Expert A-level Chemistry Tutoring

The Chemistry Tutor

Hi, I'm Dr. Torben Smith, a highly experienced Chemistry tutor and teacher with a proven track record of helping students excel. For over 20 years, I led one of the UK's top A-Level Chemistry departments as Head of Faculty and Course Leader, while also providing private tutoring for families seeking exceptional results.

In 2023, I made the move to dedicate the bulk of my time to providing top-quality one-to-one tutoring and support for tutees between sessions.

Offering a premium service means I can have fewer tutees, who in turn receive a much better service. I get to know them well, understand what motivates them, and support their mental health while pushing them to excel. My students say they enjoy my lessons and learn much more than in their regular school classes.

Keen to improve your Chemistry?

Contact me via WhatsApp/SMS or leave a detailed voice message

Please check availability and prices first

(UK +44) 07749 597452

or email Torben@TutorChem.co.uk but please check my reply doesn't sit in your spam folder

2025 OCR-A: resit students 100% A*-A and all improved by 2 or 3 grades, 100% A*-A for OCR tutees and all improved, my adult learner completed the entire A-level in one year and got A grade, on about an hour of tutoring a week.

2025 AQA: resit 100% A*-A and 2 grade improvement. All AQA students improved their grade from the starting point and most but not all achieved A*-A - some had a very low starting point, 100% good pass.

Master A-Level Chemistry - with the best tutoring you can buy

1. Customised Topic Folders: Each contains a comprehensive collection of exam questions from various boards, specifically tailored to your syllabus, ensuring the best way to master each topic.

2. Personal Tutoring Sessions: Engage in an hour of one-to-one tutoring each week with Torben, sometimes a bit longer. The quality of this tutoring and the fact my students enjoy it is probably why I'm fully booked for most of the year.

3. Rapid Support between Sessions: Whenever you're stuck, I’m just a text message away. Quick, effective guidance to keep you moving forward.

4. Study Skills Beyond Chemistry: Learn strategies and techniques that not only boost your Chemistry grades but also enhance your performance across all exam-based subjects.

"I was tutored by Torben back in 2018 when I was preparing for my A levels to enter into medical school. At the time I was not particularly good at the subject and I lacked the much-needed confidence in order to improve. Torben was able to break down each subject into easily understandable chunks and also encouraged me greatly throughout my time with him which allowed me to eventually gain the knowledge and confidence to push me into being able to pass into medical school. Now as a Junior doctor working in the NHS, looking back to my time preparing for A levels Its hard to see how I even would have had hopes of getting into medical school without Torbens help. I would recommend him above all else if you too are in a situation that I was in a few years ago" Dr Brett Lee

How much is A-level Chemistry Tutoring?

One-to-one online tutoring from £100/week - you'll reap rewards for the rest of your life

£100/hr daytimes

£120/hr 4.00pm or later start

In person tutoring

price on application (more than online)

unavailable 2025-2026

One hour of weekly tutoring, with support between sessions, starts from £100 per week.

Keen to improve your Chemistry?

Just send me a text message, maybe on WhatsApp or call and leave me a detailed voice message

Please check availability and prices first

07749 597452

or email Torben@TutorChem.co.uk but please check my reply doesn't sit in your spam folder

You don't need to commit long term or pre-pay

You might only need lessons until you are on track for success

Check my current availability

Essential Strategies for A-Level Chemistry Success: Study Techniques, Motivation, and Exam Preparation

1. How can I stay motivated while studying for A level Chemistry?

Studying can be hard to keep up, especially when the exam still feels a long way off. It helps to keep sight of the bigger reason you are doing it, whether that is getting into your first choice university or keeping open a course like medicine, dentistry or engineering.

Do not rely on motivation alone. Build a routine. Keep study sessions short enough that they feel manageable, especially at the start. Even 20 minutes counts. Reward yourself after you finish, and track your progress in a visible way. A calendar with ticks on successful study days can work well. Some students also like turning it into a streak and seeing how long they can keep it going.

2. What are the best study habits for A level Chemistry students?

Consistency matters more than heroic bursts of effort. A short daily routine is usually far better than doing nothing for days and then trying to revise for hours at once.

Focus on understanding, not just memorising. Use flashcards for things like reactions, definitions and conditions, but make sure you also understand the chemistry behind them. Break large topics into smaller sections so that revision feels possible rather than overwhelming.

It also helps to make starting easy. Have your notes, textbook and questions ready in advance so there is less friction. A good textbook and a calculations book are useful, and students should get into the habit of checking the syllabus so they know exactly what they need to cover. Once they have enough knowledge, past paper questions become the most valuable form of revision.

