What makes a good tutor is dependant on several things, but one key component is evident: Experience!
Many tutoring companies advertise that they hire only certified teachers as tutors. It is important to remember that not everyone who has been certified has been employed as a teacher. It is possible to have a teaching certificate and not have any professional experience at all.
A teaching certificate is granted by the state in which you live. The state reviews the applicant's educational records and certifies that the applicant has enough training to work as a teacher in the state's public school system. A certificate means permission to work. It is not proof that the person has had a job in a school or that the holder is a good teacher.
Some parents feel more comfortable having a tutor with a teaching certificate. However, there are also many excellent educators who are not certified teachers. For example, very few college professors have teaching certificates, because a certificate is not a requirement to teach at the college level.
Requirements for a teaching certificate vary from state to state. To find out what the requirements are in your state, call your state's board of education.
Ask any prospective tutors to tell you about their experience working with students.
In addition, some organizations will now "certify" tutors for a fee. Many times this means that the tutor has received additional training in effective tutoring methods, but this is not always the case. There is not a set standard or any national guidelines that organizations must follow when "certifying" tutors.