At a glance
- Year 1 (common)
- Physics 1, up to 60 periods
- Year 2
- Physics 2, up to 60 periods
- Year 3
- Physics 3, up to 180 periods
- Tracks with physics after Year 1
- General, CS and Engineering, Health and Life
- Language in public schools
- Arabic
Physics periods across secondary school
| Year | Course | Max periods per year | Who takes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| First (common) | Physics 1 | 60 | All students |
| Second | Physics 2 | 60 | General, Computer Science and Engineering, Health and Life |
| Third | Physics 3 | 180 | General, Computer Science and Engineering, Health and Life |
| Third | Earth and space sciences | 96 | General, Computer Science and Engineering, Health and Life |
Source: Saudi Ministry of Education study plans guide, fifth edition (2025). The Business Administration and Sharia tracks do not continue physics after the first year.
Where physics students lose marks
- Vectors: resolving forces and velocities, and adding vectors at an angle.
- Motion graphs: reading velocity from the gradient of a distance-time graph and displacement from the area under a velocity-time graph.
- Newton's laws: free-body diagrams with every force shown before writing F = ma.
- Energy and momentum: choosing the right conservation law for a collision or a fall.
- Electricity: series and parallel circuits and electrical power.
- Units and rearranging formulae before substituting values, which matter even more under Tahsili time pressure.
Arabic or English lessons: an honest note
Saudi public schools teach physics in Arabic. LiveTutor has a small number of Arabic-speaking tutors, so Arabic-medium physics depends on who is available; ask when you book. What we can always offer is the same physics explained in English, with the tutor working from your child's Arabic textbook and linking each English term to the Arabic one: القوة force, السرعة المتجهة velocity, التسارع acceleration, الزخم momentum.
For students aiming at engineering, medicine or computing programmes taught in English, learning physics vocabulary in English now saves a hard first year at university. For a student who is struggling with the physics itself, an Arabic-speaking tutor is usually the better match, and we will say honestly if we cannot provide one.
How one-to-one lessons work
Lessons are 60 minutes, one to one, in LiveTutor's online classroom with video and a shared whiteboard, where diagrams and graphs are drawn and corrected live. The tutor follows the school's physics course, reviews school tests to find recurring mistakes, and in the final year can add Tahsili-style multiple-choice practice, where speed and elimination matter as much as method.
When to start
Physics 3 in the final year has three times the periods of Physics 1 or 2, so students who found the first two years hard should get help before it starts. For Tahsili, steady work from the second year is far less stressful than a last-minute push. One lesson a week usually keeps pace.
Common questions
Which tracks study physics?
Everyone studies Physics 1 in the common first year. Physics 2 and Physics 3 continue in the General, Computer Science and Engineering, and Health and Life tracks. Business Administration and Sharia do not continue physics.
Can lessons be in Arabic?
Sometimes. We have a small number of Arabic-speaking tutors, so it depends on availability for physics at your child's level. Lessons in English covering the same Saudi physics are always available.
Is intermediate-stage physics a separate subject?
No. In the intermediate stage physics is part of combined science, which has up to 144 periods a year. It becomes a separate subject in secondary school.
Does school physics help with Tahsili?
Yes. Tahsili draws on secondary school content, so a strong grasp of school physics is the foundation. See our Tahsili science page for test-specific preparation.
How much do lessons cost?
$15 a lesson, the same for every subject and level, on a weekly plan of 1 to 5 lessons billed monthly. The first lesson is a free trial.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.