Features

Credibility Score

How CaaS Works

By Tutorwise Team•10 min read•Updated 1/22/2026

Your Credibility Score is a 0-100 rating that shows parents, students, and other users how trustworthy, professional, and experienced you are on Tutorwise.

What is CaaS? Credibility as a Service (CaaS) is Tutorwise's proprietary scoring system that evaluates tutors, agents and clients (parents/guardians) across multiple trust categories.

What Is a Credibility Score?

Your Credibility Score appears prominently on your profile and in search results. It helps:

Clients (Parents & Guardians): Find trustworthy, qualified tutors for their children/students quickly
Tutors: Build reputation, stand out in search, and demonstrate teaching quality
Agents (Agencies & Schools): Showcase organisational credibility and attract clients
Platform: Maintain high quality and trust standards across the marketplace

Higher scores = more bookings! Tutors with scores above 70 receive 3x more booking requests than those below 50.

How Scores Are Calculated

Universal 6-Bucket Model (All Roles)

v6.1 Update: All roles (Tutors, Clients, Agents) now use the same 6-bucket model for fairness and consistency. Same categories, role-specific metrics.

Credibility is calculated across six weighted categories:

Delivery & Quality

Based on your core value delivery on the platform:

Average Rating: Star rating from completed sessions
- Higher ratings contribute more to your score
- Consistently high ratings show teaching quality
Client Retention: Percentage of repeat bookings
- High retention shows student satisfaction
- Indicates effective teaching and relationship building

New Tutor Advantage: If you haven't completed any sessions yet, you receive full provisional performance points. This ensures new tutors with strong qualifications aren't penalised for being new to the platform.

For Clients (3-Bucket Model)

Client scoring is simpler and focuses on being a trustworthy, reliable booking partner for tutors.

Identity Verification:

Government-issued ID verification
Strongest trust signal for tutors
Shows you're a real, verified person

Booking History:

Number of completed bookings
Progressive scoring based on booking count
Demonstrates reliability and engagement

Profile Completeness:

Having a detailed bio (50+ characters)
Uploading a profile photo
Shows engagement and transparency

For Agents

Agent CaaS is Live! Agents now have their own credibility score based on recruitment quality, business operations, and professional standards.

Agent credibility is evaluated across four key areas. Agents with active organisation subscriptions can achieve higher scores through additional credibility factors:

Team Quality & Development

Based on the quality of tutors you recruit:

Average CaaS score of tutors you've recruited
Quality over quantity approach - focus on recruiting excellent tutors
Team integration and professional development

Organisation Benefit: Active organisation subscription unlocks additional scoring for team performance metrics

Quality Focus: Recruiting one excellent tutor contributes more than several mediocre tutors. Support your recruits to succeed.

Organisation Subscription Benefits:

Having an active organisation subscription unlocks additional credibility scoring across all four categories, allowing you to achieve higher overall scores by demonstrating professional team management and business operations.

Important Distinction:

If you're an agent who owns an organisation, you have TWO separate credibility scores:

Your Agent CaaS (personal): Based on your recruitment performance and professional credentials
Your Organisation CaaS (team): Based on your team's collective performance and quality

Both scores are visible on different parts of the platform and serve different purposes.

For Organisations (Team-Based Scoring)

Organisation CaaS is Live! Organisations now have credibility scores based on team quality and verification status.

Organisation credibility scoring is fundamentally different from individual scoring - it's an entity-based score that reflects your team's collective performance.

How Organisation Scoring Works (0-100 points):

Team Performance:

Based on the average CaaS score of your active team members
More active tutors (higher recent session activity) contribute more to your score
Inactive team members don't negatively impact your score
Minimum 3 active members required

Professional Verification Bonuses:

Business verification status
Safeguarding certification
Professional insurance coverage
Educational association membership

All verification credentials boost your organisation's overall credibility score.

Automatic Updates:

Your organisation score recalculates automatically when:

Team members join or leave
Member CaaS scores change
Verification statuses update
Activity patterns shift

Synergy Effect: Strong organisations attract high-credibility tutors, which further boosts organisation credibility - creating a positive growth cycle.

