Club Z! review

Club Z! offers both in-home and online tutoring in the United States and Canada. Unlike platforms which focus on one type of tutoring, students using Club Z! can get help in a wide range of subjects, including math, science, English, foreign languages and music from pre-kindergarten right up to college level. 

Designed to appeal to parents wanting to help their children boost their academic performance, prepare for tests or apply to colleges, Club Z! says it can improve grades by two letters in as little as 60 days. 

The platform also claims to have a 98% satisfaction rate but it can be challenging to find information on the website. Details on pricing and tutor profiles only become available to users when they have either filled in their details online or spoken to an educational specialist on the phone.

We liked the flexibility it offered – you can choose between online or in-person lessons, help in specific subjects, programs aimed at identifying and tackling areas of weakness and even summer tutoring. Another big plus point is that if you try a tutor and then decide they’re not right for you, Club Z! will cover the cost of your first hour of lessons.

Club Z! review: Ease of use

The Club Z! website has a lot of information about the different subjects and test preparation support offered by its tutors but this can make it a little confusing at first glance and some of the details about online tutoring and how it works gets a bit lost. 

The homepage is geared up to encourage potential customers to fill in an online form or call a freephone number to find out more. There is a tab to find out more about online tutoring specifically but we’d have liked to have seen a clearer explanation about how the platform works without having to give the site our personal details first.

Club Z! review: Tutors

To find an online tutor using Club Z!, students (or their parents) must answer a few questions about what they are looking for, their current ability, when they’re available for lessons and their location. After completing this questionnaire, the platform provides a list of available tutors who can help, including those in the student’s area.

Each tutor has a profile which gives information on their rates, availability, educational background and teaching style and you can read reviews from both current and past students. But unlike platforms like Preply and TutorEye where you can browse the profiles of tutors without any commitment, the only way you can get this information is by completing the questionnaire.

However, once you have a list of tutors, you can use the platform’s messaging function to ask them questions and work out whether they are the right fit or not before booking a lesson.

Club Z! states that all its tutors have been thoroughly vetted and background checked and each profile gives the date the check was carried out. All the tutors have a degree and are required to pass proficiency exams in all the subjects they teach through the platform. You can also try a tutor without any financial risk as the platform guarantees it will find the right person for you or it will cover the cost of the first hour of learning.

Club Z! review: Lessons

Lessons are one-to-one and can be booked individually or in packages of five or 10. Online teaching takes place in an interactive virtual classroom with a range of features to make learning easier including video and audio conferencing, a whiteboard, text and code editors, and file sharing. And if you decide you’d prefer in-person lessons, you can find local tutors who can visit your home through the site as well.

As well as offering tutoring in specific subjects, Club Z! offers to look at the student’s performance as a whole and identify areas where they need support. The platform’s Learning Built to Last ™ study skills tutoring program is aimed at students who are generally behind their peers in school or who face challenges when it comes to studying. 

At the start of this program, students take a comprehensive test in 11 different academic areas to identify where they need the most help and where their strengths lie.

Club Z! review: Pricing

There is very little information about pricing on Club Z!’s website so it is difficult for potential customers to know whether its tutoring services are within their budget or not without having to fill in a questionnaire or speak to a member of the sales team.

However, the company’s old website, clubztutors.com, which confusingly is still active, has information about pricing packages but it isn’t clear whether this structure remains the same. Each package includes a five per cent service fee and under the basic package of four hours of tutoring, each hourly lesson worked out at just under $60.

As with most things, the more you buy the cheaper each lesson is and the Ivy (12 hour) package has a 20 per cent discount, working out at just over $46 an hour. This is expensive compared to tutoring marketplaces like Preply and italki and more in line with the amount you would expect to pay for in-person lessons in your own home.

Should I choose Club Z?

Club Z! review: Should I buy?

Club Z! is an established American firm which has been providing tutoring services since 1995 and it has built up a good reputation with positive reviews from parents. While the online tutoring side of the business is fairly new, it is competitive and offers plenty of choice. We particularly liked the fact that it offered programs aimed at boosting children’s study skills in general and identifying the areas where they need the most academic support.

Although Club Z! offers tutoring from Pre-K right up to college level, its strength seems to lie in helping middle and high school students improve their grades and prepare for tests. It is best suited to families who can afford the cost of tutoring services long-term so they can stick with the programs long enough to see results.