Start working as a self-employed private tutor

Use this guide if you want to earn by tutoring school, college, adult or exam-preparation students, either alongside a job or as a main income. Have a list of the subjects and levels you know well, any teaching or subject qualifications, and a rough idea of which evenings and weekends you could work. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

1. Choose subjects, levels and format

   Write down every subject and level you could teach, then keep only those where you could explain the current exam specification without notes and mark a past paper accurately. A useful rule is to tutor no higher than the level you have studied or taught yourself, and to start with two or three subjects rather than ten. Decide between in-person, online or both: online removes travel and widens your area, but needs a reliable connection, a webcam, a quiet room and a shared whiteboard; in-person suits younger children and practical subjects. Expect most demand on weekday evenings and weekends, peaks before mock exams and in spring, and a drop over summer, so plan your income around school terms rather than 52 weeks.