Questions to ask any counsellor before you pay — including us

Career counselling in India is not regulated as a profession. Anyone can print a card that says "career counsellor". Some are very good. Some sell a test, a report and a loan, and then go quiet.

You don't need to be an expert to tell the difference. You need a few clear questions, asked before you pay. Use them with anyone, in India or abroad. Use them with us too.

About the person

• Who exactly will work with my child? The person in the first meeting is sometimes a salesperson. Ask for the name of the counsellor who will actually sit with your child, and whether they stay the same throughout.
• What are their qualifications and experience? A background in psychology, education or counselling, plus years of working with students, is a fair thing to ask about.
• How many families are they handling right now? A counsellor with a very large load cannot know your child well.

About the test

• Which assessment will you use, and who made it? You should get a name, not just "our scientific test".
• Is there a human debrief? A printed report alone is not counselling. Your child needs a conversation about what the results mean, and what they don't.
• Red flags:
  • DMIT or fingerprint tests. These claim to read talent from fingerprints. The Indian Psychiatric Society has denounced DMIT as not based on scientific evidence.
  • "97% accurate" or similar claims. No interest or aptitude test can predict a career that precisely. Treat any exact accuracy number as a sales line.
  • A report that names one "perfect" career. Good assessments give a range to explore.

About money

• What is the full price, in writing, including GST? Ask for one number, not a base price that grows later.
• What exactly is included? How many sessions, how long each one, any written report, any follow-up.
• What is the refund policy, in writing? Read it before you pay. Refund refusals are a common complaint against coaching institutes in India. In February 2025, the government said the National Consumer Helpline had helped over 600 students get back about ₹1.56 crore from coaching institutes that had refused refunds.
• Is anyone pushing a loan or EMI plan? Be careful if the first meeting turns to financing before it turns to your child. Counselling should not need a loan.

About promises

• Does anyone guarantee admission, a rank or a job? Walk away. In November 2024, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued guidelines on misleading ads in the coaching sector. As reported, they bar claims like "100% selection" or guaranteed jobs, and false claims about fees and refund policies. The guidelines are written for coaching, and reports say pure counselling falls outside their definition. But the idea is the same: no honest counsellor can promise an outcome that depends on exams, colleges and your child's own work.
• Are the success stories real? The same guidelines say a student's name, photo or testimonial cannot be used in ads without their written consent.

About your child's data

A counsellor collects a lot: test answers, marks, worries, family details.

• Who will see my child's data? Is it shared with colleges, lenders or other companies?
• Can I ask for it to be deleted later?

India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 treats anyone under 18 as a child, and generally needs verifiable consent from a parent before a child's data is processed. It also gives people rights to ask for their data, correct it, and in some cases have it erased. The government notified the rules under this Act in November 2025, with compliance phased in over about 18 months. You don't need to quote the law. Just ask the question, and expect a clear answer.

About contact

• How will you reply to me, and how fast?
• Will my number be used for sales calls or shared? A counsellor who calls you five times a week before you pay will not be calmer after.

If something goes wrong after you pay, you can complain to the National Consumer Helpline on 1915, or online at consumerhelpline.gov.in.

How we answer these

Question	Our answer
Who works with my child?	One counsellor per family, the same person throughout
Full price?	Listed on /prices, including GST
Refunds?	A written policy at /refund-policy
Commissions?	None. We take no money from colleges or universities
Reply time?	On WhatsApp within 24 hours
Sales calls?	None
Guarantees?	None. We help you decide; we cannot promise outcomes
Your child's data?	Never shared or sold

If you want to see how we work before paying anything, book a free session. Ask us every question on this page.