Award-Winning AP Physics Tutors serving Des Moines, IA

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Florence
Certified AP Physics Tutor
Florence
BA Duke University
5+ Years Tutoring

I am a rising senior at Duke University. I major in Computer Science and am also getting a minor in Physics. I have had experience tutoring/teaching as a teaching assistant for three classes: Intro to Databases, Electricity and Magnetism (for engineers), and Computer Network Architecture. I have had industry experience in software development as an intern for IBM and a cybersecurity analyst for TIAA. Outside of school/work, I play the piano and train with the Duke Taekwondo Club. I have a strong background in computer science, physics, and math, but I love learning about and helping students with a wide variety of subjects!

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Steve
Certified AP Physics Tutor
Steve
MS Washington University in St. Louis • BA Saint Louis University-Main Campus
1+ Years Tutoring

I am passionate about both. I have been a teaching assistant, tutor, researcher, guest lecturer, researcher, and am currently a practicing engineer.

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Certified AP Physics Tutor
Crony
BA Brown University
6+ Years Tutoring

I am a Brown University graduate with an Sc. B. in Neuroscience and an A.B. in Economics. Although I tutor a range of different subjects, I enjoy tutoring Physics and Math the most. I am passionate about tutoring because I like guiding my students and helping them see problems in a much less complicated way. I have 5+ years of experience teaching and tutoring students of all levels from elementary school to college. Over the past years, I have loved seeing the same students who had difficulty in the subjects become masters in them under my assistance when I taught them simpler approaches. Looking forward to working with you :)

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Certified AP Physics Tutor
Dane
BA Duke University
6+ Years Tutoring

I am a rising sophomore at Duke University and am double majoring in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science with a minor in Economics. I love problem solving and analyzing situations creatively and enjoy studying the real-world applications that accompany engineering. I mostly tutor math and science courses and hope to illustrate my passion for these subjects to my students.

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Certified AP Physics Tutor
Benjamin
BA University of Notre Dame
5+ Years Tutoring

I am a 2023 graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a Finance/Economics major and a minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. I am a passionate student in the math and business realms, as I enjoy the intuitiveness of the former and the real-world potential of the latter. During classes in middle and high school, I developed a reputation of being a good source of help within my classes in a non-tutor capacity, and grew that into a peer tutor role a couple times a week during lunch my senior year of high school. What I hope to accomplish with my tutoring is ensure that you not only achieve your desired grade/score, but see how the different concepts relate to each other in the bigger picture. The more important part is to critically think about the subject matter in other, more unfamiliar contexts. Also, in my math subjects, I seek to provide personal secrets in realms including quicker computation strategies, unique acronyms for certain rules, and other intuitive shortcuts.

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Certified AP Physics Tutor
Vania
BA Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1+ Years Tutoring

I am an avid classical pianist, EMT, swimmer, and tinkerer. I love explaining things and paying forward my knowledge to those around me!

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Certified AP Physics Tutor
Nima
BA Duke University
10+ Years Tutoring

I am a rising college sophomore who will be attending Duke University on a full merit scholarship in the fall. I love to run cross country and play the viola, as well as tutoring students in a whole variety of subjects! Feel free to message me!

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Certified AP Physics Tutor
Steve
BA University of Notre Dame
10+ Years Tutoring

A chemical and biomolecular engineering degree means Steve spent years applying thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and electromagnetism to real systems — the same core principles that drive AP Physics 1 and 2. He's particularly sharp at teaching students how to connect free-body diagrams to Newton's laws and energy bar charts to conservation principles, building the kind of physical intuition the exam's qualitative questions demand. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Jonathan
PhD University of Chicago • BA Vanderbilt University
10+ Years Tutoring

I am eager to help students wrestle with and master concepts in their math and physics classes. I have extensive experience tutoring students in both math and physics at the high school and college level in one on one and larger group settings. During my PhD I was awarded a teaching fellowship which allowed me to continue teaching while I continued to perform research and carry out my dissertation work.

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Certified AP Physics Tutor
Aaron
BA The University of Texas at Dallas • Current Grad Student, Mechanical Engineering Duke University
10+ Years Tutoring

I'm not tutoring or buried in my textbooks, you will either find me rock climbing at the Triangle Rock Club, playing Ultimate Frisbee, working on my car, or enjoying the great outdoors (beaches, mountains, forests--you name it, I love it). On rainy weekends I enjoy tinkering with computers and old electronics, playing Pokemon, or picking at my guitar.

