Thanks for checking out my Wyzant review… A great way to earn income online and reach your goals, is to help others reach their goals. Online tutoring provides that opportunity.
Can Wyzant help you though or is it just another scam that takes advantage of people? Reading between the lines of hundreds of Wyzant Tutoring Reviews, opinions range from great to not so great. I'll explain who they are, what they do, and how they can help you.
Disclaimer:
Please note, I am not a member or an affiliate for Wyzant. This review has been researched with information and/or testimonials that are available online in the public domain. Any recommendations and/or conclusions are strictly opinions and may not to apply to, or agree with, all persons or situations. See full disclaimer for more info
What Is Wyzant?
Wyzant is an online community of tutors and students. Unlike other online tutoring platforms such as TutorVista… Wyzant is a marketplace where tutors are not bound to a strict schedule.
Headquartered in Chicago IL, Wyzant has been around since 2005… which is a good indication that they’re doing something right.
That doesn’t mean there are no complaints, but it’s usually a good sign when a company (especially an online company) survives and continues to grow over many years.
From a tutor's perspective though, that's not always a good thing. As more people learn about Wyzant… the more tutors they bring on and the more crowded the marketplace becomes. For some that'll lead to a full schedule, but for others it can make it more difficult to get noticed.
Still… it's better to be growing than going the other way.
Who Is Wyzant For?
Wyzant is great for someone with an outgoing personality, who loves to teach and of course, wants to work from home.
For people who are simply looking for a way to make money online, Wyzant can provide that opportunity but this is still a job. You can make your own schedule, but you can't leverage the web to earn a significant income.
You're still trading your hours for dollars and getting paid once for the work you do.
A big reason people turn to the internet to make money is because it allows you to multiply your efforts online in ways you can't offline. If you created a course for example, rather than teaching the same material over and over… you would teach it once (for your course) and you could earn passive income on that course for many years to come.
The web opens a door to passive income using strategies I've written about here.
Even though I recommend tutoring as a great way to make money online, it unfortunately does not provide that financial advantage.
Having said that, when it comes to Wyzant Tutoring, they have established themselves as a “go-to” brand for independent tutors looking for a virtual classroom environment, a marketplace where they can network with students, and someone to handle their “back-office” business stuff like marketing and accounting.
For the person who's just looking for some extra spending money online, something more simple like online surveys might be a better option. Sites like surveyjunkie.com are free to join and don't require the same commitment an online job does.
You can also make money watching videos, searching the web and visiting websites with Inbox Dollars.
Again, these are good if you're just looking for some extra pocket money.
For a significant income an online business might be what you're looking for.
Maybe you're at home for health reasons or children to look after. Maybe you're just sick and tired of your day job.
In that case, a full-time income from home is what you want and knowing how (and where) to get started is what you need in order to get what you want.
Now, I'm going to give you a free step by step beginner's guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here
Is Wyzant a Scam?
Wyzant is not a scam, but you can certainly find people who use that word recklessly.
It’s understandable that some tutors, as well as students, have complaints (what company doesn’t), but real scams typically take your money and run. Wyzant takes a pretty steep commission from new tutors, which is one of the issues here… but they are up front about it.
And, the more hours you put in, the less they take.
There are certainly some legitimate issues people have with Wyzant which I'll get more below, but they don't make Wyzant a scam.
How Does It Work?
Wyzant is only open to US residents (with a valid SSN) that are over the age of 18.
Depending on how many subjects you want to teach, getting started can take anywhere from a day, to a week.
Their platform may be a marketplace for freelancers, but their hiring process is similar to what you’d expect with a traditional job.
There is quick application process, and you’ll have to submit your resume and cover letter.
If accepted, you'll be required to take proficiency tests or written assessments for the subjects you want to teach. Proficiency tests are 8-20 multiple choice questions and you only get 1 attempt.
Requirements
Wyzant does NOT have any specific educational requirements, and you don’t have to be a certified teacher.
This will be great news for some, and not so great for others.
If you do have a list of qualifications and certifications, it can help you stand out in the marketplace… but you will also be competing with less qualified tutors willing to charge a lot less.
On the other hand… Wyzant is good place for new tutors to gain some experience.
As far as technical requirements, they are pretty easy on those as well.
A desktop or laptop is preferred, but you may also be able to launch lessons if you have a newer tablet.
Supported browsers are either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, and you’ll need a quality microphone.
Wyzant Pay and How Much Does It Cost?
