What study score should a tutor ideally have?

[ammeamme]

After receiving my results yesterday, I've been thinking of becoming a part-time tutor next year but the fact that my scores aren't the exactly the cream of the crop has lead me to have some doubts.

The subjects that I'm considering tutoring are English and Literature, for which I received raw scores of 44 and 42 respectively. I definitely won't be charging as much as tutors with top-end scores, but is it even worth tutoring with my scores in the first place? (In no way am I meaning to discredit the efforts of those who scored similarly to me, I just don't want to embark on a venture that may prove to be fruitless  )

[Joseph41]

I honestly don't think scores have that much to do with tutoring.

You could get a 50 study score and not be en effective tutor; you could equally get a 30 and be very effective. As a practical venture and not a theoretical one, tutoring requires a lot more than scoring highly when you were in Year 12.

I definitely encourage you to pursue it if it's something you're interested in and passionate about.

[DinWell]

This will depend largely on the student. I'd say that you can definitely tutor for English and Lit with those study scores since they are great!

[Aaron]

From my personal perspective, the study score doesn't matter as much as an ability to actually teach and differentiate content to the student's ability and requirements. You can get a 50 and be absolutely atrocious in teaching the actual content / being able to explain things in a way where your student will understand.

Personal examples:
* I got a 39 in IT Apps, went on to do an IT degree and now I teach it.
* I got a mediocre ss in Further Maths, went on to do stats and maths as a minor at uni, I now teach maths and i'm good at it.

I feel that to be a tutor - you must have an exceptional understanding of the study design or curriculum continuum (depending on VCE or <y10). You must know the areas in your subject where common mistakes happen and be able to explain them clearly to your student so they can avoid them. It's really about convincing your potential students that you are a person who can help them succeed.

No doubt a higher SS means that they know the ins and outs of the subject, but it shouldn't be the only measure.

So the answer to your question is... there's really no "minimum" study score a tutor should have. They should be able to demonstrate they've done well in the subject ("well" doesn't just mean a decent study score - it means content knowledge, it means understanding of the SD etc), and also have an ability to engage/explain in a way that is custom to the student. I don't agree with the use of the "40+" benchmark.

.. And really a tutor should be asking themselves this: Am I just doing it for the cash or am I doing it because I genuinely want to help others succeed like I have? If it's the former, please don't tutor and leave it to somebody who will put the care and effort in. Tutoring isn't a cash grab. Please don't misinterpret what I am saying here - it's fine to financially support yourself but if $$$ is the sole motivator, don't do it.

[aspiringantelope]

I honestly don't think scores have that much to do with tutoring.

You could get a 50 study score and not be en effective tutor; you could equally get a 30 and be very effective. As a practical venture and not a theoretical one, tutoring requires a lot more than scoring highly when you were in Year 12.

I definitely encourage you to pursue it if it's something you're interested in and passionate about.

I absolutely agree with this! Study scores should not be the main thing students would be interested in but moreover, the effort you are willing to put in to help your students to achieve their best. Though some students have a strong perception towards the study scores a tutor had/have, most are looking for tutors who are passionate about the subject and that can be seen if you have enjoyed your Year 12 studies in Literature and English and actually found it "rewarding" to have experienced and studied them.

[Bri MT]

I definitely think 40+ is high enough to allow you to advertise fairly easily & get students interested

[Joseph41]

I definitely think 40+ is high enough to allow you to advertise fairly easily & get students interested

Objectively, a 40+ places you in the top ~9%, so would agree with this.

[TheAspiringDoc]

If I was in year 12 I'd be totally happy to approach a tutor who scored 44/42 study scores. Whether I stayed with them (or with a tutor with a 50, for that matter) would depend on if I found them useful and if they really benefited my learning

[EEEEEEP]

After receiving my results yesterday, I've been thinking of becoming a part-time tutor next year but the fact that my scores aren't the exactly the cream of the crop has lead me to have some doubts.

The subjects that I'm considering tutoring are English and Literature, for which I received raw scores of 44 and 42 respectively. I definitely won't be charging as much as tutors with top-end scores, but is it even worth tutoring with my scores in the first place? (In no way am I meaning to discredit the efforts of those who scored similarly to me, I just don't want to embark on a venture that may prove to be fruitless  )

It's a pretty good score! Go for it =). A 44/42 is in the "higher" tier of students (in the eyes of parents).

As long as you aren't in the 20's or low 30s, it's say to say that you should have a go! The reasoning behind this, is that a 40 indicates that you know quite a lot about a particular subject. It can indicate that someone had bad circumstances, but given the market etc... (yeah....)

(No offence to anyone, but in the market place, people see higher as better)

I know that I'm speaking fairly roughly, but tutoring places always often, look for tutors whom have surpassed at least 80% of the cohort. YES, personality and communication matters, but knowledge matters too (unfortunately, getting a "high" score is part of that).

[Sine]

After receiving my results yesterday, I've been thinking of becoming a part-time tutor next year but the fact that my scores aren't the exactly the cream of the crop has lead me to have some doubts.

The subjects that I'm considering tutoring are English and Literature, for which I received raw scores of 44 and 42 respectively. I definitely won't be charging as much as tutors with top-end scores, but is it even worth tutoring with my scores in the first place? (In no way am I meaning to discredit the efforts of those who scored similarly to me, I just don't want to embark on a venture that may prove to be fruitless  )

44 and 42 are definitely fine for tutoring. As others have said 40+ seems to be a general borderline but I know a few people who got mid high 30's for a few subjects (bombed the exam for their standards) and from what I can see they have become effective tutors over the past few years.

However, if you wanted to get hired by a tutoring company lower study scores tend to become a problem as most either want at least 40+/45+ whilst others only take high 40's or 50s.