How to Choose an Online Tutor: A Parent's Checklist

The Market Is Crowded — and Uneven

Online tutoring has exploded, and with it the range of quality. A tutor can be a retired examiner or a university student with a webcam — and the listings do not always make the difference obvious. These ten questions separate professionals from placeholders before you spend a penny.

1. Do They Know Your Child's Exact Curriculum?

"Maths tutor" is not enough. GCSE Maths (AQA), IGCSE Maths (Edexcel), and AP Calculus are different exams with different mark schemes. Ask directly: which exam boards and specifications have you taught? A specialist will answer in specifics.

2. What Are Their Qualifications — Verified?

Look for subject degrees, teaching qualifications, or examiner experience — and ask how the service verifies them. Platforms that "hand-pick and screen" tutors should be able to describe what that screening involves.

3. Can You See a Demo Before Paying?

Any confident service offers a trial or demo lesson. Use it to assess what actually matters: does the tutor explain clearly, engage your child, and check understanding rather than lecture?

4. How Does the Lesson Actually Work Online?

Ask about the tools: shared whiteboard, screen sharing, session recordings for revision. Browser-based platforms beat ones requiring software installs — fewer technical failures, easier safeguarding.

5. What Happens Between Sessions?

The best tutoring continues between lessons: assigned practice, marked work, progress notes to parents. If the answer is "nothing," you are buying a weekly conversation, not a programme.

6. How Is Progress Measured?

Ask for specifics: baseline assessment, periodic progress reports, and what happens if progress stalls. "Your child will improve" is a hope; "we track past-paper scores every four weeks" is a system.

7. What Are the Safeguarding Arrangements?

For minors, this is non-negotiable: background-checked tutors, recorded or observable sessions, and a clear complaints channel. Reputable services volunteer this information without being asked.

8. What Is the Real Cost?

Ask for the all-in price: session rate, minimum commitment, cancellation policy, materials fees. Transparent pricing up front is a quality signal in itself.

9. What If the Fit Is Wrong?

Even good tutors are not right for every child. Ask: can we switch tutors, and how? The answer should be easy — a service that makes switching hard is betting you will not bother.

10. Can They Speak to Results?

Ask for outcomes at your child's level: grade improvements, exam results, specific score gains. Every tutor has a story; the good ones have data.

A Shortcut That Costs Nothing

Tutoriz hand-picks and screens every tutor, matches to your child's exact curriculum and level, and offers a free demo class so you can judge all ten questions yourself. Book a free demo — no commitment required.