Getting started is free, although a background check (at your expense) is recommended. It provides another layer of confidence to parents and students, especially if you’re booking an in-house lesson (yes… Wyzant offers both online and in-person tutoring).
Your earnings and expenses are directly related to each other. You can choose your own rates, but a portion goes to Wyzant's revenue share program.
The good news is that the more hours you accumulate as a tutor, the less you have to share with Wyzant.
Rate Schedule
- 0-20 hrs: 40% (shared with Wyzant)
- 21-50 hrs: 35% (shared with Wyzant)
- 51-200 hrs: 30% (shared with Wyzant)
- 201-400 hrs: 25% (shared with Wyzant)
- 401+hrs: 20% (shared with Wyzant)
If you refer a student (someone you have a previous relationship with) you keep 100% of your payment… however… Wyzant claws back a 9% service fee.
Those hours are also not counted towards your overall progress on the rate schedule.
Beyond your 401 hours, there are no more incentives.
Your pay is direct deposited, but I couldn’t find any information on how often they pay (similar companies pay once a month).
Wyzant Tutoring Reviews and Complaints
The Wyzant reviews are generally positive, but as mentioned above… there are some complaints.
- There are multiple reports of qualified tutors and certified teachers being turned down (including a published academic author). I can’t say whether the reasons are legitimate, but that speaks to a bigger issue… a lack of communication on Wyzant’s part.
- The 40% share to Wyzant is a common complaint.
- No bonuses or incentives to keep tutors (after they reach the top of the rate schedule).
The positive comments are…
- Wyzant provides tutors with a network of students they could not find or access on their own.
- The business end of freelance tutoring is taken care of.
- The Wyzant online tutoring tool gets good reviews. With video chat, file and screen sharing, and a virtual whiteboard with drawing and graphing tools it makes tutoring easier and more effective than tutoring alone using generic apps like Skype.
What I Like About Wyzant Tutoring
- The Wyzant marketplace is not pay-for-play. You’re not competing with tutors who pay for preferential listings.
- They provide both online and in-person tutoring services.
- It’s a “business-in-a-box” type opportunity for freelance tutors.
- Free to join.
What I Don’t Like
- While most reviews are positive, there are still a surprising number of NOT so positive ones. The reports of tutors being declined and dropped without reason without an ability to fix the situation points to a bigger issue within Wyzant. Whether it’s just a communication or management issue, or something shady going on I don’t know.
- I agree the 40% take from new tutors is a little much.
- You are working for dollars… there is no passive income potential (which is where making money online really comes alive).
Where Do You Go From Here?
Wyzant is a great choice for tutors who want to be their own boss. Who may have other side gigs and hustles on the go, and like to plan their days the way they want.
If it's just a little extra spending cash you're after, online surveys might be a good option. Sites like Survey Junkie and Inbox Dollars will pay you for your opinion.
They won't make you rich by any stretch of the imagination but if you've never made money online before they can be a good stepping stone to something bigger down the road.
If you're at home because of a medical issue for example, or children to look after, a livable income may be what you're looking for.
An online job like Wyzant has the potential to help you with that.
If an online business with passive income is what you want though, knowing how (and where) to get started is what you need in order to get what you want.
Now, I'm going to give you a free step by step beginner's guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here
Make Money With An Online Business
If you have a passion for something, like teaching, health, or cooking (just examples)… you can make money with an online business built around that passion.
By following a simple and effective plan, you can use the internet to leverage your efforts and get paid multiple times for doing something once. It's the strategy I use and share here.
I recently had the unfortunate experience of dealing with this online tutoring company that left me utterly disappointed and frustrated. It is my duty to warn others about this terrible service, marked by abysmal response time, a complete waste of time, unqualified staff, and a company that seems more interested in spamming customers than providing any actual help.
My experiences as a math tutor are very positive. This is for Aug 2019 – July 2021 (and continuing).
Wyzant affords me the capacity to reach students around the country. I wouldn’t be able to market myself and attract students. The 25% fee is worth it.
You have to be creative to build up your clientele and stature. Then the parents/students seek you … it doesn’t seem competitive. I’ve charged as much as $60/hr. Some people more confident with a high-priced tutor. I’ve charged as low as $12/hr to accommodate someone’s budget.
Their customer support has been positively responsive to the 4-5 parent/student issues (over 1200 hours tutored) and technology glitches.
I presented credentials and/or passed their tests to be certified in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, and Pre-Calculus. I have a degree and teaching license.
No complaints. Enjoyable experience. Great opportunity to serve others. Can’t recall everything from the article BUT I wanted to respond and share my highly positive experience.
