Prep101 vs. TutorLyft

Prep101 shows its university exam-prep prices at checkout rather than on its course pages. Its FAQ says a session works out to about $10 an hour or less. That buys a seat in a group session for one course before a midterm or final, plus a course booklet, solutions to past exams where they're public, and email follow-up from the instructor. You get at most one discount, it offers a limited number of need-based bursaries, and some midterm sessions are free through its Cram for a Cause fundraisers.

MCAT is priced separately. Its courses list at CA$1,795 (Self-Paced), CA$2,995 (Live Online) and CA$4,995 (515+), with sale prices shown on the site. Private MCAT tutoring starts at CA$3,400 for 12 hours, which includes four months of study resources and coaching, and goes up to CA$8,440 for 48 hours.

Not for university courses. Its FAQ answers the question with "Sorry, no," and it doesn't help with homework or essays either. Its exam prep is group sessions only, though the price includes email follow-up from the instructor. For the MCAT, it sells private tutoring in packages of 12 to 48 hours. On TutorLyft lessons are 1-on-1 unless your tutor offers a group lesson, you pay per lesson, and you can bring your own questions, assignments and practice exams.

For classroom and live online sessions, Prep101 refunds you if you cancel at least 48 hours before the session starts. Its university pages also promise a full refund if you leave before or during the first break. Cancelling within 48 hours, during or after the session isn't refunded, and on-demand sessions aren't refundable at all. For MCAT courses, you get a full refund if you withdraw at least two weeks before the start; Self-Paced sales are final, and the 515+ course adds a score guarantee if you finish its milestones. On TutorLyft you can cancel a lesson for a full refund up to 24 hours before it starts.

Ten: Calgary, Dalhousie, Guelph, McGill, McMaster, Ottawa, Queen's, U of T, UBC and Western. At each one it runs sessions only for the courses on its list, mostly first- and second-year math and science, and it says it isn't affiliated with any of the universities. TutorLyft tutors help with first- to fourth-year courses at any school, online or in person in many Canadian cities.

It depends on what you need. Prep101 rates 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 256 reviews, most of them about its MCAT courses. If your course is on its list and you want a few intensive hours with past-exam practice right before a midterm or final, a group session is a cheap way to get that. If you're behind for the whole term, your course isn't covered, or you want to work through your own questions with someone, a 1-on-1 tutor is the better fit, and on TutorLyft you choose who it is.

Yes. Almost every tutor offers a free consultation, so you can ask about their approach and your goals first. There's no subscription or sign-up fee, and if the first session isn't the right fit, we refund it and give you your next hour free with a new tutor.