How to choose the JC tuition that truly fits your learning style - Part 1 (Don’t be scammed!)

Preface: This guide is written in mind for JC students, as when it comes to Secondary School tuition, there is less to consider. However in JC, your seniors who have graduated will tell you that most of the time tuition doesn't work for them. And it's for good reasons which I’ll discuss in this guide.

In Singapore’s JC tuition scene, there are many types of tuition and often the way parents and students choose it is via a friend’s recommendation or searching online.

But what works for 1 student may not work for others (even when it's a referral), and there is so much misinformation online that parents and students are not aware of, thereby often having to switch tutors after not seeing clear improvements in results.

Being in the tuition industry for the past 10 years (from 2016 till date), here’s my unbiased and unfiltered guide on exactly how to choose the right tutor for yourself. (I’m writing this guide as if my own child is reading this and depending on this to make the right decision!)

Q: Is 1-to-1 tuition or group tuition better for JC students?

A: For most JC students, group classes with a structured curriculum outperform 1-to-1 tuition. 1-to-1 lessons only work well when you already have strong subject fundamentals and know exactly what to ask — otherwise, the learning tends to stay shallow and fragmented.

Let’s break this down:

Most parents assume that 1-to-1 is automatically better — after all, it’s “personalised”, right?
But that’s a myth.

If I personally had a child in JC, I would never send them for 1-to-1 tuition unless three very specific conditions are met. The tutor must:

1. Teach only one subject (e.g. H2 Chemistry), and teach it exclusively at JC level;
   
   
   

2. Have taught large group classes (10+ students) for at least two years, and
   
   
   

3. Hold a first-class honours degree in that subject — not “related”, but exactly that subject (pure chemistry, not engineering or physics).
   
   
   

Finding a 1-to-1 tutor who meets all three? Nearly impossible. Those who do are usually teaching structured group classes instead, because that’s how professionals in this field scale their impact and sustain a reputation.

❌ Why 1-to-1 Often Underperforms

There are two main reasons:

1. Lack of accountability.
   Most 1-to-1 tutors are undergrads or part-timers. They don’t have a long-term reputation to uphold, so their motivation rarely extends beyond “show up, teach, and get paid.”
   
   
   

2. Consultation-style learning.
   You can only learn what you know to ask. But in JC, the biggest problem is that you don’t know what you don’t know. This limits how much real progress can happen within 2 hours of Q&A a week.

✅ Why Group Classes Work Better

In a group class, the tutor controls lesson pacing and question exposure.
Good tutors plan lessons systematically — focusing on exam-relevant concepts instead of random clarifications.
That structure exposes students to higher-quality questions and ensures they cover the parts that actually move their grades.

In my own classes, I do it online so students can replay lessons anytime — the best of both worlds: structured pacing plus personal review.

🔑 Key Takeaway

For 90% of JC students, small group classes with structured curriculum planning will deliver better long-term results than 1-to-1 tuition.
1-to-1 is most effective only for already high-performing students (grade B or above) who just need targeted help in one area.

Your typical 1-to-1 tutors usually fall into two broad categories:

1. The undergrad trying to make quick cash (≈90%)
Most undergrads teaching JC subjects fall here. Sure, they may be familiar with the syllabus — they just graduated, after all. But being familiar doesn’t mean they can teach effectively.

Many are juggling multiple subjects and levels just to make pocket money. Their priority isn’t your progress — it’s earning. I’ve seen firsthand underqualified university peers struggling themselves trying to give tuition. If you knew how often this happens, you’d think twice about learning from them.

2. The MOE teacher who’s moonlighting (≈5%)
At first glance, this seems perfect: a current JC teacher who knows the syllabus inside out. But here’s the catch: they rarely commit fully for the full two years. Many disappear mid-course to avoid risks from moonlighting rules. Then you’re left scrambling for a tutor who actually fits your learning style.

