You’ve found a centre. The sales staff is enthusiastic. The brochure looks polished. The promise — better grades, top-school placement, peace of mind — is right there in front of you.
Pause.
Singapore parents spent S$1.8 billion on private tuition in 2023. One Tampines family put over S$5,000 into a single P5 year — fees, transport, workbooks pushed at the counter — and watched their daughter move from a C to a C+. Before you add to that pile, ask these ten questions. Get the answers in writing.
1. Is There a Lock-In, and What’s the Real Cancellation Policy?
Many centres and AI platforms quietly bind you for a year. Geniebook, for example, runs around S$154/month per subject on an annual plan, refunds only inside 30 days, then auto-renews. Ask: what’s the minimum term? How do I cancel? What date does auto-renew fire? Get every answer over email, not over the counter.
2. What’s the All-In Monthly Cost?
The sticker price is rarely the full price. Add registration fees, material fees, “compulsory” assessment books sold at the counter, and termly top-ups. Ask the centre to write down the full 12-month spend per child, per subject. Compare that to the headline S$180–S$600/month most centres quote — the gap is usually hundreds.
3. Who Is Actually Teaching My Child?
Singapore’s tuition industry has been described as “a free-for-all” with almost no barrier to entry. Ask: is the tutor MOE-trained? How long have they been at this centre? What happens if my regular tutor leaves mid-year? Centres with high tutor turnover quietly cost you the most.
4. How Will I Know If It’s Actually Working?
This is the question most parents forget. The honest line, from Geniebook’s own marketing: parents pay monthly and only find out if it’s working when exam results land months later. Ask for the feedback loop. Weekly written updates? Concept-level reports? Or just a smile at pickup?
5. What’s the Refund and Pause Policy in Writing?
Verbal promises like “very flexible suspension” mean nothing without a clause. One parent was told suspension was flexible at sign-up, then discovered the cap was 60 days — called a “system issue, not in contract.” CASE handles exactly these disputes. Ask for the written suspension cap, refund window, and pro-ration policy before you pay.
6. How Often Will the Price Increase?
Long-time users of major platforms have flagged yearly price hikes. Ask: will my price be locked for the contract term? What’s the historical year-on-year increase? A 10% jump on S$400/month is another S$480 a year — quietly, automatically, off your card.
7. What’s the Class Size — and Is It Actually Interactive?
A “live class” with 80 students on a screen is a lecture, not tuition. Ask for the maximum ratio, the average ratio, and whether your child can speak up or ask questions in real time. If the answer is vague, assume the worst-case number.
8. Is the Syllabus Aligned to What My Child Is Learning Now?
This matters most for Mother Tongue. Some platforms still teach Chinese off the old syllabus instead of 欢乐伙伴 — so the material doesn’t match the school textbook. Ask for a sample lesson and check it against your child’s MOE workbook. For everything else, MOE’s free Student Learning Space is a useful baseline to compare against.
9. What Happens During Exam Season, Holidays, and Sick Days?
Fixed weekly slots clash with school CCAs, family travel, and the flu. Ask: can I freeze the account for the June holidays? If my child misses a session, is it banked, refunded, or lost? “Lost” is the most common answer — and the most expensive over a year.
10. Can We Trial Before We Commit?
A centre that refuses any trial — even a single observation lesson — is telling you something. Ask for a no-strings two-week trial or money back inside 14 days. Threads on KiasuParents will tell you which centres honour this in practice and which quietly don’t.
Before You Sign
If you can’t get clear, written answers to all ten, walk away. The Singapore tuition market is crowded enough that a centre worth its fees will respect the questions — and a centre that pressures you to sign today is the one most likely to cost you S$5,000 and a frustrated child by December.
Ask the ten. Get it in writing. Then decide.