Best Guide: Earn $1,000/m as a Part-Time Tutor for JC and A-Level Students in Singapore
Are you a student or a fresh graduate looking to earn extra income in Singapore? There are many ways you can earn extra money in Singapore, and becoming a part-time tutor for JC and A-Level students can be a rewarding and lucrative opportunity.
In this article, we will share 10 steps on how you can start your tutoring journey and potentially earning SGD1,000 per month as a part-time tutor.
Key Takeaways (TL;DR)
- If you are a student who wants to earn extra income, becoming a part-time tutor for JC or A-level students can be a lucrative side hustle.
- Although the tutoring industry can be competitive in Singapore, your education background and other factors can make you an ideal tutor for students.
- If you wish to increase your credibility and confidence as a part-time tutor, consider taking up WSQ courses or certifications.
- Next, you should start gaining real-world tutoring experience.
- More importantly, you should create a strong tutor profile on popular tutoring platforms, online job platforms and online marketplaces.
- Your strong profile should serve as an advantage for you to earn competitive rates or fees.
- Ideally, you should also promote your tutoring services on social media platforms and channels for more visibility.
- Once you have secured customers, you should do your very best to prepare for your first tutoring lesson.
- Lastly, you should remember to collect testimonials from your students as and when you feel the need to do so. Their feedback will help you improve faster; thus, making you an even better tutor.
Step 1: Meet the minimum Requirements
To become a part-time tutor for JC and A-level students in Singapore, you should preferably have a university degree. However, a minimum qualification of an A-level certificate or a diploma is acceptable.
Possessing a higher degree not only adds credibility to your profile, but also helps you better understand the academic requirements of your students.
It is crucial for tutors to be familiar with the local Singapore academic syllabus, particularly when it comes to JC or A-level courses. This will enable you to provide accurate guidance and support to your students.
Furthermore, you should stay updated with any changes to the syllabus or examination requirements, as this directly impacts your students’ performance.
Subjects like Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Economics, Languages, and Arts require a solid understanding of the concepts and the ability to communicate them well to your students.
To boost your credibility, consider focusing on a subject you have excelled in during your academic career or have professional experience with.
For instance, if you were an A-Level H1, H2 Maths tutor, you would be expected to display strong mathematical knowledge and the ability to guide students through complex problems.
Step 2: Obtain necessary certifications
Although not always required, obtaining the WSQ Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) can make you stand out as a part-time tutor in Singapore for JC and A-level students.
This certification demonstrates your competence and knowledge in conducting training and assessment.
Completing this programme helps you enhance your tutoring skills, allowing you to provide high-quality educational support. To enrol, you should hold at least an A-Level certificate or a diploma.
WSQ ACTA Programme Structure:
- Duration: Approximately 12 weeks
- Modules:
- Design and develop a learning experience
- Implement the learning experience
- Assess learning outcomes against performance standards
- Partner stakeholders for learning and performance
- Develop and implement self-directed learning
- Facilitate e-learning
The programme may include both classroom lessons and on-the-job training, giving you the tools and experience you need to excel in tutoring.
If you wish to support students with special needs, it is crucial to obtain relevant certifications.
Special needs students may require unique teaching approaches, and having these certifications demonstrates your ability to cater to their learning needs.
One example of a relevant certification is the Special Needs Learning Programme (SNLP), which trains tutors to address the learning requirements of students with autism, dyslexia, and other special needs. To enrol in such programmes, you may need to meet specific requirements, such as having an A-Level certificate or a diploma.
SNLP Key Components:
- Duration: Approximately 6 months
- Core Modules:
- Understanding special educational needs and inclusive education
- Teaching strategies for students with special needs
- Behaviour management and social skills development
- Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and curriculum adaptation
- Assistive technology in special education
Acquiring these certifications proves your dedication to helping special needs students and sets you apart from other part-time tutors.
Step 3: Gain tutoring experience
One way to kickstart your tutoring career is by offering free or low-cost tutoring to friends, family, or neighbours.
This allows you to:
- Develop your teaching style and techniques
- Gain valuable feedback on your tutoring abilities
- Build a portfolio of successful tutored students
- Establish your reputation as a knowledgeable and effective tutor
You can also offer discounted tutoring rates to attract more clients and expand your network. This can be particularly effective when starting out and aiming to grow your tutoring business.
Another way to gain experience as a part-time tutor in Singapore for JC and A-level students is to participate in volunteer tutoring programmes.
Many schools and non-profit organisations offer volunteer opportunities where you can help students in need while honing your teaching skills.
These programmes typically offer:
- Training and support to help you become a better tutor
- Opportunities to work with diverse groups of students
- A chance to give back to your community and make a positive impact on students’ lives
By engaging in volunteer tutoring, you demonstrate your commitment to education and show potential clients that you have relevant, hands-on experience in the field.
Step 4: Register on various platforms
These platforms are specially designed to connect tutors with students. They usually have a large database of learners from different levels and institutions. A few popular options are:
Upon registration, you can offer your specialised services in your chosen subjects.
Most of these platforms have a review system that allows students and parents to rate your services, helping you build your reputation over time.
