How to check a tutor knows the current exam requirements

You've shortlisted three tutors, but when you ask about their methods, one mentions teaching "the old syllabus" and another seems vague about what's actually examinable. Before you book or pay a deposit, you need to know whether a tutor understands what the current exam board is actually testing. That gap between what's taught in class and what appears on the paper is often where marks are lost.

Matric syllabi and exam question papers change—sometimes subtly, sometimes significantly. A tutor working from outdated material or incomplete knowledge of the current requirements will teach your child inefficiently, sometimes drilling content that no longer appears on the exam, or missing new topics altogether. Checking this before you hire is straightforward and non-negotiable.

Verify their source documents

Ask the tutor directly: "Where do you source your exam material and syllabus information?" A tutor who knows the current requirements should name the exam board (DBE, Umalusi, or the relevant body for independent schools) and be able to show you their working copies of the syllabus and recent past papers. Request to see these—not just verbally, but actual PDFs or printed versions they use when planning lessons.

The best tutors keep a folder of the last three years of exam papers and mark schemes, and they reference them during preparation. If a tutor seems uncomfortable showing these, or says they rely on "notes from years ago" or a textbook alone, that's a warning sign. Textbooks lag behind exam changes, and word-of-mouth knowledge can be outdated. Ask which exam session they last reviewed the requirements for. If they name something from more than eighteen months ago, they may have missed updates.

You can also cross-check by visiting the official exam board websites yourself (or asking the school exam officer which board they use). Download a recent question paper in your child's subject and ask the tutor how they'd approach a specific question from it. Their answer should reflect current content boundaries and mark-allocation logic. If they seem unfamiliar with the format or struggle to explain why certain topics appear, that's telling.

Check their engagement with recent changes

Tutors who invest in staying current often attend workshops, join subject forums, or subscribe to exam-prep resources that flag changes. Ask: "Have there been any changes to the [subject] syllabus in the last two years, and how have you adapted your teaching?" A knowledgeable tutor will cite specific changes—for instance, a shift in emphasis toward certain skill types, the removal of a sub-topic, or new assessment weightings.

Request references from recent students (from the last exam cycle, not five years ago) and when you call them, ask not just "Did my child improve?" but "Did the tutor focus on what actually came up in the exam?" Former parents can tell you whether the tutor's preparation matched reality on exam day. If they say the tutor seemed to focus on areas that didn't appear, or missed something that did, you've learned something crucial.

You can also ask the tutor for a sample lesson plan or a breakdown of their term schedule, showing which topics they cover in which order and when they move to exam-technique drilling. Compare this against the syllabus. If their emphasis doesn't align with the exam board's weightings—for instance, if they spend six weeks on a topic that carries 5% of marks and one week on a 25% topic—their time allocation is out of sync with what matters.

Ask about their tracking of announcements

Exam boards issue circulars and updates to schools. Ask whether the tutor is on the distribution list, or whether they monitor these announcements. A tutor who stays on top of things will know about last-minute format changes, adjusted dates, or clarifications on what's examinable. This becomes especially important late in the exam season.

If they have no process for staying informed, ask them to commit to checking the exam board's website monthly during your child's tutoring period. It's a simple but telling measure of professionalism.

Once you've made these checks, you'll know whether your tutor is teaching to the real exam or a remembered version of it. Strove lets you vet tutors and read verified reviews from past clients—a good starting point to filter for those who demonstrate this kind of exam-specific knowledge before you even make the call.