And here’s a bigger question: Why are you even paying for tuition? It’s probably because you don’t fully understand school lessons. And who teaches you in school? Exactly — MOE teachers. So why pay extra for 1-to-1 tuition from them, when school consults are free?

Disclaimer: Not all MOE teachers are bad — but if most were great at teaching, Singapore wouldn’t have a billion-dollar tuition industry.

Pros and Cons of classes with curriculum (Above 6 students usually):

Let’s start with the obvious downsides.
In larger group classes, you naturally get less individual attention. You can’t control the pace since the tutor has to cater to everyone, and it often feels awkward to ask questions — like you’re holding the class back.

For many students, tuition classes feel like just another school tutorial — the only difference being that the tutor actually explains things in a way that makes sense.

As a tuition tutor myself, I totally agree with these common frustrations.
That’s exactly why I designed my classes differently — to eliminate most of these downsides while maximising the benefits of a structured, curriculum-based approach. (More on that later.)

Yet, there are some extremely underrated upsides of classes with a planned curriculum which most students don’t realise.

I’m not talking about the obvious upsides like “cheaper than 1-to-1”, “learn together with friends” or of any sorts.

Here are 2 underrated upsides:

1️⃣Personal reputation is on the line.
For independent tutors (like those who run their own centres), your results are their brand. That means materials, pacing, and lesson design are often crafted with far more care and pride.

This is especially true for tutors who only teach 1 subject and is the only one teaching, which means that he gets to “claim” all the credits. This may come in the form of potential future referrals when their students do well under their tutelage or better testimonials which helps in getting more students.

Exactly because that’s the case, often the tutor goes far and beyond to help his students as the upsides for the tutor is great when his students do well. You can be sure that, be it lesson preparation or crafting of the best notes and selection of practice questions catered for actual examination, the tutor will do his best for you.

As a result, you often experience that fastest improvement in your grades, as long as you’re also willing to put in the hard work alongside the tutor. 

This does not necessarily apply for tutors who are working under a tuition centre, as usually the tuition centre benefits more than the tutors from their efforts.

2️⃣Insane exposure to student mistakes.

When a tutor teaches dozens of students every year — often 50 or more — they’ve seen every mistake in the book, over years on end.

That means they can warn you about common pitfalls before you even make them, so by the time you sit for your exams, you already know what to avoid. This alone can boost your grades far beyond classmates who learn only by trial and error.

Because every student learns differently, experienced tutors also know how to explain the same concept in multiple ways until it finally clicks.

Sure, 1-to-1 tutors or those with only a few students might seem like a bonus — “I get all the attention.” But what if that attention doesn’t stop you from making mistakes? Too often, they only catch errors after they happen — when you’re reviewing your exam paper. With a high-volume, experienced tutor, you get prevention, not just correction.

But is it worth accommodating the downsides of group tuition?

To some, the answer is an immediate “yes.” To others, there may still be doubts. That’s why in my class, I’ve designed solutions for the three main concerns students often have:

Problem #1: Lack of individual attention
My Solution: I speak to students individually, 1-to-1, outside of class.

Beyond our online lessons, I make it a point to connect personally with students to understand their challenges and offer tailored guidance — all at no extra cost. My students often tell me that these conversations leave them clear, motivated, and confident about their progress — something almost no other tutors offer.

Problem #2: Hard to clarify questions in class
My Solution: In my Zoom classes, students can use the private message function to ask questions directly — anonymously if they wish.

There’s also an anonymous SOS channel where students can take photos of questions and send them to me. Unlike most 1-to-1 tutors, who restrict questions to lesson time, my students can ask questions anytime, anywhere, removing barriers and accelerating learning.

Problem #3: Can’t follow the pace of the class
My Solution: Simply note the timestamp of anything you don’t understand and rewatch that part of the class recording.

Every student attends a free trial class with the actual enrolled class, not a specially-prepared trial session. This ensures you know exactly what to expect, and if any part feels too fast in future classes, you can catch up easily via recordings. If you need further explanation, you can ask me directly online — simple as that.