Frequently Asked Questions

When you tell us your subject and level, ScholarsGate finds the verified tutors who actually teach that subject at that level, then ranks them by rating, reviews and experience so the strongest matches appear first. If no one teaches your exact subject, we suggest closely related subjects at the same level rather than leaving you with an empty page. You can then filter by price, university and availability to narrow it down.

Yes. Messaging is free and unlimited, and we encourage it. Ask about their approach, availability and experience with your exam board before committing to a paid session — it is the best way to check the fit.

ScholarsGate covers everything from GCSE through A-Level, IB and the 11+ up to undergraduate level, across maths, the sciences, humanities, languages and more, plus specialist admissions support. If you can name it, there is usually a tutor for it.

No — you can browse and compare tutors freely. You only create an account when you want to message a tutor or book a lesson, and setting one up takes under a minute.

Both. Most lessons happen in our built-in online classroom, but many tutors also offer in-person sessions. Each tutor’s profile shows what they offer, and you can filter for whichever suits you.

Tutors set their own hourly rates, which typically run from around £20–£40/hr for talented undergraduates up to £75–£200/hr for PhDs, Oxbridge graduates and specialist admissions tutors. You always see the exact rate before you book — there are no hidden fees and no subscription.

Payments are handled securely by Stripe, so your card details never touch our servers. You pay per lesson when you book — there is no membership fee and no long-term commitment.

No. ScholarsGate is pay-as-you-go: you only ever pay for the lessons you book. There is no monthly fee to search for tutors, message them or use the platform.

We back your first session with a money-back guarantee. If a first lesson with a new tutor isn’t right, contact us and we’ll make it right — usually a full refund or a free rematch with another tutor.

Yes. Once you’ve found a tutor who works for you, you can book recurring sessions that fit your schedule, and reschedule when you need to. Consistent weekly lessons are how most students make the fastest progress.

Yes. Every tutor undergoes an Enhanced DBS check before they can take students on the platform, and we verify their identity and qualifications. Safeguarding is not optional — it is a condition of joining.

Reviews on ScholarsGate can only be left by students after a confirmed, completed booking — there are no anonymous or fake ratings. What you read reflects real lessons with real students.

Tutors range from strong undergraduates at top universities to postgraduates, PhDs and experienced full-time teachers. Every profile shows their university, degree and subjects, so you can pick the level of expertise you need.

Apply through our tutor page. We review your qualifications and experience, run identity and DBS checks, and — once approved — you can set your own rates and start teaching in our online classroom.

Every online lesson runs in our built-in classroom with live video, a shared interactive whiteboard, screen sharing, file and resource sharing, and live quizzes. It’s designed for real teaching — not just a video call — so the tutor can write, annotate and set questions in real time.

Yes. Both students and tutors can record a lesson from a button in the classroom. Recording happens entirely on your own device and the file downloads straight to you when you stop — nothing is stored on our servers — and the other person is always shown when a recording is running.

Yes. You can pair an iPad by scanning a QR code in the lesson and use it as a stylus whiteboard, which is ideal for handwriting maths and diagrams. Whatever you draw appears live for both people.

No. The classroom runs in your web browser, so there’s nothing to download. Tutors who prefer to can also run sessions over Zoom or Google Meet.

Yes. Tutors can upload and present resources during the lesson, share files for you to keep, and set homework — all inside the platform so everything stays in one place.

ScholarsGate uses AI (powered by Google Gemini) in two main ways: tutors can generate a quiz from any teaching material in seconds, and they can turn a few session notes into a polished progress report for parents. On top of that, our interactive study guides let you learn hard concepts by dragging, sliding and animating them.

A tutor uploads a PDF, a photo of some notes, or a worksheet, and our AI reads it and writes a set of multiple-choice questions based on that material — complete with correct answers and neatly formatted maths. The tutor can then run the quiz live in the lesson and see results instantly.

After a lesson, a tutor jots down a few quick notes, and the AI expands them into a professional progress report for parents — with a summary, the student’s strengths, areas to work on and concrete next steps. The tutor always reviews and edits it before it’s shared, so it stays accurate and personal.

Not at all. The AI handles the busywork — drafting quizzes and reports — so tutors spend their time teaching, not typing. Every AI output is created for, and checked by, a real human tutor.

Yes. Our interactive guides for maths, physics, chemistry, economics, biology, computer science and statistics are completely free to use — no account needed. They’re a great way to see a concept click before booking a tutor to go deeper.

The platform keeps your lessons, shared resources and progress reports together, so you and your tutor can see how you’re doing over time against your target grade. Progress reports summarise strengths, areas to improve and next steps after key sessions.

Yes. Progress reports are written with parents in mind, and payment, scheduling and reports all live in one account — so parents can stay informed without sitting in on every lesson.

Everything a tutor shares — worksheets, notes, homework and files — is stored in your lessons, so nothing gets lost in email. You can revisit resources any time between sessions.

Safeguarding is central to how ScholarsGate works. Every tutor is Enhanced DBS checked and identity-verified, messaging stays on the platform where it can be monitored, and payments run through Stripe. Recordings are made only on a user’s own device and both parties are notified when one is running.

Keeping communication inside ScholarsGate protects both students and tutors: it means there’s a clear record, and it keeps everyone safe. We ask that arranging and discussing lessons happens on-platform rather than moving to private channels.

All payments are processed by Stripe, a global, PCI-compliant payment provider. Your card details are never stored on ScholarsGate’s servers, and every transaction is encrypted.

Yes. Our tutors teach across all the major UK boards — AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC/Eduqas and CIE — and our study guides are checked against those specifications. Tell your tutor your board and they’ll tailor lessons to it.

Yes. We have specialist tutors for Oxbridge, Medicine (UCAT and interviews), Law (LNAT), admissions tests and personal statements, as well as US applications. It’s one of the areas ScholarsGate is strongest in.

They’re free, animated explainers for the hardest topics across seven subjects — you drag points, shade curves, sort algorithms and step through derivations until the idea clicks. Each one is written and checked by subject tutors and pairs naturally with booking a lesson to go further.

ScholarsGate combines carefully vetted tutors with a genuinely modern classroom — interactive whiteboard, live quizzes, on-device lesson recording — and AI tools that save tutors time on quizzes and reports. Add free interactive guides across seven subjects, and it’s built to help you actually understand, not just book hours.