If you are trying to understand your Cambly rating, then here are my tips.
I have been teaching on Cambly and thoroughly enjoying it for the past few years, and that is mainly due to my upfront investment in learning how to understand the Cambly rating system.
The Cambly Rating System
As such, I have a few tips to help make your Cambly experience fulfilling and pleasant (in addition to Cambly’s own tips). First of all, it is vital to have a good rating to have a good time teaching on Cambly. So, invest time to understand the Cambly Rating System.
Cambly states that their platform-wide average rating is 4.8/5.0. Cambly also says that the company strictly offboards any tutor whose ratings dip too low.
Some Cambly tutors believe that Cambly expects you to have a rating higher than 4.84. You will get minimal Priority Hours if your rating is lower than 4.84. If it is higher than 4.84, then Cambly will offer you many Priority Hours. Cambly has not confirmed this.
Cambly states the following:
- Only the last 200 reviews make up your tutor rating
- Unfair ratings due to connection issues will be removed
Understanding your Cambly rating: How does Cambly rate tutors?
How does Cambly rate its teachers? Great question. Unlike other companies, Cambly does not show feedback from students or give much insight into how the rating was calculated.
Who can rate you on Cambly? Only paying students can rate you.
According to Cambly, “trial students” ratings do not count towards your rating score.
What Method does Cambly use to Calculate Teachers’ Ratings?
After class, Cambly students receive two prompts: one asks them to rate you from a five-star option for your lesson, and another asks them to rate you from a five-star option for your internet connection stability.
These ratings are used to calculate your average.
Is there a separate Cambly Kids rating?
No. Your Cambly Kids profile rating is your Cambly rating for now.
How important is your Cambly rating?
Your Cambly rating is extremely important; I cannot overstate this. The Cambly rating has more weight than the rating systems on other ESL platforms (with the possible exception of itutorgroup and engoo).
The experience of teaching on Cambly is heavily dependent on your rating.
If students rate you highly, then other students will reserve time slots with you. These students will be motivated, serious students as opposed to trial students who are hit or miss.
In addition, if you have a high rating and use Priority Hour, you will be chosen by paying serious students quickly there, too.
What are Cambly Priority Hours?
When you are on Priority Hour, Cambly will route calls to you before other teachers who sign onto the platform. Cambly’s Priority Hours incentivize more teachers to be available when demand is high. Teachers on Cambly sign up to be active during these hours in advance. They are similar to “peak hours” at other ESL Companies. However, on Cambly, these priority hour times can change because Cambly has students and tutors from all over the world. Theoretically, you can log in any time and find students looking for tutors, but some hours are busier than others.
Top Tips for teaching English online for Cambly
Don’t Rely on Priority Hours
If students rate you poorly, Cambly will rank you lower. You will have to depend on “Priority Hour” bookings to get calls. When on Priority Hour, you will be passed over by students with Cambly accounts who will call a higher-rated tutor instead. Instead, you will likely be sitting there, and no student will call you, so Cambly will route all new students to you. These calls will be trial students.
Trial Students’ Ratings of You Don’t Count
Trial Students get 15 free minutes. Some are genuinely trying to trial Cambly, and you could nab a new, serious student this way. Unfortunately, some might be using these minutes to kill time, to play around with their friends (think bored teenagers prank-calling a foreigner), or, even worse, to try to sexually harass a tutor online.
Make Use Of The Cambly Block Button
Cambly has a block function to immediately ban students who are inappropriate. If a trial student makes you uncomfortable, ban them immediately! Cambly does not tolerate disrespectful behavior from students, and they will be banned from the platform.
Bottom Line: The best way to avoid unpleasant students is to have a good rating. Then, even if you are on Priority Hour, a paying student with a long-term Cambly account will immediately pick you up.
How to get a high rating on Cambly
I currently have a 4.92 rating on Cambly, and I am ranked as one of the top-rated tutors on the platform. I have been teaching English on Cambly for years and can attest to the importance of the following tips for getting a high rating on Cambly.
Top Tips for Teaching English Online for Cambly
Here are my top tips for succeeding on Cambly. Succeeding on Cambly means a high rating, which means getting booked on Cambly consistently by students who love how you teach and who you love to teach, too.
Have A Professional Background
Students want a professional background and to have it shown in your bio photo. Callers expect you to be, and therefore look like, a respected professional teacher with qualifications. Be sure to have good lighting, and use a background specifically made for E.S.L teaching (maps, flags or bookshelves are fine).
