A parent with a shortlist of three IGCSE tutors usually has the same problem: every profile says experienced, qualified and results-driven. The differences only show once lessons start, which is an expensive time to find them. So the useful question is not who looks best online, but how to tell which tutor will actually help your child before you pay for a block of sessions. This guide covers what to check, what to ask, and which warning signs are worth walking away from.
Start with the exam board, not the subject
IGCSE is not one exam. Most families meet Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel International GCSE or Oxford AQA International GCSE, and the specifications differ in content, paper structure and how marks are awarded. A tutor who is excellent at chemistry can still spend a month on material your child's board does not examine, or miss a question type it tests heavily.
Ask which board your child sits, then ask the tutor which board they teach most and when they last worked through the current specification. A confident answer names the syllabus and any recent changes. A vague one is your first signal.
What an online IGCSE lesson should look like
Teaching online is a different skill from teaching in a room. In a good session the tutor and student work on a shared whiteboard or document, so the tutor sees the student's working as it happens, not just the final answer. Past-paper questions should appear early and often, with the tutor talking through the mark scheme rather than only marking answers right or wrong. It is also worth asking whether sessions can be recorded, because students often find a replay useful at revision time.
Families in another time zone should confirm that lesson slots will still work through the exam season, when schedules get tight. If you are still deciding between online and face to face, our comparison of IGCSE online tutoring versus in person goes through the trade-offs.
Ask about results, then ask for the reasoning
A tutor who has taken several students from a grade 5 to a grade 8 has seen the pattern before, and that experience is hard to fake. The number alone tells you little, though. Ask what changed for those students: exam technique, confidence, regular practice, or a specific gap in content. A tutor who can answer in detail has thought about their own teaching. One who repeats a headline figure may not have.
Look for a plan you can see
Good tutors do not improvise each lesson. Ask what the next six weeks look like. A usable answer sounds something like this: the first two weeks on the topics your child scored lowest on in the last mock, the next two on topics that are close to secure but still wobble, then timed past papers with the mark scheme reviewed together.
The plan should change after each mock result, but it should exist in writing somewhere that you and your child can both read. If it only lives in the tutor's head, you cannot tell whether it is working.
Tutors who have recently been through it
It helps when a tutor has recently succeeded at the level your child is working towards. OxbridgeX tutors are students and graduates from Oxford, Cambridge and other Russell Group universities, so they know what the jump from good grades to top grades demands. At that stage the difference is often exam technique, not extra content, and that is easier to teach for someone who did it recently. You can see how we match students on our [link to your IGCSE tutoring page].
Expect specific updates, not "going well"
Parents should not have to chase. A few lines after each lesson, saying what was covered, what improved and what still needs work, is enough. Over a few weeks these notes also show whether the plan is working, without needing a separate conversation.
Red flags worth taking seriously
- Vague answers about which exam board or specification the tutor teaches to.
- No willingness to share a sample lesson plan or a way of tracking progress.
- Pressure to commit to a long, expensive package before a single trial lesson.
- Reluctance to discuss what happens if a student starts falling behind.
- A guaranteed grade. No tutor controls an exam result, so a guarantee tends to be marketing, not method.
- Nothing said about safeguarding for under-18s, such as how tutors are vetted and how lessons are run.
What to watch in a trial lesson
A trial tells you more than any profile. In the first 30 minutes, watch whether the tutor begins by finding out what your child already knows, or launches into a prepared talk. When your child is stuck, does the tutor explain it a different way the second time, or repeat the same words more slowly? Does the lesson end with something specific to do before the next one? And afterwards, can your child say what they understood that they did not before?
Be wary of any tutor or platform that discourages a trial, or that wants a long package paid before one has happened.
Eight questions to ask any IGCSE tutor
- Which exam board and subject do you teach, and when did you last review the current specification?
- What did you change for a student who moved up two grades?
- What does the plan for the next six weeks look like, and where is it written down?
- How do you use past papers and mark schemes in lessons?
- How and how often will I hear about progress?
- What happens if my child starts falling behind or a mock goes badly?
- Can we start with a single trial lesson before booking a block?
- How are lessons run and kept safe for under-18s?
Frequently asked questions
How much does an online IGCSE tutor cost? It varies with the tutor's experience, the subject and the lesson length, so ask for the hourly rate and what it includes before you book. [Add the OxbridgeX price range, or link to the tutor cost guide once it is published.]
How many lessons does an IGCSE student need? It depends on the size of the gap and the time left before the exams. A common starting point is one lesson a week, increased in the months before exams. Ask the tutor to base the number on a recent mock result rather than a fixed package.
Is online IGCSE tutoring as good as face to face? It can be, provided lessons use a shared whiteboard, regular past-paper practice and clear written feedback. The quality of the tutor and the plan matters more than the location.
Should my child have a trial lesson first? Yes. A trial is the quickest way to see how a tutor explains difficult ideas and how your child responds. Treat reluctance to offer one as a red flag.
What to do next
Take the two or three tutors you are considering and send each the eight questions above. Compare how specific the answers are, then book a trial with the clearest one. If you would like to see how OxbridgeX answers them, Book a FREE Trial Lesson and ask us directly.
For exam-focused revision on top of tutor selection, see our guide to IGCSE exam preparation.