3. How can I make difficult Chemistry topics easier to understand?

Start with the basics and build up. Students often get stuck because they jump straight into the hardest version of a topic before they are secure on the foundations.

For example, with mechanisms, it is better to begin with the main reaction types and the patterns behind them before worrying about every detail. Drawing things out helps, especially in organic chemistry. So does talking through the process step by step.

When using videos, do not just watch them passively. Pause, make notes, try the examples yourself, and go back over parts that did not make sense first time.

4. How should I prepare for practical questions in A level Chemistry exams?

There may not be a separate practical exam, but practical knowledge still matters and regularly comes up in written papers. Students need to know the common experiments, the steps involved, and why those steps are done.

Past paper questions are the best place to start. Even doing them open book at first is useful if it helps build understanding. Make sure you are familiar with practicals such as titrations, recrystallisation, filtration, heating under reflux, distillation and tests for ions and organic compounds.

The practical sections of the syllabus are also worth using as a checklist so that nothing important gets missed.

5. What are the most effective ways to revise A level Chemistry content?

The most effective revision usually comes down to two things: active recall and regular question practice.

Active recall means forcing yourself to remember something rather than just rereading it. That might mean using flashcards, covering up notes and testing yourself, or trying questions without help first. Spaced repetition also helps, because coming back to topics over time is much better than cramming them once and forgetting them.

Past paper questions are especially important. They help students get used to the wording, the standard of answer required, and the style of mark schemes. Textbook questions are useful too, especially earlier on, but past papers are the closest match to the real exam. AS papers can also be very helpful because they are often demanding and give extra practice on core material.

Tracking scores over time is a good way to stay motivated and see progress clearly.

6. Can a private tutor help with A level Chemistry?

Yes, the right tutor can make a big difference. A good tutor can explain difficult ideas clearly, spot weak areas, keep a student on track, and give more focused support than most students get on their own.

They can also help with exam technique, which matters a lot in Chemistry. Some students know more than their marks suggest, but they lose marks through vague wording, poor structure or weak question approach.

I am obviously not neutral on this point, but ideally a student wants someone with strong subject knowledge, plenty of experience teaching A level Chemistry, and a track record of helping students improve.

7. How do I overcome procrastination when studying Chemistry?

The best way is to make starting easier. Most procrastination happens before the work begins, not once a student is already doing it.

Set a very small target to begin with. Two minutes is fine. Often the real battle is just getting started. Keep the first task simple, such as answering one question or reviewing one flashcard set. That builds momentum.

It also helps to study at the same time each day, or to attach it to an existing routine such as sitting down for 20 minutes after breakfast. Some students respond well to competition too. If that helps, use it. Treat the next test as something you want to win, not just survive.

8. How can I remember all the reactions and reagents in Organic Chemistry?

Do not try to memorise them as one giant pile of facts. That is miserable and usually ineffective.

Instead, organise them into clear reaction pathways so you can see how one type of compound turns into another. Use flow charts, flashcards and repeated testing. It also helps to group reactions by pattern, so that students start noticing similarities instead of seeing every reaction as completely separate.

Teaching the reactions out loud, even to yourself, can be surprisingly effective. If you can explain why a reagent is used and what it does, it tends to stick much better.

9. What are the biggest mistakes to avoid in A level Chemistry exams?

One of the biggest mistakes is trying to memorise answers without understanding the chemistry behind them. That can fall apart quickly when the wording changes.

Another is not showing enough working in calculations. Marks are often available for method, so students should write out their steps clearly. Leaving blanks is also a bad habit. Even if you are unsure, it is usually worth attempting something sensible.

Students should also keep checking the syllabus so that they do not accidentally neglect part of the course. That applies not just to the final exam, but also to class tests and mocks during the year.

10. How can I reduce stress before the A level Chemistry exam?

The most reliable way to reduce stress is to prepare steadily rather than leaving everything too late. A revision plan helps because it makes the work feel more under control.

In the short term, simple techniques such as slowing your breathing, reading the question carefully, and focusing on one part at a time can help settle nerves. Confidence also improves when students have done enough practice under timed conditions that the real exam feels familiar rather than alien.

Support matters too. The right teacher or tutor can reduce stress a lot by giving structure, keeping revision focused, and helping students feel that they are not tackling the course blindly.

I don't offer lessons on alternate weeks - an hour a week is sensible

Keen to improve your Chemistry?

Just send me a text message, maybe on WhatsApp or call and leave me a detailed voice message

Please check availability and prices first

(UK +44) 07749 597452

or email Torben@TutorChem.co.uk but please check my reply doesn't sit in your spam folder