Every ranking on this site is editorial. No provider pays to appear, no provider can pay to move up, and the ordering is ours alone.
What we measure
- Public review scores. Google, Trustpilot and Facebook ratings, with more weight on services reviewed in the hundreds than in the dozens.
- Published results. Most tutoring services publish no outcomes at all, so a service that puts numbers to its name counts for a lot, and independent corroboration counts double. Our current number one reported a 94.9 per cent pass rate for 2026, later covered by Fife Today.
- Vetting. Whether tutors hold PVG scheme membership, Scotland's disclosure check for people working with children, and whether the service verifies it rather than leaving it to you.
- SQA fit. Real familiarity with National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses. Tutors who mainly teach GCSE and A-Level material rank lower for Scottish families whatever their quality.
- Price transparency. Clear rates, VAT included or clearly stated, no surprise booking fees. Our price guide records what each route costs.
- Coverage and format. Home, online and in-centre options, and whether a family in Dunfermline gets the same service as one in Glasgow.
What we ignore
- Advertising spend, follower counts and how polished a website looks.
- Claims we cannot check anywhere public.
- Incentivised reviews, where we can spot them.
When rankings change
We re-check every listing around SQA results day each August, when a year of outcomes lands at once, and we correct factual changes such as pricing and coverage as we find them. Rates and availability shift through the year, so always confirm directly with a provider before booking.
A note on the premium independents
Our independent tutors list works differently: it records the top of the market by listed rate and public track record, drawn from marketplace listings checked in August 2026. We name the platform each listing appears on so you can verify everything yourself.