Ask the tutor to mark one of your child’s recent answers in front of you and explain where each mark was awarded or lost. A tutor who knows the marking scheme will point at specific lines and name what earned credit. One who does not will talk about the answer in general terms and say it is broadly correct — which is exactly how a student loses marks on work that is broadly correct.
| The test | Ask them to mark one real answer, line by line |
|---|---|
| Good sign | They point at specific lines and name the credit |
| Bad sign | General praise, no line-level detail |
| Why it matters | CBSE and ISC award marks differently for the same chemistry |
Why this is not a technicality
A chemistry answer is not marked as a whole. It is marked in pieces — the balanced equation, the condition stated, the correct units, the step that shows the reasoning. A student can arrive at the right final answer and lose half the available credit by omitting pieces they considered obvious.
A tutor who has taught the board for years knows which pieces those are and will insist on them long before the student sees the point. A tutor who knows chemistry but not the board will teach correct chemistry and let the pieces go.
The four questions worth asking
- "Can you mark this answer and tell me where the marks are?" The most informative single request you can make. Specificity is the signal.
- "What does this board expect that the other one does not?" Anyone who has taught both will answer immediately — CBSE rewards compact precision, ISC expects the reasoning visible.
- "Which parts of an organic conversion carry marks?" The reagents and conditions, and the intermediate structures. A vague answer here is telling.
- "How do you mark a numerical where the method is right and the arithmetic is wrong?" The answer should reference method marks without hesitating.
A tutor with a strong subject background and no board experience is a real and common situation. It is not a reason to reject them outright — it is a reason to ask how they intend to handle answer writing, and to expect a concrete answer rather than reassurance.
What should then happen every week
Written answers, marked strictly, returned with the lost marks identified. Not discussed verbally — marked on paper, in ink, the way the board will do it. Students are routinely surprised the first time this happens, and the surprise is the point.
If nothing your child writes is ever marked by the tutor, the marking scheme is not being taught regardless of what the tutor knows about it.
The presentation faults that repeat
- Equations written unbalanced, or with conditions missing from above the arrow.
- Numericals with the formula never stated and the substitution skipped.
- Units dropped mid-calculation and appearing only in the final line.
- Structures drawn ambiguously so a bond position cannot be read with certainty.
- Definitions written approximately, when the mark is for a precise phrase.
Questions parents ask
Our tutor has a PhD. Surely they know the board?
Not automatically. Subject depth and board familiarity are genuinely separate, and the second is what a school exam pays for. Ask the question rather than infer the answer.
Is this a fair thing to ask a tutor in the first session?
Entirely fair, and a good tutor will welcome it. It is a question about the job, not about their competence.
My child’s school marks harshly. Is that the same thing?
Often it is closer to the board than a lenient marker, which is useful. Compare the school’s marking against the official scheme rather than assuming harsh means wrong.
We are on ISC and most tutors near us teach CBSE.
Say so on the first call. It narrows the pool and it is the single most important matching criterion at senior level.
How soon should written work start being marked?
From the second or third session. Before that the tutor is still diagnosing.
Home Tuition on the Gurugram Side — Dwarka Expressway
Great Home Tutors also sends matched tutors across Gurugram's Dwarka Expressway corridor — Sector 99 through Sector 114. This is a genuine, regularly-visited route, not a keyword list: Assotech Blith, Pareena Express Heights, Vatika Sovereign Park and Raheja Vanya City in Sector 99&99A; Emaar Gurgaon Greens, Adani Oyster Grande, BPTP Amstoria and Joyville Gurugram in Sector 102; Godrej Vrikshya, Whiteland The Urban Resorts, Indiabulls Centrum Park and Signature Global Grand IVA in Sector 103; Puri Emerald Bay, Godrej Summit, Hero Homes and ATS Triumph in Sector 104; Godrej Meridien, Elan The Presidential, Sobha Altus and Paras Dews in Sector 106; M3M Woodshire and Signature Global Solera in Sector 107; Sobha City, Experion The Heartsong and Raheja The Vedaanta in Sector 108; Sobha International City, ATS Kocoon, Chintels Paradiso and Raheja Atharva in Sector 109; Indiabulls Enigma, Mahindra Aura and Sidhartha Diplomats Golf Link in Sector 110&110A; M3M Crown, Tashee Capital Gateway, Krisumi Waterfall Residences and Puri Diplomatic Residences in Sector 111; Experion Windchants and Tata Gurgaon Gateway in Sector 112; M3M Capital, M3M Mansion, Smart World 113 and Tata La Vida in Sector 113; and VSR 114 Avenue in Sector 114.
If your society is not named above, it is very likely still on our regular Dwarka Expressway route — call or WhatsApp and we will confirm before the demo class.
Do you take students on the Gurugram side of Dwarka Expressway?
Yes — Sector 99 through Sector 114. Call or WhatsApp 9212142427 to check timing for your society.