Where to study for IGCSE? 6 criteria for choosing a chemistry tutor or course before you pay
IGCSE tuition comes in many forms: 1-on-1 tutors, tutoring institutes and online courses, and each suits a different student. This guide does not rank anyone as the best; it gives six criteria parents can check themselves before paying, plus the questions to ask in a trial lesson.
The short answer
Good IGCSE tuition teaches your child's exact exam, trains written answers against the mark scheme and measures whether marks are moving. The format (1-on-1, group or online) is a matter of study habits and budget.
Market rates for 1-on-1 tutoring are about 800–1,370 baht an hour, institutes about 1,000–1,400 baht an hour (the full cost breakdown).
6 criteria
| Criterion | Ask | Good sign |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The right exam | Cambridge 0620 or Edexcel 4CH1, Core or Extended? | They ask which exam your child sits in the first conversation (0620 vs 4CH1) |
| 2. Mark-scheme answers | How are written answers marked? | Point by point, naming the missing phrase (answering to the mark scheme) |
| 3. Amount of practice | How many written answers a week, and when is feedback given? | Weekly practice with fast feedback, not lectures alone |
| 4. A check before starting | Is there a diagnostic before the plan? | A study plan built on your child's actual weak topics |
| 5. A format your child will keep up | 1-on-1, group or online; travel time | Your child can attend consistently until the exam |
| 6. Total cost to the exam | How many hours, and what does that add up to? | A range of hours given, no big package sold before a diagnostic |
Formats compared
Choosing between a 1-on-1 tutor and an online course? Read 1-on-1 tutor vs online course: which is better.
| Format | Suits | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| 1-on-1 tutor | Students stuck on several topics, or who need someone to set the pace | Highest hourly cost; depends on one teacher |
| Institute / group | Students who like classmates and can keep up | One pace for the room; little time for individual questions |
| Recorded online course | Disciplined self-learners | Nobody marks written answers, so the same marks are lost again |
| Online course + live help when stuck | Students who want lots of practice on a controlled budget | Needs steady study, and someone watching the practice data |
A checklist for your current tutor
If your child already has tuition, tick what it does now. The unticked items are where exam marks usually go.
Does your child's tutor do these?
Tick what already happens
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Questions to ask in a trial lesson
1. Which exam and tier is my child sitting, and what materials will you teach from?
2. Can I see one marked written answer, and how you show what was missing?
3. When will my child do timed exam-style questions, and how often?
4. How many hours to the target grade, and how did you work that out?
How Boom-Tutor meets these criteria
Boom-Tutor is an online IGCSE Chemistry course that follows both Cambridge 0620 and Edexcel 4CH1. AI marks every written answer against the marking points, and live 1-on-1 lessons with Boom are there when your child gets stuck. The self-study course is 4,900 baht, paid once; the platform is expected to open around December 2026.
Wherever you choose, start from your child's real level. The free check below gives a result you can take to any tutor.
Try: all 12 IGCSE Chemistry topics, interactive, on one page
Stuck on something the AI explanation did not fix? Book a lesson with Boom.
See the online IGCSE Chemistry course