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Bidyut
BA Johns Hopkins University
8+ Years Tutoring

I am an undergraduate of the Johns Hopkins University, majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science. I have years of experience tutoring and teaching math and various sciences from an elementary to a college level. I primarily tutor college level courses such as physics and biochemistry, but also have extensive experience in social sciences, biology, and higher mathematics such as Calculus and Differential Equations. I believe that demonstrating the various real-world applications of a given concept is the best method to increase a student's understanding.

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Aadith
BA Rice University
8+ Years Tutoring

I'm an undergraduate at Rice University, majoring in Physics and Biochemistry, with a strong passion for research, classical music, and good teaching. I've loved math and science from a young age and am eager to share my knowledge with other students. I believe that everyone deserves to enjoy learning about our world and that everyone has their own preferred way to learn. That's why I hope to offer personalized tutoring that helps you learn not just the material but also how to better teach yourself.

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Testimonials

Because the right AP Physics tutor makes all the difference.

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Worked with an AP Physics Tutor

Your customer interface is A+, being your agents or your site, The tutor you found for me is perfect, no formulas or canned lectures but easy flowing lecture addressing my needs. Congratulations for a job well done.

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Julio Aranovich
Worked with an AP Physics Tutor

Heejin has been very patient with me. I work a full time job sometimes even on the weekends. It has been a slow process with my Korean classes, but Heejin has been wonderful and patient.

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Angela Hussein
Worked with an AP Physics Tutor

My son has had many quality tutors through this convenient service, and he can hop on at any time of day to get support for a homework assignment or test. It's very convenient and effective.

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Tara R
Worked with an AP Physics Tutor

I've been working with my tutor for a few months now and the progress has been remarkable. The personalized attention and tailored lessons made all the difference compared to in-classroom learning.

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Michael Chen
Worked with an AP Physics Tutor

The flexibility of scheduling combined with the quality of instruction is unmatched. I can get help exactly when I need it, whether that's late at night or early in the morning before a test.

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Priya Patel
Worked with an AP Physics Tutor

My daughter went from dreading her sessions to looking forward to them. The tutor made the material engaging and built her confidence in ways I never thought possible. Highly recommend.

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Rebecca Williams

Nearby AP Physics Tutors

Frequently Asked Questions

AP Physics covers mechanics, thermodynamics, waves, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics. Most students benefit from starting test prep 3-4 months before the May exam, though this depends on your current understanding and target score. Personalized 1-on-1 instruction helps you focus on the areas where you need the most support, rather than spending equal time on every topic.

Score improvement depends on your starting point and how consistently you practice. Students who work with tutors typically see gains of 1-3 points on the 1-5 AP scale, with the biggest improvements coming from targeted work on weak topics and consistent practice with released exams. The key is identifying exactly which concepts or problem types are holding you back, then building mastery through deliberate practice.

Many students struggle with the problem-solving process—knowing which equations to use and how to set up multi-step problems. Others find the free-response section intimidating because it requires clear reasoning and proper justification, not just correct answers. Pacing is also a challenge; the exam moves quickly and requires both conceptual understanding and calculation speed. A tutor can help you develop a systematic approach to each problem type and build confidence under timed conditions.

Effective strategies include: tackling multiple-choice questions you're confident about first, then returning to harder ones; showing all work on free-response questions even if you're unsure (partial credit is valuable); and managing your time so you don't get stuck on one problem. Practice tests are essential—they help you get comfortable with the format, identify timing issues, and build test-day confidence. Tutors can review your practice test performance to pinpoint patterns in your mistakes and help you refine your approach.

Taking full-length practice tests and reviewing your performance by topic is the best way to spot patterns. If you consistently miss questions about circuits or kinematics, that's where you need to focus. A tutor can analyze your practice test results with you, help you understand why you're missing certain questions, and create a targeted study plan that prioritizes the topics where you'll gain the most points.

Look for tutors with strong physics backgrounds—ideally with a degree in physics or a related field, and experience teaching or tutoring AP Physics specifically. They should be familiar with the current AP exam format, understand common student misconceptions, and be able to explain concepts in multiple ways. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors in Des Moines who have proven experience helping students master AP Physics content and test-taking strategies.

Your tutor will start by assessing your current understanding of AP Physics—what you're confident about and where you're struggling. They'll ask about your target score, when you're taking the exam, and your learning style. From there, you'll work together to create a personalized plan that focuses on your biggest gaps and highest-leverage topics. This first session sets the foundation for efficient, targeted progress.

Most students benefit from taking 4-6 full-length practice tests spaced throughout their prep period. This gives you multiple opportunities to identify weak areas, get comfortable with pacing and format, and track your improvement. After each test, review your mistakes carefully—understanding why you got a problem wrong is more valuable than just seeing the correct answer. Your tutor can guide you through this review process and help you adjust your study plan based on what you learn.

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