Online job platforms not only offer full-time job opportunities but also part-time and freelance gigs.
Some popular ones include:
Make sure to create an up-to-date and informative profile showcasing your experience and expertise as a tutor.
Regularly search for new tutoring job listings and set up job alerts with relevant keywords (e.g., “part-time tutor”, “JC tutor”).
Online marketplaces allow you to reach out to a broader audience. Although not specifically designed for tutoring, they do have dedicated education and service sections where you can advertise your skills and services.
Some popular online marketplaces are:
Create a professional ad with clear images and descriptions of your services in the relevant categories.
Remember to respond promptly to any inquiries you receive from potential students and parents.
Step 5: Create a strong tutor profile
When creating a strong tutor profile for part-time tutoring in Singapore for JC and A-level students, it’s essential to emphasise on your academic accomplishments and related tutoring experience.
Clearly showcase your qualifications by listing your educational history and any achievements, awards, or certifications you may have.
If you have experience in tutoring, include the details of your past experiences, such as the subjects you have taught and the duration of your tutoring services. This will help potential clients understand your expertise and experience in the field.
A professional-looking photo can create a positive first impression and make your profile more appealing to potential clients. Choose a high-quality, well-lit photograph that shows you in a professional manner. Alongside the photo, write a brief introduction about yourself. Highlight your passion for teaching, your approach to tutoring, and your personality. This will help clients get a sense of who you are and if you would be a good fit for their child’s educational needs.
In addition to your academic accomplishments and tutoring experience, you should explain why you are the ideal tutor for JC or A-level students. Use your unique combination of skills, knowledge, and experience to make your case. For example, you could discuss your ability to customise lessons to individual students’ needs, your own technique in scoring certain subjects, your commitment to helping students achieve their academic goals, or your excellent track record in improving students’ grades. By presenting a clear and compelling argument, prospective clients will be more likely to consider you as an ideal tutor for their JC or A-level students.
Step 6: Offer competitive rates and packages
To succeed as a part-time tutor in Singapore for JC and A-level students, it’s essential to know the current market rates for various subjects. By researching the average rates, you can price your services competitively.
To summarise the subject types and average rates, refer to the table below:
| Subject Type | Average Hourly Rate (SGD) |
| Humanities | 35 to 60 |
| Language | 35 to 60 |
| Math | 40 to 70 |
| Science | 40 to 70 |
Keep in mind that these rates can vary based on factors such as experience, qualifications, and location. Adjust your rates accordingly to remain competitive in the market.
To attract more clients and set yourself apart from the competition, consider offering introductory rates or package deals. Here are some ideas for pricing options:
- Hourly rates: Offer a discounted rate for the initial few hours of tuition to entice new clients.
- Tiered pricing: Provide different rates based on the package size purchased (e.g., lower rate for more hours booked).
- Packaged / bundle pricing: Create packages with a set number of hours to encourage longer-term commitments from clients.
By providing a variety of pricing options, you can cater to a broader range of clientele and make your services more appealing to potential students.
Having an efficient schedule is essential to increase your income as a part-time tutor. Here are some tips to manage your tutoring hours effectively:
- Prioritise peak demand: Determine when your students most require tutoring and schedule your sessions accordingly, such as exam periods or during term breaks.
- Minimise time between sessions: Streamline your schedule by scheduling your lessons back-to-back or with minimal gaps, reducing idle time and maximising productivity.
- Group lessons: Increase your income potential by offering group sessions, enabling you to teach multiple students at once while charging a slightly lower rate per student.
Utilise these management strategies to improve your productivity and further increase your earnings.
Step 7: Promote your services
Creating a Telegram channel can be highly useful for your tutoring business. With its ability to host a large number of members, Telegram allows you to share valuable content and updates with your potential and existing students.
You can share study materials, timetables, and assignment reminders regularly. The app also supports large file sharing, making it easier for you to distribute important documents and notes. Remember to actively engage with your students by addressing their queries and fostering a sense of community.
TikTok, known for its short and entertaining videos, can be a powerful platform for you to showcase your expertise and teaching abilities.
By creating an account and regularly posting educational content in an engaging and easy-to-understand manner, you can attract a wide audience. Focus on creating bite-sized videos addressing common challenges faced by JC and A-level students or explaining complex concepts. Students will appreciate your ability to break down difficult topics, leading them to consider your services.
Instagram offers various ways to promote your tutoring services effectively.
In addition to regular posts showcasing your teaching methods, success stories of past students, and testimonials, you can also utilise the platform’s stories feature to provide real-time updates or share tips.
Engage with your audience by running Q&A sessions or sharing snippets of your teaching materials using the Highlights feature. Consistently updating your account and interacting with potential students will help build trust and establish your reputation as a reliable tutor.
Step 8: Prepare for your first tutoring session
Before starting your first session, you should clearly understand both the student’s and the parents’ expectations. Ask about their learning needs and goals for the tutoring sessions.
Get an idea of the student’s current abilities and challenges, and discuss specific targets or academic achievements they wish to accomplish. This will help establish a clear direction for your personalised lesson plan.
