What should I ask a tutor before hiring them?

Before hiring a tutor, ask questions that reveal specific expertise rather than generic reassurance — the answers should tell you whether this tutor genuinely knows your child's exact situation, not just tutoring in general.

Questions about exam-board and level fit:

• "Do you know the [AQA/Edexcel/OCR] specification for [subject] at [GCSE/A-Level]?" — a specific, confident answer is a good sign; vagueness is a warning sign
• "Have you worked with students at my child's current grade, aiming for their target grade?" — a tutor who has taken students from a 4 to a 7 in Maths, for example, has relevant, proven experience

Questions about approach:

• "How would you structure the first session?" — a strong answer usually involves some form of diagnostic assessment before jumping into content
• "How do you check progress between sessions?" — good tutors track specific topics covered and set follow-up work, not just "we'll see how it goes"
• "What would you expect my child to do independently between sessions?" — tutoring alone rarely produces results without some independent practice

Practical questions:

• Their rate, and whether it's the same for online and in-person
• Cancellation policy and notice period
• Whether they offer a shorter introductory session before committing to weekly tuition

A tutor who answers these specifically and confidently, rather than with generic reassurance, is usually the stronger choice. On TutorLab, tutors write detailed profiles in their own words covering exactly this kind of information before you even need to ask.