Learn more about Organisations and team management.

Understanding Your Score

Score Ranges & What They Mean

90-100: Elite Credibility

Top-tier professional tutor
Extensive qualifications and experience
Exceptional track record
Premium pricing justified

70-89: High Credibility

Established, reliable tutor
Solid qualifications
Good performance history
Competitive in marketplace

50-69: Moderate Credibility

Building reputation
Some experience and qualifications
Room for improvement
May need competitive pricing

30-49: Developing Credibility

New to platform or developing tutor
Limited track record
Basic qualifications
Needs to build reputation

0-29: Low Credibility

New account or missing key elements
May lack verification
Limited or no teaching history
Needs significant improvement

Most tutors start around 30-40 points and grow to 60-70 within their first 6 months by completing sessions and adding verifications.

How to Improve Your Score

Quick Wins (Can Do Today)

1. Complete Identity Verification (Critical)

Go to Account → Personal Info
Upload government-issued ID
Typically approved within 24 hours
Unlocks all other scoring (Safety Gate)

2. Add Your Qualifications

Go to Account → Professional Info
Add degree details (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD)
Upload certificates and qualifications
Add teaching certifications (QTS, PGCE, etc.)

3. Upload Bio Video

Record 30-60 second introduction
Show personality and teaching style
Contributes to Digital Professionalism score + builds student trust

4. Sync Google Calendar

Go to Settings → Integrations
Connect Google Calendar
Auto-sync availability
Contributes to Digital Professionalism score + gets more bookings

5. Enable "Offer Free Help"

Go to your profile settings
Toggle on "Offer Free Help"
Makes you discoverable for free sessions
Contributes to Social Impact score

6. Complete Your Profile

Add professional bio
Upload profile photo
List subjects and expertise
Add teaching experience details

Medium-Term Improvements (2-4 Weeks)

1. Get Your First Bookings

Price competitively when starting out
Respond quickly to booking requests
Deliver exceptional first sessions
Request reviews from happy students

2. Build Your Network

Connect with other tutors
Join education-focused groups
Ask colleagues to connect on Tutorwise
Engage in community features

3. Get DBS Checked

Apply for enhanced DBS check
Cost: ~£40-60 (worth 5 credibility points!)
Upload certificate when received
Renew before expiry to maintain points

4. Integrate Google Classroom

Set up Google Classroom for your students
Link to Tutorwise account
Share resources and assignments
Adds 2 points + improves teaching

Long-Term Growth (Ongoing)

1. Deliver Consistently Excellent Sessions

Aim for 5-star ratings
Be punctual and prepared
Follow up with students
Track and improve based on feedback

2. Build Client Retention

Offer package deals
Send homework and follow-ups
Build rapport with students
Encourage recurring bookings

3. Contribute to Community

Offer occasional free help sessions
Answer questions in forums
Share teaching resources
Build reputation as helpful expert

4. Use Professional Tools

Use Lessonspace for online sessions
Record sessions (with permission) for review
Integrate professional scheduling tools
Maintain digital organization

Score Recalculation

Instant Updates (v6.1): Your score updates in real-time! Within 1 second of any action, your score recalculates automatically.

When Scores Update (Immediate Triggers)

Your score recalculates instantly (< 1 second) when:

You verify your identity → Trust bucket updates
You publish a listing → Delivery bucket updates
You complete a booking → Delivery bucket updates (tutor, client, agent)
You receive a review → Delivery bucket updates
You create or convert a referral → Network bucket updates
You make a social connection → Network bucket updates
You add an integration (Calendar, Classroom) → Digital bucket updates
You complete a free help session → Impact bucket updates

Architecture:

Event-driven triggers (no delays)
Database triggers fire on user actions
Score calculated and saved immediately
Visible on next dashboard refresh

Monitoring Your Progress

Check Your Score:

Go to Dashboard
View your Credibility Score widget
Click for detailed breakdown
See which buckets need improvement

Score Breakdown:

Total score (0-100)
Points per bucket (Performance, Qualifications, etc.)
Specific metrics contributing to each bucket
Recommendations for improvement

