How to choose a tutor — 12 questions to ask

The first call with a prospective tutor is where you decide whether this person is worth $60–$200/hr of your time. Most parents waste it. Here is the script.

Before the call

Have these three facts at hand:

• What specific outcome you want. "Year 11 Methods, currently 60s on SACs, need to be high 70s by end-of-year exam."
• Your budget per lesson. Pick a rate band before the call, not during. Use the rate estimator.
• Your time constraints. Which evenings, what duration, online vs in-person.

The 12 questions

1. What's your relevant background for this subject?

Good answer: Specific. "I taught VCE Methods at [school] for 6 years, was a VCAA assessor 2021–2023, marked exam papers." Or: "I scored 49 in Methods, currently in my third year of Engineering at Melbourne Uni and have tutored 30+ Methods students."

Red flag: Vague generalities. "I'm great with maths." "I've helped lots of students."

2. What does a typical lesson look like?

Good answer: Structured. "We start with 5 minutes review of last week's homework, then 20–30 minutes on whatever the student is struggling with that week — usually I ask them to bring questions from their school work — then 15 minutes of practice. I email a 2-paragraph summary after each lesson."

Red flag: "It depends on the student." (Translation: I don't have a system.)

3. How do you know if you're making a difference?

Good answer: Concrete metrics. "After 4 weeks I expect to see internal-test marks move 5+ points. If they're not, we change approach. I track each student's weekly marks in a sheet."

Red flag: "The student tells me they feel more confident." (Confidence is good but it's not an outcome.)

4. What do you do when a student isn't engaging?

Good answer: Has thought about it. "First I try changing the format — more practice, less explanation, or vice versa. If that doesn't shift it after 2–3 lessons, I have a conversation with the parent. Sometimes tutoring isn't the right tool right now."

Red flag: "I just push through." Or: blame on the student.

5. Can I see results from past students in this subject?

Good answer: Specifics, anonymised. "Last year I had 5 Methods students; their study scores were 32, 34, 38, 39, 42 — average movement from start-of-year was +6." Or: "Of my last 4 HSC English Adv students, the lowest band-jumped from Band 3 to Band 5."

Red flag: "I can't share that." (Some tutors genuinely can't because they're new — but if so, they should say so.)

6. What's your cancellation and rescheduling policy?

Good answer: Specific notice period (24–48 hours typically), reasonable consequence. Both directions — what happens if they cancel.

Red flag: "We can figure that out as we go." (You'll figure it out the first time it costs you.)

7. Are you available the same time each week, or do we re-book each session?

Strongly prefer regular slot. Re-booking weekly creates scheduling friction that compounds to missed lessons.

8. Do you communicate with the school's classroom teacher?

Good answer: Has a view on this. Some tutors do; some explicitly don't (because parents don't want the school to know about tutoring). Either is fine as long as the tutor has thought about it.

Red flag: "What do you mean?" — they haven't considered the integration.

9. How do you handle the student's homework and the school's set work?

Good answer: Uses the school's work as the spine. "I work from the school's assigned material. I don't bring my own curriculum. If the student is behind on school homework, we use the lesson to catch up; if they're current, we work ahead or revise."

Red flag: "I have my own program." (Could be fine — but be sure it's not just a marketing wrapper.)

10. What happens in the lesson after the student does badly on a school test?

Good answer: Diagnostic. "We get the marked paper, go through every wrong answer, work out what went wrong (concept, technique, time pressure, careless), and target the lessons that follow at the largest gap."

Red flag: "We move on." Or: generic emotional support without diagnosis.

11. Will you teach my child the curriculum, or work through their school's curriculum?

For senior secondary, almost always want them to work through the school's curriculum. The school knows which marker will grade the exam and the state's marking conventions; an outside curriculum confuses the student.

For primary, a separate curriculum (e.g., MultiLit for reading, NumberWorks for maths) can be appropriate — but ask why the tutor thinks it's better than reinforcing school work.

12. What would have to be true for you to recommend we stop tutoring?

Good answer: Has a real answer. "If we're not seeing movement on tests by week 8 and the student isn't engaging, I'll suggest we stop and try something else." A good tutor is willing to fire themselves.

Red flag: "I always recommend continuing." (Or evasion.)

After the call

Three more things to do before committing:

• Trial lesson. Most tutors offer one cheap or free. Take it. Watch how they interact with the student.
• Reference check. If they cited specific past student outcomes, ask if you can speak to one parent. Decline-with-explanation is fine; refusal-without-explanation is a yellow flag.
• Set a review point. "Let's commit to 6 weeks; on week 6 we have a 15-minute conversation about whether to continue." This is the single most underused practice in AU tutoring. Without it, term-1 tutoring drifts into term-2 tutoring with no decision point.

What not to ask

• "What's your ATAR?" — a 99+ ATAR doesn't make someone a good tutor. The relevant question is whether they can explain what they know to your specific kid.
• "Do you teach my child's school?" — sometimes useful (familiarity with school's marking style), sometimes a conflict (if they teach the marker, awkward). Not a make-or-break.
• "Have you tutored other students at my child's level?" — too general. Better to ask about the specific subject and the specific gap.