Frequently Asked Questions

GradePod is a free IB Physics revision platform built and taught by Sally Weatherly, a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and IB Physics teacher since 2004. It covers all 24 topics in the current IB Physics syllabus with two free videos per topic: a concept tutorial and a past paper walkthrough. There is no login, no subscription, and no catch. Over 30,000 students have used GradePod since 2020.

Yes. All 50+ video tutorials on YouTube are completely free, with no account or subscription required. The free topic pages at gradepod.com/topics/ also include downloadable learning objective checklists. The Exam Pack (£39, one-time) and Exam Miracle (£69, one-time) are optional paid products for students who want structured practice materials and exam technique coaching. They are not required to access the tutorials.

Sally Weatherly has been teaching IB Physics since 2004. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and the author of 4 IB Physics books, two of which reached number one on Amazon. She founded GradePod in 2020 to bring her classroom-tested method to students who didn't have access to great IB Physics teaching at their school. GradePod now has 65 five-star Trustpilot reviews, 40 of which mention Sally by name.

GradePod and Revision Village serve different needs. GradePod is a specialist IB Physics platform built and taught by a single IB Physics expert. Every video is recorded by Sally Weatherly, and the Exam Pack materials are designed around the specific demands of the current IB Physics syllabus. The free tutorials cover all 24 topics in full, with no paywall. Revision Village is a multi-subject platform with a large question bank and AI tools, but it requires a paid subscription for full access and is not built by a named IB Physics specialist in the same way. If IB Physics is your priority subject, GradePod is the more focused and expert-led choice.

Save My Exams is a broad multi-subject revision platform strong for A Level content. For the current IB Physics syllabus, it offers written notes and practice questions but requires a paid subscription. GradePod is specialist IB Physics only, built by an IB Physics teacher with 20+ years of experience. The core tutorials are free and go deeper into IB-specific exam technique than a general platform can. Students who want IB Physics covered in full, by someone who knows the syllabus inside out, will find GradePod a stronger fit.

Yes. GradePod covers the current IB Physics syllabus in full, first examined in May 2025. All 24 topics across Themes A to E are covered, including HL-only topics (A.4 Rigid Body Mechanics, A.5 Galilean and Special Relativity, B.4 Thermodynamics, D.4 Induction, E.2 Quantum Physics) and the HL-additional content within shared topics. GradePod does not cover the old pre-2025 syllabus.

They are comparable in difficulty, but they test different things. IB Physics has a broader syllabus than most A Level specifications, covering topics like special relativity, quantum physics, and astrophysics that A Level students don't always encounter. The IB also requires all students to complete an Internal Assessment (a scientific investigation worth 20% of the final grade), which A Level does not. The IB exam questions tend to reward clear reasoning and command of technique more than pure content recall. Students who build a systematic approach to revision, particularly around past paper practice and exam technique, tend to perform well regardless of which syllabus they are on.

Most students find it is not any single topic but the volume of content combined with the demands of exam technique. IB Physics rewards students who can apply their knowledge to unfamiliar contexts, not just recall facts. The topics students most commonly struggle with are quantum and nuclear physics (Theme E), electromagnetism and induction (Theme D), and the mathematics of waves and oscillations (Theme C). The Internal Assessment is also a significant challenge for many students because it requires independent scientific thinking, not just content knowledge.

Based on historical grade boundaries, you typically need around 68% of the available marks for a 7 in IB Physics HL, and around 65% for a 7 in SL. These boundaries shift year to year depending on how the paper is marked, but the 65–70% range is a reliable target to aim for. This means you do not need to be perfect. Your goal is to lose as few marks as possible, not to answer every question correctly.

Start at gradepod.com/topics/. Find the topic you are currently studying in class, open the page, and watch the concept tutorial video. As you watch, tick off the learning objectives on the free checklist. Once you have watched the concept tutorial for a topic, watch the past paper walkthrough to see how the content is examined. Repeat for each topic in order. If you have less than 8 weeks until your exams, read the 50-day study plan guide at gradepod.com/blog/ib-physics-50-day-study-plan/ first.

