How to Become a Tutor on Cambly

Cambly is an online learning platform for English as a second language (ESL) teachers and students. Some students may come to you with a lesson plan or specific training requests, whereas others may just want to have a chat to hone their conversational skills (if you dream of getting paid to chat, then Cambly may be the perfect platform for you).

As an English teacher on Cambly, you could have students of various ages and ability levels from all over the world. In fact, one Cambly tutor we spoke to, Ryan Wolf, told us that 90%–95% of his students are from Turkey, China, Taiwan, Brazil, Japan, or South Korea.

As a Cambly tutor, you’ll be classified as an independent contractor rather than a traditional employee (i.e., you’ll be working on a freelance basis), and you’ll be paid according to the amount of time that you spend tutoring. You’ll be able to set your own availability and teach whenever you want, making it a relatively flexible online side hustle you can do remotely.

Job description

As a tutor on Cambly, you can take on different types of lessons. These lessons are referred to as “chats,” and they fall into three categories:

• Call with curriculum: These are chats with students who are enrolled in a Cambly course. Lesson materials will automatically appear for you on the call so you know exactly what to teach the student.
• Free talk: These are sessions where the student’s main goal is to practice their conversational skills. You simply chat with them without the aid of a specific lesson plan.
• Student requests: These are targeted lessons that aren’t as casual as free talks but aren’t affiliated with a particular Cambly course. Instead, the student may ask for help on a specific topic.

All this is to say that as a Cambly tutor, you’re expected to be able to follow along with lesson plans or come equipped with your own teaching resources and ideas, depending on what your student needs.

To this end, you’ll need to be a fluent English speaker with a strong grasp of English grammar rules. You’ll also need to be sociable, adaptable, and organized.

Cambly vs. Cambly Kids

The main Cambly platform is designed for adults (although it’s still open to children). However, there is also a child-specific platform called Cambly Kids.

Cambly Kids is geared toward students ages 4 to 17. Chats on Cambly Kids are by reservation only, and all classes are 30 minutes long and follow a Cambly curriculum. You’ll earn more money by tutoring on Cambly Kids than tutoring on Cambly.

How much can you earn on Cambly?

Cambly will pay you a flat hourly rate for tutoring. Here’s what you can expect to earn:

• Cambly: $0.17 per minute ($10.20/hour).
• Cambly Kids: $0.20 per minute ($12/hour).

You have the option to get paid weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Cambly also offers various bonuses for things like working during peak usage hours, working with new students, or referring other tutors to the platform.

Additionally, you’ll get $2 in compensation if a student makes a short-notice cancellation. You’ll also get paid for the first 10 minutes or final 5 minutes to wait on a student who shows up late or leaves a session early.

Requirements for Cambly tutors are minimal. Even if you don’t have prior teaching experience, you can still become a tutor on Cambly. That said, you may have an easier time doing the job if you have a background in education.

Here’s what you need to know about Cambly’s eligibility criteria for tutors.

Age

To teach on Cambly, you must be 18 years old. This is one of the only hard requirements for Cambly tutors.

If you’re under 18, you can’t become a Cambly tutor, but you can still become a tutor. You just need to find students other ways, either in person or using another platform that allows minors to teach English online. Alternatively, you could explore other side hustles for teens.

Education

Cambly doesn’t have any education requirements for tutors. While a bachelor’s degree is preferred, you don’t need one to register as a tutor. For this reason, tutoring on Cambly is not only a popular side hustle for teachers but also a great side hustle for college students—especially those working toward becoming a teacher.

Teaching certifications

You don’t need any teaching certifications to tutor on Cambly. This means you don’t need to have a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), English as a Second Language (ESL), English Language Teaching (ELT), or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certification.

However, getting certified is the best way to ensure you’re equipped with all the knowledge and skills needed to teach English to nonnative English speakers. It may also help you get more students.

For example, Wolf said that some students specifically want a tutor who can teach them business English or help them prepare for the IELTS exam. “They often look for qualified teachers,” he added.

Teaching experience

Though teaching experience is preferred, Cambly does not require you to have any teaching experience to tutor. In fact, one benefit of tutoring on Cambly is that it’s a good starting point for gaining teaching experience.

This makes it an excellent entry point for those exploring online tutoring jobs and looking to gain experience in the field.

Cambly provides all the lesson plans and materials that you might need to use in your tutoring sessions. This means you won’t need to do much in the way of “teaching,” beyond following the materials provided and answering your student’s questions.

When Wolf recalled his first few Cambly lessons, he said he was nervous and unsure what to do with students, but he eventually got past that. “My strategy was to ask them a bunch of questions until I got a feel for this whole being a tutor thing.” After 10–20 hours, he was feeling “competent and confident.”