Once you have a clear understanding of the student’s needs and goals, create a customised lesson plan for them.
Base your plan on the latest JC or A-level curriculum and the specific expectations of your student. This will help ensure that the tutoring sessions are tailored to meet the individual needs and preferences of each student, ultimately resulting in better learning outcomes.
As a part-time tutor in Singapore, it is essential that you keep up to date with the latest curriculum. You can find further information on the latest JC or A-level curriculum at A Level Tuition Singapore.
Be prepared with all the necessary materials, resources, and equipment for your first tutoring session.
This may include textbooks, stationery, or any other relevant teaching aids. If you plan to hold your sessions online, familiarise yourself with popular online tutoring tools or software that will help facilitate effective learning.
Some examples of these tools are digital whiteboards, video conferencing tools, and document-sharing platforms. The Tutor City blog post suggests having a positive track record, which can also play a vital role in demonstrating your competency to the parents.
Step 9: Collect testimonials from your students
Asking for feedback about the content of your lessons allows you to gauge how well your students understand the material you teach.
Are your explanations clear and concise? Are the examples you provide relevant and helpful? To gather this information, you can simply ask your students to leave a comment, send you an email, or complete a short survey.
Finding the appropriate duration for lessons is essential for maintaining a smooth learning experience.
Request for reviews on whether the lessons are too long, too short, or just right. Adjusting lesson length according to your students’ preferences can lead to improved engagement and better learning outcomes.
One of the most underrated aspects of tutoring is the environment in which teaching takes place.
Request for reviews about the atmosphere you create for your students. Is it conducive to learning? Does it make them feel at ease and focused? Collecting this information can help you make improvements as necessary to ensure you are providing the best ambience for your students to thrive.
Another critical aspect of your tutoring is the actual results your students achieve.
Ask for feedback and testimonials regarding their progress and attainment of their objectives. Learning how your students fared in A-level and JC exams due to your tutoring can help you refine your teaching methods to cater to their needs better. It can also provide evidence of your effectiveness for potential clients.
Step 10: Legal and financial considerations
When working as a part-time tutor for JC and A-level students in Singapore, it is important to handle payments efficiently.
You can opt for cash, cheque, or fund transfer via bank to receive payments from clients. Be sure to set up a platform for payments to keep track of income and expenses, which will be useful when it comes time to file your taxes with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).
It’s essential to establish payment terms with your clients from the beginning. If you are working with a tuition centre or agency, understand their payment rates, terms and schedule.
Agree upon the frequency of payments and the payment method beforehand. To ensure that you get paid on time, you could consider invoicing your clients regularly and setting up a system to track payments. This helps to keep financial matters transparent and well-organised.
As a part-time tutor, you need to be aware of the tax implications in Singapore. Your earnings from tutoring are considered side income and should be reported to the IRAS when filing your income tax return.
In line with this, you need to understand the prevailing tax rates and the rules around Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions.
For the CPF, since you are a self-employed individual, there may be no compulsory CPF contributions for your income from tutoring services. However, you can still make voluntary CPF contributions, which may provide you with certain tax relief.
To have a clear understanding of your finances and potential obligations, you should consistently maintain a record of your income and expenses. This will help you better manage your finances and plan for tax season.
In short
To become a successful part-time tutor for JC and A-Level students in Singapore, all you need to do is to get familiar with the 10 steps covered in this article. Do not be afraid to showcase your unique experience and skills as they might be very valuable for students who have trouble in their studies. More importantly, you must take action, gain experience and leverage your contacts to start making money as a part-time tutor for JC and A-level students in Singapore.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
JC and A-level tutors in Singapore can charge varying rates depending on their expertise and experience.
Part-time tutors can earn between SGD 50 to 60 per hour. On the other hand, full-time tutors and ex/current MOE teachers may charge ranges of SGD 60 to 80 and SGD 95 to 130 per hour, respectively. Your potential income depends on the number of students you can handle and the hours taught.
Yes, university students can offer part-time tutoring services for JC and A-Level subjects.
In fact, students in universities and graduates are often included as part-time tutors. It is essential to have a strong understanding of the subject matter and good teaching skills to provide effective tutoring services.
Part-time tutors may face challenges such as building a steady client base and preparing well-rounded lesson plans tailored to students’ needs.
Additionally, tutors need to stay updated on the latest syllabus changes and be able to adapt their teaching styles to suit individual student learning preferences.
To overcome these challenges, you can start by networking with other tutors and joining online tutoring platforms to increase your visibility.
Continuously work on developing essential skills like adaptability, communication, and lesson planning to improve your teaching methods. Attending workshops or courses on teaching methodologies and staying updated with curriculum changes can also help boost your preparedness.
To become a full-time tutor in Singapore, you should start by honing your teaching skills and building a network of clients. You should also focus on marketing yourself effectively. Registering with a tutor agency or online tutoring platform is highly recommended as well. Make sure to gather positive testimonials and referrals from past students to enhance your profile. As you accumulate more experience and clientele, you can gradually transition from part-time to full-time tutoring.