Are you in early KS3 years and looking already for a GSCE tutor? Do you have exams in two weeks and still haven't started to prepare yourself properly? (Yes, there are students with nerves of steel.) Do you have an important test on Monday (thinking about the fact I'm writing this article on Saturday =) and you're thinking "Maybe I need a little help"?

So when (if ever) do you need a maths tutor?

I may disappoint you, but I can't answer this question. The only one who knows if/when to get a little help is you (Yes, the most work is still up to you, I always consider myself to be just a little help that you have as a bonus when working on your maths skills.)

And how's that?

Everyone is different, as far as I can say thinking about all the students I've ever taught. And that, over the decades - yes, nearly plural - we'd be talking about very many hundreds of students... (I feel old, especially when they ask me "have you been around in 2000?" Yeah, I was just heading to secondary school). Generally, the idea is to learn gradually, especially when talking about maths, as you need to build on the knowledge you already have (and fill gaps so you won't have wobbly foundations, it's hard to build on anything that wobbles).
If you don't have the basics there's trouble ahead. In maths, everything is connected and makes sense together, which is great and that's why I love maths. On the other side, that may (and very often it does) cause trouble when learning while missing some basic knowledge. And that's something you can't usually learn in a week then.

But you must know yourself. If you need everything stuffed in your head all at once, quickly, intensively (because you feel you would forget things before your exams would come), then yes, call me (or any maths tutor) a week prior to your maths performance. But you must be sure you can handle the enormous amount of information you need to digest. And there's also a question of whether you can manage to get a tutor in time. I'm always trying to be available for any urgent calls, but in the busiest times (April-May for example) it's not always possible to squeeze someone else into my timetable at certain times. And the same goes for most tutors. So better not to plan for the very last minute if you want to get a high-quality tutor (we are busy bees almost all year round).

On the other side, if you want to take things slowly (and from my point of view responsibly), start looking for a maths tutor (at least!) a couple of months prior to your exams. That's in case you're quite ok with your maths skills and you just feel this "little help on top of my regular maths classes" would be beneficial. This mid-term tuition can be still very variable from a couple of hours weekly, to a consultation session once a fortnight/month - anything that suits you and your needs. This type of tuition will help you build confidence when working on your maths, which is also very important besides what maths-related knowledge is actually in your head already.

And why do I have some students for a couple of years, preparing them continuously for both passing smoothly the earlier key stages and preparing them for final exams? Because some students want to achieve really their best. Some of them don't want to face the fear and stress of fighting maths all those years alone just learning in a school where the way they're being taught maths may not suit them for many different reasons (so many may also decide to home educate and then you're on your completely - which can be both totally cool and scary). There may be other reasons to have a tutor for many years. Such a long-term tuition could be again very variable. I have tutored students for years who I tutor on a weekly basis, I have some of them for years, but they're coming for help just before exams for a little refresher of their knowledge and basically also anything in between.

In summary, first, you need to assess your abilities, your goals, and expectations. Then you can find the best time to call a maths tutor. It's better to do it earlier and maybe find out "oh, I'm actually ok, I don't need a tutor yet, I'll come back later, thank you" than later and struggle with achieving your best in maths, because "oh no, my maths exams are next week and there are no tutors available..."
Well, that's a very unpleasant thought - hopefully, it won't be your case.