Frequently Asked Questions

All sessions are 1-to-1, online via video call, and last 60 minutes. Your tutor prepares each session based on your specific needs and goals. There are no group classes or pre-recorded lectures — every minute is focused on you.

It depends on your goals and timeline. Students preparing for Oxbridge applications typically have weekly sessions in the months leading up to key deadlines. For ongoing subject tutoring, weekly or fortnightly sessions work well. Your tutor will recommend a schedule after assessing your needs.

Your tutor tailors each session to what you need most. That might be working through a challenging topic, practising past paper technique under timed conditions, reviewing a personal statement draft, or running a mock interview. Tutors provide written session notes and follow-up resources after every lesson.

Yes. Many students combine different types of support — for example, subject tutoring alongside personal statement guidance and mock interviews. If different specialisms are needed, we may match you with more than one tutor to ensure you get the best expertise in each area.

Most students report feeling more confident and structured within 2-3 sessions. Measurable grade improvements typically become clear within 4-8 sessions, depending on the starting point and how consistently the student engages with follow-up work between sessions.

Ideally, begin at the start of Year 12. This gives you time to build subject knowledge, develop supercurricular reading, draft your personal statement over the summer, and prepare thoroughly for admissions tests and interviews. However, we regularly help students who start later — even a few months of focused preparation can make a significant difference.

Our comprehensive admissions support covers every element of a competitive application: personal statement drafting and review, admissions test preparation, mock interview practice with detailed feedback, application strategy, college choice advice, and ongoing mentoring throughout the process. Your tutor guides you from initial planning through to offers day.

No — and you should be wary of any service that claims to guarantee an offer. Admissions decisions are made by the universities, and many excellent candidates are not offered places simply due to the level of competition. What we can guarantee is expert, honest guidance that gives you the best possible chance of success.

We specialise in Oxbridge but also support applications to Imperial College London, UCL, and other competitive courses at top UK universities. The skills involved — strong personal statements, admissions test technique, and interview preparation — transfer across all competitive applications.

The majority of Oxbridge applicants are shortlisted for interview, but it varies by subject. If a student is not shortlisted, our support still adds significant value: the personal statement skills, subject knowledge, and academic thinking developed during preparation strengthen their overall UCAS application and serve them well at whatever university they attend.

We cover all major UK exam boards: AQA, OCR, Edexcel (Pearson), WJEC, and Cambridge International (CIE). We also support IB (International Baccalaureate) students at both Higher and Standard Level. Your tutor will tailor sessions to your specific exam board and specification.

Yes. We offer GCSE tutoring for students in Years 10 and 11 who want to build strong foundations ahead of A-Levels and university applications. Strong GCSE results also matter for Oxbridge applications, so starting early can be very beneficial.

Yes. We tutor IB students across Higher and Standard Level subjects, and can also support the Extended Essay (EE), Theory of Knowledge (TOK), and Internal Assessments (IAs). Our tutors are experienced with the IB mark schemes and assessment criteria.

Yes. All tutors are trained on the exam technique and mark schemes relevant to their subjects. This means they can teach you not just the content, but how to structure answers to maximise marks — a skill that often makes the difference between a B and an A*.

Ideally 2-3 months before your exams, though we can help at shorter notice too. For A-Level students targeting top grades, starting in the autumn term of Year 13 allows time for thorough topic coverage and past paper practice.

Each mock interview is a 60-minute 1-to-1 session that replicates real Oxbridge interview conditions. Your interviewer is an Oxford or Cambridge graduate in your subject who asks the type of questions used in actual interviews. After the mock, you receive detailed written feedback covering your academic thinking, communication, and specific areas to improve.

We recommend 3-5 mock interview sessions for most students. This allows enough practice to become comfortable with the format, develop your problem-solving approach, and address weaknesses identified in earlier sessions. Some students benefit from more, especially for subjects with particularly challenging interview formats.

Yes. We match you with a graduate from your exact subject at Oxford or Cambridge. They know first-hand what interviewers are looking for and can ask realistic, subject-specific questions. For interdisciplinary subjects (like PPE or HSPS), we match with graduates who studied the relevant course.

You receive a detailed written feedback report within 24 hours, covering: the quality of your academic thinking and reasoning, how well you responded to unfamiliar problems, your communication clarity, body language and confidence, and specific, actionable suggestions for improvement. Many students find this feedback the most valuable part of the process.

