Online tutoring equipment doesn’t need to be expensive, but it does need to be reliable. Families judge you partly on how clear you look and sound, and a dropped connection mid-trial can cost you a student. This checklist covers what Tutopiya requires, what makes lessons noticeably better, and what you can skip. There’s also a simple pre-lesson test to run before every class.

Key takeaways

• Required: a PC or laptop, webcam (camera on in every class), microphone, stable internet with a backup, and a quiet, well-lit room.
• Strongly recommended: a headset, and a pen tablet for maths and sciences.
• Nice to have: an external webcam, a soft light, a second monitor.
• Microsoft Teams is included in every Tutopiya plan.
• Tutors are responsible for disruptions on their side, so backups matter.

What Tutopiya requires

From the Tutor Marketplace Terms:

Requirement	Detail
Device	PC or laptop; mobile phones and tablets aren’t allowed for lessons
Camera	Must be on in every class, whether or not the student’s is
Environment	Quiet, well-lit, distraction-free
Location	Not while travelling
Internet	Stable at all times; backup plans recommended
Responsibility	Tutors are responsible for disruptions on their side, including power and network
Independence	Tutors must not rely on the student’s equipment or connection

The full equipment checklist

Item	Priority	Why it matters
Laptop or PC	Required	Runs Teams and resources reliably
Webcam	Required	Camera on in every class
Microphone	Required	Clear audio matters more than video
Headset	Strongly recommended	Cuts echo and background noise
Pen tablet or stylus	Strongly recommended (maths, sciences)	Clear handwritten working and diagrams
Backup internet	Strongly recommended	Mobile hotspot or second provider
Power backup	Recommended where outages happen	UPS or inverter for router and laptop
Soft light	Nice to have	Even light on your face
External webcam	Nice to have	Sharper image, better angle
Second monitor	Nice to have	Notes and resources beside the lesson

What you can skip

• Expensive cameras or studio lights.
• Paid video software, because Microsoft Teams is included in your plan.
• Paid question banks, because past papers and learning resources are included.

A pre-lesson test: step by step

1. Restart your laptop if it’s been on all day.
2. Open Teams and check that the camera and microphone are selected.
3. Check your light: face a window or lamp.
4. Test your internet with a quick speed test, for example on Speedtest.
5. Have your backup ready: hotspot on standby.
6. Open your resources: past papers and whiteboard.
7. Silence notifications on your laptop and phone.

Setup by subject

Subject	Extra equipment worth having
Maths, physics, chemistry	Pen tablet; graph and geometry tools
Biology	Diagrams ready to annotate
English and humanities	Shared documents for live feedback
Computer Science	An online code editor and screen-sharing
Economics	Pen tablet for diagrams

Browse subjects on the Cambridge IGCSE tutor jobs hub.

Budget options by priority

Budget	What to buy first
Minimal	A wired headset with microphone; use your laptop’s webcam; face a window
Moderate	Add a pen tablet (for maths and sciences) and a mobile-data backup
Comfortable	Add an external webcam, a soft lamp and a second monitor

Audio first, then handwriting, then video quality. That order gives the biggest improvement to lessons for the least money.

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’re paid on the 15th of each month for the previous month’s lessons, and trial lessons last an hour and are unpaid. Every plan (SGD 10/month, SGD 20 for 3 months or SGD 90/year) includes Microsoft Teams, past papers, learning resources, AI tools and free teacher training. Full details are on the Tutopiya Become a Tutor page.

Common equipment mistakes

• Teaching from a phone or tablet. Not allowed.
• No headset. Echo and noise distract students.
• Backlit setup. Face the light.
• No backup internet.
• Typing maths. Use a stylus.

Talk to us

For using Teams well, read teaching on Microsoft Teams: a guide for online tutors. For starting out, see how to start online tutoring. Questions? Contact our team.

Frequently asked questions

What equipment do I need to tutor on Tutopiya? +

A PC or laptop (phones and tablets aren't allowed for lessons), a working webcam (your camera must be on in every class), a microphone, ideally on a headset, a stable internet connection with a backup, and a quiet, well-lit room. Microsoft Teams is included in every plan.

Do I need a pen tablet? +

It's not required, but it's strongly recommended for maths and sciences. Writing equations, diagrams and working by hand on a shared whiteboard is much clearer than typing. An inexpensive graphics tablet, or a tablet with a stylus used as a drawing pad alongside your laptop, works well.

What internet speed do I need? +

A stable connection matters more than peak speed. Test your upload and download speeds and check that video calls run smoothly at your teaching times. Keep a backup, such as a mobile hotspot, because Tutopiya's terms make tutors responsible for disruptions on their side.

Ready to Become a Tutor?

Teach IGCSE, IB, and A-Level students worldwide from home. Tutopiya connects specialist tutors with families around the world — keep 100% of your hourly rate, use AI-powered resources, and apply in minutes.

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