A trial lesson plan is the most valuable document a new tutor can write, because the trial decides whether a student becomes a regular booking. On Tutopiya, every new student starts with a one-hour, unpaid trial, and the tutor who runs it is generally assigned as that student’s primary tutor. This guide gives a minute-by-minute template for IGCSE and IB trials, diagnostic question ideas, how to create a visible win, what to say to parents, and what to do afterwards.

Key takeaways

• Trials on Tutopiya last one hour and are unpaid. Plan every minute.
• Structure: goals, diagnosis, one visible win, exam technique, then a plan.
• Get the student working within the first five minutes.
• End with a clear plan for the next four lessons, and time for the parent’s questions.
• Submit lesson feedback after the trial. It’s required after every class.

The one-hour trial template

Minutes	Stage	What you do
0–5	Welcome and goals	Board, tier or level, exam session, target grade, hardest topic
5–15	Diagnose	Three or four short questions across topics
15–35	One visible win	Teach the weakest area through a real past-paper question; the student does a second alone
35–45	Exam technique	Show how the mark scheme credits the question they just did
45–55	Plan	Outline the next four lessons and what each will fix
55–60	Questions	Answer the parent’s or student’s questions

Diagnostic question ideas

Subject	Good diagnostic set
IGCSE Maths	One non-calculator number, one algebra, one geometry, one student-chosen topic
IGCSE sciences	One calculation, one definition, one graph or practical question
IGCSE English	One short language-analysis question on a brief extract
A Level sciences	One application question, one calculation, one practical-skills question
IB subjects	One unfamiliar, IB-style question and one command-term check

Before the trial: a five-minute checklist

1. Read the booking details: subject, board and any notes.
2. Open two or three past-paper questions at the right level.
3. Test your setup: camera, microphone, whiteboard, screen share.
4. Check your room: quiet, well-lit and tidy, with your camera on, as required in every class.
5. Join on time. If the student doesn’t join, wait at least 15 minutes.

What to say at the end

A short, specific close turns a good trial into a regular booking:

“Today we found that you’re losing most marks on [topic]. In the next four lessons I’d focus on [topic 1], [topic 2] and [topic 3], with past-paper practice each week. By [date], you should feel confident on these.”

Keep all follow-up on the platform. Tutopiya’s terms require communication to go through Tutopiya, and you must not share personal contact details.

After the trial

Action	Why
Submit lesson feedback	Required after every class, including trials
Note what you found	Plan the first regular lesson
Track the outcome	Measure your trial conversion over time
Reflect	What worked? What would you change?

Browse subjects on the IB DP tutor jobs hub and the Cambridge IGCSE tutor jobs hub.

Adapting the template by level

Level	What to adjust
IGCSE	More time on fundamentals; check tier (Core/Extended or Foundation/Higher)
International A Level	Ask which unit or paper is next; include a practical-skills question
IB Diploma	Use an unfamiliar question; ask about IA progress; check HL or SL
IB MYP	Ask for the current task sheet and criteria; focus on one criterion

The structure stays the same: goals, diagnosis, one visible win, exam technique and a plan. What changes is the content of each step.

How tutoring with Tutopiya works

Tutopiya is a 1-on-1 online tutoring marketplace for Cambridge IGCSE, Edexcel IGCSE, IB and International A Level students. You set your starting hourly rate when you create your profile and keep all of it, because Tutopiya’s 40–50% commission is added on top and paid by the student. Later rate changes are requested through Tutopiya, which approves them at its discretion. You add free slots, Tutopiya converts time zones and matches students to you, and you’re paid on the 15th of each month for the previous month’s completed lessons. Full details are on the Tutopiya Become a Tutor page and in the Tutor Marketplace Terms.

Common trial mistakes

• Talking for most of the hour. Get the student working.
• No diagnosis. You can’t fix what you haven’t found.
• No plan at the end. Parents need to see what’s next.
• Running over time. Respect the hour.
• Skipping feedback. It’s required.

Talk to us

For whether trials pay off, read are unpaid trial lessons worth it?. For subject-specific trial plans, see our guides to becoming an online IGCSE maths tutor and becoming an IB maths tutor. Questions? Contact our team.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a Tutopiya trial lesson? +

One hour. Every new student starts with a one-hour trial, free for the student and unpaid for the tutor. If the student doesn't join, the tutor waits at least 15 minutes before the trial is considered forfeited.

What's the most important part of a trial lesson? +

The visible win: finding one real gap in the student's understanding and fixing it within the hour, so the student and parent can feel the difference. A clear plan for the next lessons, shared at the end, is what turns that win into a regular booking.

What should I do after the trial? +

Submit your lesson feedback promptly. Tutopiya requires feedback after every class, including trials, covering the student's understanding and recommended next steps. It also helps Tutopiya's academic team support the family.

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