Credibility Score Benefits

For Tutors

Better Visibility

Higher ranking in search results
Featured in "Top Tutors" lists
Highlighted in recommendations
Priority in student browsing

More Bookings

Students trust high-credibility tutors
Willing to pay premium rates
More likely to book without extensive research
Higher conversion from views to bookings

Professional Development

Clear roadmap for improvement
Objective measure of progress
Benchmark against peers
Motivation to upskill

For Clients (Parents & Guardians)

Easier Tutor Selection

Quick assessment of tutor reliability and qualifications
Confidence in booking decisions for your students
Reduced research time when finding the right tutor
Peace of mind about tutor quality and safety

Quality Assurance

Platform-verified credentials and background checks
Objective performance metrics from real families
Protection from unreliable or unqualified tutors
Trustworthy booking experience for your children's education

Credibility for Organisations

Organisation CaaS is Live! Organisations now have their own credibility scores based on team performance and professional verification.

Organisation credibility is calculated using an entity-based scoring model that's fundamentally different from individual profile scoring:

How Organisation Scores Work

Base Score: Activity-Weighted Team Average

Your organisation's base score is the weighted average of your active team members' CaaS scores:

Calculate Individual Scores: Each team member has their own CaaS score (Tutor, Client, Agent, or Student)
Apply Activity Weighting: Members are weighted by their session activity in the last 90 days
- High activity (20+ sessions): Full weight
- Medium activity (10-19 sessions): Moderate weight
- Low activity (1-9 sessions): Reduced weight
- Inactive (0 sessions): Not counted
Compute Weighted Average: Activity-weighted average of all active members
Minimum Requirement: Need at least 3 active members for a valid score

Verification Bonuses

Organisations can earn bonus points for professional credentials:

Business Verified (+2 points): Government-registered business
Safeguarding Certified (+2 points): Enhanced DBS checks for all team members
Professional Insurance (+1 point): Public liability and professional indemnity
Association Member (+1 point): Educational association membership (e.g., ISA, NAHT)

Total Scoring Range: 0-106 points (100 base + up to 6 bonus)

Example Score Calculation

Cambridge Tutoring Academy (8 team members):

Active Members (5):
- Sarah (Tutor): CaaS 92, 30 sessions → Weight: 1.0
- James (Tutor): CaaS 85, 18 sessions → Weight: 0.8
- Emily (Tutor): CaaS 88, 22 sessions → Weight: 1.0
- Tom (Client): CaaS 70, 8 sessions → Weight: 0.4
- Lisa (Agent): CaaS 78, 12 sessions → Weight: 0.6

Inactive Members (3):
- Mark (Tutor): CaaS 65, 0 sessions → Not counted
- Rachel (Tutor): CaaS 74, 0 sessions → Not counted
- David (Client): CaaS 55, 0 sessions → Not counted

Weighted Average Calculation:
(92×1.0 + 85×0.8 + 88×1.0 + 70×0.4 + 78×0.6) / (1.0 + 0.8 + 1.0 + 0.4 + 0.6)
= 338.8 / 3.8
= 89.2

Bonuses:
+ Business Verified: +2
+ Safeguarding Certified: +2
+ Professional Insurance: +1

Final Organisation CaaS: 94/100

When Scores Update

Organisation scores recalculate automatically:

Real-time: When team members join or leave
Hourly: When member individual scores change
Daily: When activity weighting shifts (90-day rolling window)
On-demand: When verification status updates

Benefits of High Organisation CaaS

For the Organisation:

Higher visibility in search results
Featured in "Top Organisations" lists
Premium pricing justified
Easier tutor recruitment
Client trust and credibility

For Team Members:

Benefit from organisation's reputation
Higher booking conversion
Professional development support
Collaborative success

For Clients:

Confidence in team quality
Consistent service standards
Multiple tutor options
Professional accountability

Improving Your Organisation Score

Short-Term (1-3 Months):

Help existing tutors improve their individual CaaS scores
Complete business verification
Obtain professional insurance
Remove inactive team members (if permanently inactive)
Encourage active tutors to complete more sessions

Long-Term (3-12 Months):

Recruit high-quality tutors (CaaS 70+)
Provide professional development training
Achieve safeguarding certification for all members
Join educational associations
Build consistent team performance culture

Strategic Insight: Focus on quality over quantity. An organisation with 5 highly active tutors (CaaS 85+) will score higher than one with 20 inactive tutors (CaaS 60).