No. All free tutorials and topic pages are accessible without an account. The Exam Pack, Exam Miracle, and TrIBe are delivered through a separate platform (ThriveCart Learn at learn.gradepod.com) which requires a login, but only for paying customers.

With 6 weeks to go, prioritise past paper practice by topic over re-watching concept videos. Use the learning objective checklists (free on each topic page) to identify your weakest areas first. Work through those topics using the past paper questions in the Exam Pack, then move to full timed past papers in the final two weeks. The Exam Miracle video masterclass is worth watching in week one or two, as it covers exam technique strategies that apply across all papers. A detailed day-by-day approach is in the 50-day study plan at gradepod.com/blog/ib-physics-50-day-study-plan/.

Yes. Every HL-only topic has its own dedicated video tutorial and past paper walkthrough. Topics A.4, A.5, B.4, D.4, and E.2 are HL-only, and several other topics (such as C.1 SHM and D.1 Gravitational Fields) have HL-additional sections within their tutorials. The Exam Pack also covers all HL content, clearly labelled.

Yes, and many do. The free tutorials are accessible to anyone, and parents find it useful to understand what their child is studying and which topics are causing difficulty. The Exam Pack is a self-contained set of materials that a motivated student can work through independently. If you want more direct support for your child, including personalised feedback on their IA, TrIBe is worth looking at.

The Exam Pack (£39, one-time purchase) includes: topic-by-topic past paper questions with full mark schemes for all 24 topics; revision note templates for every topic; a complete IB Physics mock exam; an annotated IB Physics data booklet with Sally's notes on every page; a Paper 1B survival pack; and a complete IB Physics learning objective checklist. Everything is delivered as a PDF download. It is a one-time purchase with no subscription and no expiry.

No. The Exam Pack is a one-time purchase of £39. You pay once and have access to the materials for as long as you need them. There is no recurring charge, no renewal, and no membership.

The free tutorials teach you the content. The Exam Pack gives you the structured practice to convert that understanding into marks. If you are preparing for your exams and want topic-by-topic past paper questions with mark schemes, revision note templates, and a full mock exam, the Exam Pack is worth it. If you are early in your IB course and focused on understanding the concepts, the free tutorials are the right starting point.

The Exam Pack (£39) is a set of PDF practice materials: past paper questions by topic, revision note templates, a mock exam, and an annotated data booklet. It is for structured practice. The Exam Miracle (£69) is a video masterclass on exam technique, broken down by paper type. It covers how to approach Paper 1A multiple choice, Paper 1B data-based questions, and Paper 2 extended responses. The two products complement each other and are available together as a bundle for £108.

The Exam Pack is a digital download, so returns are not offered in the traditional sense. If you have a problem with your purchase or the materials are not as described, contact Sally directly at hi@gradepod.com and she will sort it out.

TrIBe is GradePod's private IB Physics course. It is application-only and deliberately small, built around direct personal access to Sally. TrIBe includes: Ask Sally (direct email access to Sally for any IB Physics question), IA first draft feedback (Sally reads and gives detailed written feedback on your first IA draft within 48 hours), a step-by-step IA video course, Sally's personal past paper collection, and the full Exam Pack and Exam Miracle included. It is a one-off payment of £490, with no subscription.

Once you have worked through the step-by-step IA video course inside TrIBe and written your first draft, you email it to Sally. Within 48 hours, Sally reads every page and provides detailed written feedback on where marks can be gained. The feedback is specific and actionable, ready for you to work on immediately. This is a one first-draft review per student, not ongoing revision support for every subsequent draft.

Apply via the form at gradepod.com/tribe/. Sally reads every application personally and responds within a few days. If your application is accepted, she will be in touch with the next steps. Payment is only requested after acceptance.

Yes. Get in touch with Sally at hi@gradepod.com before you apply, and she will discount the cost of your existing purchase from the £490.