Yes. Our tutors are familiar with the interview styles and preferences of different Oxford and Cambridge colleges. While the academic standard is consistent across colleges, some have distinctive approaches (e.g., some favour more structured questions, others prefer open-ended discussion). We can tailor your preparation accordingly.

We offer preparation for all major Oxbridge and competitive-university admissions tests, including: ESAT (Engineering and Science), UCAT (Medicine), LNAT (Law), STEP (Mathematics), TMUA (Mathematics), and TARA (Arts and Humanities). We update our materials whenever test formats change.

We recommend starting preparation 6-8 weeks before the test at minimum, though 2-3 months is ideal. This allows time to learn the format, build the specific skills tested, and complete enough practice papers to feel confident. For particularly demanding tests like STEP, longer preparation is advisable.

Yes. Your tutor will provide curated practice questions, past papers (where available), and worked solutions. We also point you towards the best free official resources published by the test providers and universities. Our preparation is structured around building the specific thinking skills each test requires, not just drilling questions.

Yes. We closely monitor all changes to admissions tests (for example, the transition from BMAT to UCAT for some medical schools, or the introduction of ESAT replacing ENGAA and NSAA). Our tutors are trained on the current format and our materials are updated promptly whenever changes are announced.

Yes, without exception. Every tutor on our team holds a degree from the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge. We verify this with original degree certificates before any tutor begins working with students. This means every tutor has first-hand experience of the admissions process they are helping you prepare for.

Every tutor undergoes a thorough vetting process: Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check, academic qualification verification (original degree certificate from Oxford or Cambridge), two professional references, a teaching assessment with our team, and ongoing quality reviews based on student feedback. We take safeguarding and teaching quality very seriously.

Yes. If you have seen a tutor on our website that you would like to work with, let us know and we will try to accommodate your request. We also take careful matching into account — considering subject specialism, target university, and learning style — to recommend the best fit.

We will reassign you to a different tutor at no extra cost. Getting the right match matters, and we would rather find you someone who is a better fit than continue with a pairing that is not working. Just let us know and we will arrange it promptly.

Not all tutors hold formal teaching qualifications (such as a PGCE), but all have demonstrated strong teaching ability through our assessment process. Many tutors have extensive experience in education, including tutoring, teaching assistant roles, and academic mentoring. We prioritise the ability to explain complex ideas clearly and adapt to each student's needs.

Individual sessions start from £50 per hour. The exact price depends on the type of support (subject tutoring, admissions test prep, mock interviews), the package size, and the tutor's specialism. We provide a clear, upfront quote after your free consultation — no hidden fees or surprises.

No. You can book individual sessions on a pay-as-you-go basis with no commitment. Packages simply offer a lower per-session rate for students who know they need ongoing support over several weeks or months.

Yes, completely free. It is a 30-minute conversation where we learn about your goals, recommend the right type of support, and answer any questions. There is no obligation to book sessions afterwards and no sales pressure.

Sessions cancelled with more than 24 hours' notice receive a full refund or credit towards future sessions. Cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice are charged in full. For packages, unused sessions can be rescheduled within the academic year. Full details are in our terms of service.

Package pricing is discounted compared to individual sessions. We also offer reduced rates for schools and in widening-participation contexts where students would not otherwise be able to access this kind of support. Contact us to discuss your circumstances.

Your personal statement must be your own work — universities take academic integrity very seriously, and UCAS uses similarity-detection software. Our tutors help you identify your strongest experiences, develop your ideas, structure your argument, and refine your writing. They advise and review, but the words and ideas are always yours.

Most students go through 3-5 drafts over 4-8 weeks. The first draft focuses on getting your ideas down; subsequent drafts refine the structure, strengthen the academic content, and polish the writing. Starting early gives you time to develop your statement without rushing.

We recommend starting in June or July of Year 12. This gives you the summer to develop your ideas, gather supercurricular evidence, and work through multiple drafts before the October deadline. Students who start earlier consistently produce stronger statements.

Yes. While our tutors have particular expertise in Oxbridge applications, the skills involved in writing a strong personal statement — clear structure, genuine academic engagement, and compelling evidence — apply to all UCAS applications. Many of our students apply to a range of top universities.

Oxbridge personal statements should be almost entirely academic. Admissions tutors want to see genuine intellectual curiosity, evidence of independent reading beyond the syllabus, and the ability to think critically about your subject. Extra-curricular activities, while valuable, should take up no more than a small portion of the statement. Our tutors help you strike the right balance.