Frequently asked

It depends on the situation. Tutoring works very well for students with a specific identifiable gap, for senior-secondary students preparing for high-stakes external exams with a teacher who has marked them, and for motivated students who benefit from scheduled study with accountability. It rarely works for engagement issues, primary-level catch-up, or 'general improvement'. The full data-led answer is in our worth-it guide.

The observed range across published platform aggregates is $30–$190 per hour. The typical band where most paid tutoring takes place is $55–$130. Specific rates depend on the tutor qualification tier (uni student / experienced graduate / registered teacher / subject specialist), the subject's complexity, the city, and the delivery format. Use our rate estimator for a fair-market band for your specific situation.

In-person costs roughly 22 percent more for the same tutor. Academic outcomes are statistically similar at parity of tutor and structure. In-person is the right default for younger students, easily-distracted students, and music or hands-on subjects. Online is the right default for senior secondary students with established study habits, niche subjects with thin local supply, and budget-constrained families. Full guide here.

Each state's tertiary admissions centre (UAC in NSW, VTAC in VIC, QTAC in QLD, TISC in WA, SATAC in SA) takes raw subject marks and adjusts them so a strong performance in a subject with academically strong candidature counts more than the same performance in a subject with mixed candidature. The mechanism is the same in every state; the reporting format differs. Full explanation at our ATAR hub.

Probably not exactly. Scaling is recalculated every year based on the new candidature. Patterns are reasonably stable year-on-year (Specialist Maths consistently scales up; Foundation Maths consistently scales down), but the exact figures move. UAC says it explicitly: 'if the quality of the candidature changes, the scaled mean will also change.'

No. A student who hates Specialist Maths and grits through it to a study score of 25 will get a worse scaled score than the same student getting 35 in a subject they enjoy. The scaling 'boost' on hard subjects only kicks in if you are actually performing at the upper end of the subject's candidature. Pick subjects you will engage with; use scaling data to understand the system, not to game it.

Each is good at something different. Cluey is the most operationally consistent managed platform; Learnmate has the widest curated tutor pool; Superprof has the cheapest entry point but minimal vetting; KIS is selective and best-suited to top-band senior secondary students; Tutero has the cleanest UX. Read our individual reviews at platforms.

Depends on the platform. Managed platforms (Cluey, Tutero, KIS) often lock you into term packages with limited refund flexibility — check before committing. Marketplace platforms (Superprof, Learnmate) let you book per-lesson with no lock-in. Independent tutors usually have their own terms; ask up front. Red flag #6 in our walk-away guide covers what to look for.

Watch for it in weeks 4–6. If your child is consistently reluctant, missing sessions, or showing avoidance, the engagement is not working — even if the tutor is technically competent. Walk away; this isn't the tutor for your child. Tutoring that the student dreads produces worse outcomes than no tutoring at all.

Optional. Some families do; some don't. There's no requirement. The case for telling: a good classroom teacher can coordinate with the tutor on focus areas. The case for not telling: the school's perception of your child as 'tutored' shouldn't influence classroom assessment, but some parents worry it might. Either decision is defensible.

Not specifically as 'tutors'. There is no AHPRA-style register for private tutors. Tutors who are also classroom teachers will be registered with their state's teacher registration body (VIT, NESA-accredited, QCT, TRBWA, etc.) — you can verify them on the relevant register. Tutors working with under-18s should hold a current Working with Children Check (WWCC, or state equivalent — Blue Card in QLD). Always ask to see the WWCC.

It means the tutor holds (or has held) a current teacher registration with their state's teacher registration body — VIT in Victoria, QCT in Queensland, TRBWA in WA, NESA-accredited in NSW. To get this, the person has a teaching qualification and has met the state's classroom-experience requirements. Ask for the registration number; the registers are publicly searchable.

Best practice: commit to a 6-week trial, with a review at week 6. Decide then whether to continue. Many families drift into 40-week tutoring engagements without ever revisiting whether it is still adding value. The single most underused practice in AU tutoring is the end-of-term review — have it. Details in our parent checklist.

ATAR scaling data: verbatim from UAC, VTAC, QTAC, TISC, and SATAC annual published reports. Rate data: synthesis from published platform aggregates (Tutorfinder, Learnmate, Superprof, KIS, Tutero, Cluey), Cluey ASX disclosures, ABS household expenditure data, and over time our own first-party tutor rate survey. Full details in our methodology and sources.

No. We do not accept payment for editorial placement, sponsored reviews, or featured-tutor boxes. Some platform-review pages contain disclosed affiliate links to the platforms reviewed; we receive a small commission if a visitor signs up after clicking. Affiliate revenue does not influence the editorial assessment of any platform. Full disclosure.