time.
Richa Jain
Founder, Educifly · IB Mathematics Educator since 2010
WHERE WE TEACH
Online AP Physics tutoring wherever AP is taught
Lessons are online, so where you live doesn’t decide who teaches you. These are the AP communities we work with most.
🇺🇸
United States
New York, New Jersey, Boston, Washington DC and Northern Virginia, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Dallas, Austin, the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Seattle. Lessons in Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific time.
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Canada
Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.
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Europe
London (the American School in London, ACS International Schools, TASIS England), The Hague (American School of The Hague), Paris (American School of Paris), Madrid (American School of Madrid), Vienna (American International School Vienna), plus Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Stockholm.
🌏
Asia & the Middle East
Hong Kong (Hong Kong International School), Singapore (Singapore American School), New Delhi (American Embassy School), Dubai (American School of Dubai), Abu Dhabi and Doha.
Wherever you are, your lesson is one link away.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
AP Physics tutoring, your questions answered
What does an AP Physics tutor do?
An AP Physics tutor teaches the AP Physics 1 or AP Physics 2 course one-to-one and gets you ready for the May exam. At Educifly, that means fixing weak units, practicing all four free-response question types, and training you to explain your reasoning the way the exam rewards. Every lesson is live and online.
Do you tutor both AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2?
Yes. We tutor AP Physics 1 (Units 1 to 8, from kinematics to fluids) and AP Physics 2 (Units 9 to 15, from thermodynamics to modern physics). Your tutor follows the course your school teaches, in the order your class covers it.
Do you also tutor AP Physics C?
Yes, on a separate page. AP Physics C is the calculus-based course, with two exams: Mechanics, and Electricity and Magnetism. See our AP Physics C tutoring for how we teach it.
Which AP Physics 1 topics do students find hardest?
Most students find rotation hardest — torque, rotational inertia and rolling — because it is hard to picture. Energy questions that ask you to choose a system come next. For a longer answer, here’s our honest take on how hard AP Physics 1 really is.
How is the AP Physics exam scored?
Each AP Physics 1 and 2 exam has two sections, each worth 50%: multiple choice and four free-response questions. Your total becomes a score from 1 to 5. A 3 is called “qualified”, a 4 “well qualified” and a 5 “extremely well qualified”. Many colleges give credit or placement for a 4 or 5, but each college sets its own rules.
Can I use a calculator on the AP Physics exam?
Yes. Calculators are allowed on both sections of the AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 exams, and you also get a reference sheet of equations. Check the College Board’s approved calculator list before test day.
Is the AP Physics exam on paper or digital?
It’s a hybrid digital exam. You read the questions and answer the multiple choice in the College Board’s Bluebook app, then handwrite your free-response answers in a paper booklet. We practice both ways, so neither feels new on test day.
What are the four free-response question types?
They are mathematical routines, translation between representations, experimental design and analysis, and qualitative/quantitative translation. Each exam has one of each. In short: solve with math, match a diagram to an equation, plan and analyze an experiment, and explain in words before proving it with math.
How do I get a 5 on AP Physics 1?
Know the core ideas well, draw a diagram for every problem, and practice the free-response questions under time. Most students who miss a 5 lose points on reasoning and on the lab question, not on hard math. That is exactly what one-to-one tutoring fixes.
Do I need to be good at math for AP Physics 1 and 2?
You need solid algebra and basic trigonometry, but no calculus. If algebra slows you down, we fix those gaps inside your physics lessons, so the math stops getting in the way of the physics.
When should my child start AP Physics tutoring?
The best time is early in the fall, before the first unit test, or over the summer before the course starts. Many families start in winter, when rotation or circuits get hard. Starting in spring still works — we focus on the units and question types worth the most points.
How many AP Physics lessons a week does a student need?
Most students do one hour a week, which is enough to stay ahead of class and fix problems while they’re small. Students catching up often do two. In the weeks before the May exam, families usually add timed practice sessions.
How much does an online AP Physics tutor cost?
Educifly's 1-on-1 online AP Physics tutoring costs $50–$150 USD per 60-minute session. Your rate depends on your tutor's experience, your course (AP Physics 1 or 2) and whether you book an exam crash course. The first trial lesson is free and lasts 30 minutes. You can pay as you go, or buy a package for a lower price per session. Invoices are issued in your local currency, there are no hidden fees, and you can cancel anytime.
Why does AP Physics tutoring range from $50 to $150 per hour?
Three things set the rate. Tutor experience: a more experienced tutor costs more, and the most experienced specialists sit at the top of the range. Course: your course shapes where you sit in the range. Timing: intensive pre-exam crash courses cost more than regular weekly lessons. We confirm your exact rate after the free trial, once your tutor is matched.
Do you offer package discounts on AP Physics tutoring?
Yes. You can pay as you go, session by session, or buy a package, which lowers your price per session. We share package options after your free trial, once we know how many sessions a week you need. Prices are listed in USD and invoices are issued in your local currency.
Is online AP Physics tutoring as good as in-person?
For physics, it’s often better. A shared whiteboard lets your tutor watch every diagram and every line you write, and catch mistakes as they happen. And online, you can work with a true AP Physics specialist instead of whoever happens to live nearby.
Do you tutor AP Physics students outside the US?
Yes. We teach AP Physics students at American and international schools in Canada, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including London, The Hague, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai. Lessons are scheduled in your local time zone.
What if my tutor isn’t the right fit?
Tell us, and we’ll match you with another AP Physics specialist. The fit between student and tutor matters a lot, so we’d rather change early than let lessons drift.
Ready to make AP Physics click?
Book a free trial lesson. We’ll find your level, look at your toughest unit, and show you exactly how we’d help — no cost, no commitment.
✓
A physics specialist matched to AP Physics 1 or 2
✓
A clear plan for your weak units and all four free-response types
✓
Real exam-style practice from lesson one
No card. No contract. No pressure.