English language ability

Cambly specifies that only native English speakers can tutor on Cambly. A common definition for a native English speaker is someone who grew up in an environment where English was the primary language.

When we asked Wolf how Cambly determines whether an applicant is a native English speaker, he said that the only real test they use is the short video you have to make during the application process. “I think they just see if you’re fluent and have a native accent,” he added.

This means it is technically possible to become a Cambly as a nonnative English speaker—you just need to sound like one. Nevertheless, students may respond negatively to this type of deception. After all, they’re paying for lessons based on the assumption that they’ll be learning from a native English speaker.

Tools and devices

You will need a computer with a stable internet connection and video chat capabilities in order to tutor on Cambly. This is because you’re required to turn on your video connection during every tutoring session so that students can learn by watching your mouth movements and facial expressions.

Cambly considers a “stable” internet connection to be a download speed of at least 10 mbps and an upload speed of at least 3 mbps. Before you can join the Cambly platform, you’ll need to pass an internet speed test. Depending on the test results, your application will either be accepted or rejected.

Other requirements include access to the latest version of Google Chrome (no other internet browsers work with Cambly), a groomed and professional appearance on camera, and a quiet and neat background.

Cambly notes your computer should be on a desk or table during tutoring sessions, and they recommend using a headset with a mic. However, Wolf uses the built-in microphone and camera on his Mac computer, and this works just fine for him.

Signing up for Cambly is easy. Start by visiting the Cambly tutor signup page. You must be using the latest version of Google Chrome and be on a computer rather than a phone or other mobile device. Next, just follow the steps outlined below.

1. Create an account

Once on the tutor landing page, create your account by clicking “Get Started.” You’ll be prompted to enter your email and create a password. You’ll then have the option to choose whether you want to create a tutor account for the regular Cambly platform for adults or the Cambly Kids platform.

You can have a tutor account on both, but you’ll only get this option later. To start, you have to choose one or the other.

2. Create your Cambly profile

The application process only takes about 10–15 minutes. You start with creating your Cambly tutor profile and uploading a profile photo.

No one else can be in your profile photo, and it needs to be a headshot from the chest up. You should be looking directly at the camera. From there, you’ll enter basic information like your first name, age, and location.

You’ll also be prompted to include additional information on your profile, such as any teaching certificates you might have, what languages you speak, and a brief introduction to your work experience, personal background, educational qualifications, and teaching style.

3. Film an introduction video

You’ll need to record an introduction video for Cambly, which application decision-makers will view and use to decide whether to approve you as a Cambly tutor.

Don’t worry about speaking to students in this video. According to Wolf, this initial video is only viewed by Cambly application reviewers. You’ll have the opportunity to make a separate video for potential students so that they can get a feel for your tutoring style.

The video must be 1–3 minutes long, and it must feature just you, from the chest up, in a neat environment, with a groomed, professional appearance. You can record the video live on the Cambly site or upload a video from your computer.

Avoid making common mistakes by checking out Cambly’s instructional video on what NOT to do when recording your intro video.

4. Answer some supplemental questions

After completing your profile and introduction video, you’ll need to answer a few supplemental questions. Here’s what you can expect:

• Why do you want to tutor on Cambly?
• Where did you hear about Cambly?
• Have you worked on other tutoring platforms in the past?

5. Pass an internet connection test

Next, you’ll need to complete a quick internet connection test. Cambly will automatically notify you if your connection is suitable for online tutoring.

If you fail the connection test but you think it was a fluke, you will have the option to come back and try again later. If you pass, your application will be pushed on for a final review.

6. Get approved

After you submit your application, Cambly’s team will look it over and get back to you via email. You can check your application status at any time by logging in to your Cambly account. While your application is still under review, you’ll have the option to edit it, if needed.

The application review process may take as little as 1 day to as long as a few months. It took Wolf 2 weeks to get approved for Cambly, but that was back in 2019. The wait time may be different now.

Ultimately, how long it’ll take your Cambly tutor application to get approved depends on user demand and the need for new tutors. Your application could be processed more quickly for Cambly Kids than Cambly, or vice versa.

Once your application and profile are reviewed and you’re cleared to begin tutoring on Cambly, you can begin talking with students (and making money).

Log in to your account and click “Get Started.” Cambly will test your connection again, just to ensure it’s still at the recommended quality. After that, you can head to your tutor dashboard.

At this point, you’ll be able to mark yourself as “available” and start getting students on Cambly. You have three availability options, described below.

Priority hours

Priority hours are 1-hour time blocks you can write into your schedule where you commit to being available for any student to call in without a reservation. You’ll basically be offering on-demand tutoring, although students can also book a reservation with you during a priority hour, and it’ll be automatically confirmed.