Organisation vs Agent CaaS

Important: If you're an agent who owns an organisation, you have two separate scores:

Aspect	Agent CaaS	Organisation CaaS
What it measures	Your recruitment quality	Your team's performance
Scored as	Profile (individual)	Entity (organisation)
Storage	`caas_scores` table	`connection_groups.caas_score`
Factors	Tutors recruited, business ops	Team quality, verifications
Updates	When you recruit/manage	When team performs/changes
Visibility	Your personal profile	Organisation page

Both scores are valuable and serve different purposes - your Agent CaaS shows your recruitment expertise, while Organisation CaaS shows your team's quality.

Learn more about Organisations and team management.

Common Questions

Why is my score 0?

You haven't completed onboarding OR verified your identity
v6.1 Update: You now get a provisional score after onboarding (no hard gate!)
Complete onboarding to get ~40-50 points (with 0.70 multiplier)
Verify identity to boost to ~50-60 points (with 0.85 multiplier)

Why did my score drop?

Old DBS certificate expired
Recent low-rating sessions
Integration disconnected (calendar, etc.)
Account inactivity penalty

Can I game the system?

No - the algorithm detects fraudulent behavior
Fake reviews are removed and penalized
Inflated qualifications are flagged
Focus on genuine improvement instead

How long to reach 70+ score?

New tutors: 3-6 months with active teaching
With existing qualifications: 1-3 months
Depends on completion of verifications and sessions
Focus on quick wins first, then build over time

Does my score affect pricing?

Not directly, but indirectly yes
High-credibility tutors can charge premium rates
Students willing to pay more for trusted tutors
Price according to your value proposition

Technical Details

Calculation Version

Current version: Universal v6.1 (Updated Jan 2026)

What's New in v6.1:

Immediate Triggers: Real-time score updates (< 1 second latency)
Event-Driven Architecture: Database triggers replace queue-based system
No More Queue: Direct calculation on user actions
14 Automatic Triggers: Covering all CaaS-affecting events

What's New in v6.0:

Universal Model: All roles use same 6-bucket structure
Provisional Scoring: No more 0/100 after onboarding
Verification Multipliers: 0.70 → 0.85 → 1.00
No Hard Ceilings: High performers can differentiate
Weighted Normalization: Progressive scoring curves

Version History:

v6.1 (Jan 2026): Immediate triggers + event-driven architecture
v6.0 (Jan 2026): Universal 6-bucket model for all roles
v5.9 (Dec 2025): Impact bucket + Free Help Now integration
v5.5 (Dec 2025): Enhanced digital professionalism scoring
v5.0 (Nov 2025): 5-bucket tutor model established

Data Privacy

Your privacy is protected:

Score breakdown visible only to you
Students see total score only
Specific metrics remain private
No personally identifiable info in score calculation

Tips from High-Credibility Tutors

Sarah M. (Score: 94) - GCSE Maths

"I focused on the quick wins first - ID verification, calendar sync, and completing my profile. Then I delivered great sessions and let the performance build naturally. Took about 4 months to reach 90+."

James T. (Score: 87) - A-Level Physics

"Getting my DBS was worth every penny. Not only did it add 5 points, but parents specifically mentioned feeling safer booking with me. It's a trust signal beyond just the score."

Emily R. (Score: 91) - Primary English

"I offer one free help session per month. It adds credibility points, helps the community, and often leads to paid bookings. Win-win-win!"

Quick Links

Dashboard — View your Credibility Score and breakdown
Account Settings — Complete verifications and add qualifications
Professional Info — Add teaching experience and certifications
Organisations — Learn about organisation credibility

Ready to boost your score? Start with identity verification and unlock your credibility potential today!