Dress Professionally
Cambly does not require a uniform, but you should dress like a professional tutor: wear a collared shirt.
Remember that you are teaching students from all around the world. In many cultures, casual clothing is seen as unprofessional or even inappropriately sexual. This applies even more to women who labor under unfair standards. An average neckline for you might be a brazen low-cut collar for a caller from another country.
Cover your shoulders, always.
Uncovered shoulders are often seen as unprofessional as well. Play it safe and cover yourself up.
Always Send a Follow-Up Message
Here is an example: “It was a pleasure meeting you today and learning about your family (insert something specific about your chat and something personal so they know it’s not a cut and paste). Next class, we will read (THIS link to worksheet or essay) and learn THIS (vocabulary related to aviation, for example).”
Read more about writing great feedback below.
Keep a Consistent Schedule
And keep consistent hours and open each week far ahead of time! That’s number one.
Cambly Tips: Write Great Feedback
Writing excellent feedback is important anytime you teach an online class. However, unlike other ESL companies that require feedback, Cambly markets itself to teachers as a more casual chatting platform. Don’t fall for it! Cambly tends to overstate itself as a school when promoting its tutoring and lessons to students. Simultaneously, Cambly tends to market itself as a casual chatting opportunity for teachers.
Your students worked hard for the ten dollars they just spent on you. Keep in mind their exchange rate.
The national monthly minimum wage for your Brazilian students is BRL 1,100.00, or around $209.06 a month. 10 USD is a lot of money for some of these students!
Many want a real classroom experience along with some feedback. Some students truly won’t care and also just want a chat function, but there is no harm in overdoing your teacher role. Everyone wants to feel cared for and seen while learning a new language. Put in that extra effort into your students so they know you care about their English learning progress.
Include a future lesson plan in your follow-up messages on Cambly
In your follow-up message, also specifically say what you will do next class. Keep it brief, but make sure it’s a lesson geared towards them. Remember the KISS principle. Keep it simple, stupid. Or, perhaps, if you want a less aggressive mantra, “keep it stupid simple.”
Two sentences are all you need. The first sentence introduces the next lesson by linking to the article or worksheet you will read (or want them to read before class). The second sentence tells them the learning goal of that worksheet.
Example of Feedback for Cambly
A specific example for feedback on a Cambly lesson:
“It was a pleasure meeting you today and learning about your passion for aviation. Next class, we will review the vocabulary on this website https://www.fluentu.com/blog/business-english/english-for-aviation/. We will learn 23 important vocabulary words used in aviation and practice using them in conversation. I look forward to seeing you again soon!”
Cambly Tips: Use the Student Notes Section
Make the most of the student notes section of Cambly. Take notes during class on your open note app and write the responses afterward. You can also add the notes to the students’ “note” section. This will help jog your memory when you teach the student again.
Send a Message Before Class
I like to send messages before class to any new students as well. I tell them I am looking forward to meeting them. This shows them I am prepared for our lesson and taking them seriously.
Eventually, your regulars will feel like your friends, and things will be more natural. The time and energy upfront make Cambly much easier and enjoyable in the long term.
Here was my profile on, to give you an idea of how to write your own.
When it comes to your Cambly rating, put in the extra initial effort and reap the rewards later. Take this seriously, and don’t see it as a chat app, even if it is advertised this way.
Does Cambly have a Dress Code?
No. Cambly does not have an official dress code or uniform requirement like other companies often do. They only offer information about their dressing tips.
How Casual Is It?
In order to attract teachers, Cambly tends to sell itself as a casual chat platform. In order to attract students, Cambly tends to sell itself as an online school offering high-quality lessons given by tutors and teachers. Be mindful of this disconnect when meeting students, and present yourself accordingly.
Don’t make the mistake of treating Cambly as a chat app. Just because you think you’re being paid minimum wage doesn’t mean the student feels they are paying for scraps. Ten dollars an hour is a lot of money for many students who are located in poorer countries. They want a professional tutor.
In addition to avoiding treating Cambly too informally, watch this video to avoid some other common mistakes you could make.
Bottom Line: Cambly claims its platform average rating for teachers is 4.8. You need at least a 4.70 to have a good experience in Cambly and get lots of Priority Hour opportunities to choose from. My tips will help you achieve that Cambly high rating and create repeat, regular students for you.
As always, happy teaching!
By doing what you love you inspire and awaken the hearts of others
Satsuki Shibuya