Thanks Barry, great insights. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with Wyzant 🙂
Yes it seems educational and especially online classes these days are the ultimate money making machine. Wyzant doesn’t treat its tutors who bring them all the revenue very good in my experience. They can just close anyone’s account based on their whims or what they thought the conversation between student and tutor meant. I had been tutoring for Wyzant for over a year. Suddenly my account was deactivate quoting a section 18c in their terms and agreement. I had great reviews and a five star rating. They have no respect for people who have worked hard for them and no tolerance for the tutors to err. I am looking for fairer options to emerge in the online education business
I am a private tutor and have worked with WyzAnt and several other agencies for years now. WyzAnt is the best employer and provider of tutoring services in my view for these reasons:
1. It attracts and retains the most competitive tutors because it allows independent contractors (all tutors) to run their policies, which is a form of successful risk-free micromanaging.
2. It has a very prompt, ultra-effective staff.
The negative reviews are due to external issues:
1. Malicious reporting by some students (for example, if I as a tutor decline to provide services to a student as I may not feel safe going to his home, that student might complain).
2. The agency takes active measures to protect its integrity from hackers and any deceitful practices (which some may not like). I have been asked by some to do their tests and I declined, so if a profile is locked at any time I am sure it’s for valid reasons.
Hi Gabriela, thanks for taking the time to share, these are great insights!
Wyzant now takes 25% of our fee. Still a little high. The real problem is support. A student scammed me and Wyzant left me out to dry: A student scheduled one lesson (one hour) but wanted me to fix up their paper and send it back to them. He also didn’t want to use the video chat. I said I would make suggestions. I did. I read the paper and ended up giving a few dozen over the hour. I have a BA in writing and literature. His use of punctuation throughout the paper he submitted was vastly incorrect. After I pointed out the mistakes, he sent back the first paragraph, which was slightly better. The hour ended, and I sent additional suggestions as a courtesy, since he said he couldn’t afford more time ($20/hr). He gave me a one-star rating. I complained to Wyzant because I believed that the student set up this one-hour lesson so he could take advantage of their policy that makes the first hour with a new tutor free, if the student is dissatisfied. He wrote nothing about his dissatisfaction, only giving the one star. I had no option to respond to the rating. Possibly, the student was unhappy that I didn’t write the paper for him. It was St. Patrick’s Day. Maybe he was partying? Wyzant told me that the only way I could get rid of the bad rating was to return the money. Who wins then? The student and Wyzant. Forget these online tutoring services. I suspect they are all scams.
I was in the early stages of signing up as a tutor & they threw all these little quizzes at me. Well I picked up on several errors in the tests themselves & wrote back. My account was pulled that afternoon. I have 3 degrees-2 in math/1 in earth science & do foreign languages as an avocation. I also love art history. Their tests are rather arbitrary & who is to say who is a good tutor. Tutoring is not a bank VP. Most franchises are in it for the money. Tutors would have to work a lot of hours to have good grocery money. While the enterprise may work well for some people, I am skeptical of such franchises. Who are they to say what I can tutor or not? The key thing with tutoring is just not to simply repeat the teacher’s pattern of teaching or moving thru material. You want to engage tutorees on how to think, not just cover material.
Hi Kim, thanks for sharing your experience. I agree… while I can’t speak specifically to Wyzant’s motives, the online industry for education (and just about every other niche) is rampant with companies just in it for the money.
Having said that, it’s not unlike the offline world. For example, where I live our technical schools funnel students through courses like an assembly line, whether their skills are required in the industry or not. In my 4th year of electrical there were, I believe, around 400 of us getting our journeyman tickets. There are 3 intakes per year so you’re looking at 1200 new journeyman electricians per year, and there are 2 schools of that size in the province plus various smaller schools. So… on average a conservative guess is probably 2500 new JM electricians each year and the number of new apprentices dwarfs that.
But relatively speaking, there are only a handful of available jobs. The demand for tradespeople can’t keep up.
This is the case for all trades, not just electrical. From cooking to carpentry and welding… they keep advertising and pouring people through these programs because they have to. These are billion dollar schools and to stay in business, they need students… whether the market needs graduates or not. In their defense, these schools provide a critical service to society and our economy, and we’d be worse off if they did go out of business.
I believe most of the instructors care about their students and are in it for more than the money, but at the end of the day, it’s still a money making machine.
Anyway… sorry for the rant, your comment just got me thinking about a bigger issue when it comes to the business of education 🙂
Thanks for you comment and I hope you’ve been able to find a reliable income online.
Jay