Priority hours may seem like a bit of a gamble since you won’t always know who’s going to call you up, but it is a good way to meet new students.

Reservations

Any student can request to book a lesson during your available hours. When a student reserves a time slot with you, you’ll get a reservation request by email.

Once it comes time for your lesson, you’ll be required to wait 10 minutes for your student to log on. If they’re over 10 minutes late to your lesson, you’ll get a no-show credit awarded to your Cambly account.

In the beginning, you could find yourself getting reservations from a lot of new students, but as you go along, you might acquire a few regulars. If you don’t want any more new students, you can adjust your availability settings to “regulars only.”

This is something that Wolf likes to do as a “mini break from tutoring” when he doesn’t want the hassle of dealing with introductions and “playing the new student lottery.” Working only with regulars may be less tiring and give you a greater sense of stability since you know what to expect.

Going visible

If you want to accept on-demand tutoring calls, just set your profile to “visible” and just wait for a call to come in. This is a great option if you have a few minutes to spare but you can’t commit to a full priority hour.

Going visible on Cambly allows you the flexibility to pick up a bit of tutoring here and there without having to deal with reservations. Similar to the case with priority hours, anyone can call you when you’re visible.

However, Wolf noted that going visible can be hit or miss, and you shouldn’t count on getting students during these periods. “Some days this can work, other days you won’t get a nibble. I find it to be a nice time to read a book,” he said.

We asked Wolf about his 3+ years of experience as a Cambly tutor. Here are his top tips for making the most of Cambly so you can start your tutoring side hustle off on the right foot.

Specify your preferences in your profile

You should specify the types of English tutoring you specialize in (e.g., conversational English, business English, exam prep) and your preferred age range. Doing so can make the job more enjoyable and help you more quickly build up a base of returning students who are a good fit.

“I specify on my profile that I do casual speaking practice, so 80% of my classes are free-talk,” Wolf said. “I hear other tutors almost exclusively follow structured lesson plans.”

You’ll still get students who don’t read your profile, but you don’t have to teach them. Specifically, Wolf told us you’re free to accept or decline anyone under a certain age.

Use online resources for tutors

Many Cambly students don’t have a lesson plan. While some have specific goals in mind, others may be new to tutoring and unsure where to start. In these kinds of cases, you’ll want to have some supplementary tutoring resources to fall back on.

Wolf recommends using Engoo, which he said is a popular choice among Cambly tutors. “It’s a website with articles of varying difficulty on various topics. Very useful when you don’t know what to do with someone.”

He also said it’s a better alternative to some of Cambly’s older lesson plans, which aren’t as good as some of the newer ones. “I usually prefer to read articles on Engoo because it’s more consistent,” he said.

Take a good profile picture

Remember that your profile picture is a student’s first impression of you. “It should look nice and represent your style, Wolf said. “If you teach business English, wear a suit. I don’t teach business English, so I’m wearing a t-shirt in mine.”

Sometimes Wolf has students compliment his appearance. “I’m convinced many of them would not have called me if I hadn’t taken a nice profile photo with a fresh haircut,” he said. Making sure you look neat and professional in your Cambly profile picture can help you get more calls and bookings from students.

Start off with priority hours

Wolf told us that priority hours are the best way to meet potential students. “I worked a lot of priority hours at the beginning, until I had a nice handful of regulars I could rely on,” he added.

Your goal when you’re first starting a tutoring side hustle on Cambly should be to get some regular students. After that, you can rely on those regulars for relatively steady income.

Share your other skills

In your profile, mention what other skills you have that might set you apart from other Cambly tutors. You never know—some students may choose you specifically for your expertise. If you happen to be fluent in any other languages, then this is particularly worth mentioning.

After working for Cambly for around half a year, Wolf started telling his students that he also teaches German. “I did this after a couple people booked me specifically because they saw I was from Frankfurt and wanted a German lesson. Ever since then, about half of all my students come to me for German lessons,” he said.

Cambly is a unique platform that allows native English speakers to easily share their knowledge of the language they use every day. It’s simple, and the flat rate makes it easy to predict your earnings. However, Cambly isn’t for everyone.

Before you sign up, do some research into what real users say about the platform. For an insider’s look with a real Cambly tutor (plus detailed pros and cons about the platform), check out our Cambly review for tutors.

Whether you’re suited to Cambly tutoring ultimately depends on several factors. If you want flexible gig work and love meeting new people and chatting, Cambly is a good fit. But if you’re more introverted or don’t have much patience when trying to teach others, Cambly may be a bit of a challenge.