How MatchMax verifies tutors

Before a tutor card ever appears on MatchMax, a person reviews it. This guide explains the checks behind each verification tier, what a badge does and does not promise, and why asking a tutor for proof before Lesson 1 is always a fair move.

Every card is reviewed by a person

No profile goes live automatically. A MatchMax team member reads and reviews each tutor card before it is published on the tutor list. On top of that baseline review, tutors can opt into a two-tier verification system. In the words of our Guide: "Every card is reviewed by a person. Optional two-tier system — what a badge does and does not mean." The tiers describe how a tutor's documents were checked. They do not describe how well the tutor teaches. Here is what each tier involves.

Blue Tick Verified (Tier 2)

"Blue Tick Verified (Tier 2): Staff cross-check official transcripts and HKID by hand. Approved tutors carry the Blue Tick on their card." This is the strongest document check on the platform. A staff member manually compares the documents the tutor submits, such as official transcripts and their Hong Kong ID, and only tutors who pass carry the Blue Tick on their card.

Verified Professionals

"Verified Professionals: Judged on degree, PGDE, and tutoring record rather than a single exam score." This tier looks at the whole professional picture: the tutor's degree, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education or equivalent teaching qualification where they hold one, and their tutoring track record. A tutor who trained as a teacher and has years of documented tutoring experience is assessed on that combination, not on one exam result alone.

Stated Qualifications (Tier 1)

"Stated Qualifications (Tier 1): Self-reported results; parents can ask for proof before Lesson 1." Tutors at this tier list their own results and credentials, and those claims are shown as stated rather than independently verified. That is not a red flag; many excellent tutors start here. It simply means the claim is the tutor's own, and you are entitled to see the certificate.

What verification does not mean

Verification is a document check, not a guarantee. A tier or badge does not guarantee that documents are authentic, that lessons will suit your child, or that results will improve. MatchMax makes no promise of any grade, school offer, placement, or teacher's mark, and neither should any tutor. Treat the tiers as a starting point for trust, then judge fit in the first two lessons, as described in how to choose the right tutor for your child.

Asking for proof is always reasonable, whatever tier a tutor sits in. A short message before Lesson 1, such as "Could you share the certificate for the qualification on your profile?", is a normal request that verified tutors will not mind answering.

Our independence, stated plainly

MatchMax has no affiliation with, and receives no endorsement from, the International Baccalaureate (IB), the HKEAA, or any school. When a tutor's card mentions a curriculum or an exam board, that reflects the tutor's own teaching specialism and self-described experience. Neither MatchMax nor its tutors represent these organisations.

Where to see the tiers side by side

The full tier cards, with each tier laid out visually, live in the verification section of the Guide at /guide/verification. This article stands on its own, but the Guide is a handy companion when you are comparing cards. To understand how these profiles flow into matching, read how MatchMax matching works, and for what to set up before the tutor arrives, see prepare for your first lesson. For peace of mind once lessons begin, keep our lesson safety and supervision guidelines in mind.

Related guides

• Choose the right tutor for your child
• How MatchMax matching works
• Prepare for your first lesson
• Lesson safety and supervision guidelines

Still stuck? Email contact@matchmax.hk or message the MatchMax team on WhatsApp. — MatchMax Team