--- title: "What makes a good student testimonial? Examples and how to collect them" url: https://reviewnudge.app/guides/student-testimonials/ published: 2026-10-23 updated: 2026-10-23 author: "Jack Stovell" author_profile: https://i.hilyt.it/jack publisher: "Adapt Progress Evolve Limited" summary: "A good student testimonial says where the student started, what changed and who else it would suit, in two or three honest sentences. Ask every student in your own words, get written permission (from a parent or guardian for under-18s) and never reward, script or rewrite it." language: en-GB --- # What makes a good student testimonial? Examples and how to collect them > A good student testimonial says where the student started, what changed and who else it would suit, in two or three honest sentences. Ask every student in your own words, get written permission (from a parent or guardian for under-18s) and never reward, script or rewrite it. Short answer: the best student quotes come from asking every student the same few open questions at a natural milestone, then publishing what they say with their permission. Below you'll find side-by-side examples for driving, music, tutoring, dance and coaching, a question set, consent wording you can copy and the UK rules that apply. ## What is a student testimonial? It's a short statement from a student, or from a parent speaking for a child, about what learning with you was like. Our post on [what a testimonial is](/blog/what-is-a-testimonial/) covers the full definition and how a testimonial differs from a review, so I won't repeat it here. What matters is that the words are theirs. You haven't written or polished them. If you teach driving, music, dance or martial arts, or you tutor or coach, you probably have plenty of happy students and almost nothing written down. The praise comes at the end of a lesson, in the car park or in a text, and then it's gone. A testimonial is that moment written down, with permission to share it. ## What does a good student testimonial include? It includes three things: the starting point, the change and who else it would suit. The starting point makes the quote believable. "I was terrified of roundabouts" tells a reader far more than "great instructor". The change shows what happened, in the student's own terms. The "who it would suit" part lets the next nervous beginner see themselves in it. Keep it to two or three sentences. Add a first name and one detail, such as the instrument, the class or "adult beginner". That gives the quote a human face without exposing too much. For the mechanics of shaping and formatting a testimonial, see [how to write a testimonial](/guides/how-to-write-a-testimonial/). ## Student testimonial examples: weak versions and stronger ones I wrote these samples for this page to illustrate the difference. They are not real students, so don't publish them as if they were. Use them to see the gap between weak and strong, and to shape the questions you ask. **Driving lessons** - Weak: "Brilliant instructor, would recommend!" - Stronger: "I'd failed once and my confidence was shot. The lessons were calm and I stopped dreading the test. Worth a try if your first go went badly." **Music lessons (from a parent)** - Weak: "My daughter loves her piano lessons." - Stronger: "My daughter wouldn't practise at all before. Now she asks to play before school. The pieces are picked around what she enjoys, which made the difference." **Tutoring** - Weak: "Very helpful and patient tutor." - Stronger: "Maths felt like a language I'd never learnt. Going through it slowly, one topic at a time, meant I stopped panicking in class. Good for anyone convinced they're just bad at it." **Dance or martial arts** - Weak: "Great classes, lovely atmosphere." - Stronger: "I joined as a complete beginner and worried everyone would be better than me. Nobody made me feel behind, and now I look forward to class every week." **Coaching or a course** - Weak: "Learned a lot, thank you." - Stronger: "I came in not knowing where to start with my business. The course gave me a clear order to do things in, and I left with a plan I'd actually follow. Suits anyone stuck at the beginning." The stronger versions all have a starting feeling, a shift and a hint of who it suits. None of them makes up a result. If a student mentions a real outcome, such as passing their test, keep it exactly as they said it. If they don't mention one, don't add one. ## What to write if a student asks you what to say Sooner or later a student will say "Happy to, but what do I write?" Don't hand them a script. Give them the questions below and let them answer in their own words. What they write will be truer, and it'll sound like them. If they send back one line, you can ask a gentle follow-up, such as "What was the hardest bit at the start?" Then accept whatever they give you. ## How to ask students for a testimonial Pick a natural milestone, such as the end of a course, a term, a block of lessons or a test, and ask every student who reaches it. Don't ask only the ones who had a good day. The CMA's fake reviews guidance names "encouraging just those who are satisfied to leave reviews" as one form of cherry-picking. Ask in your own words, face to face or in a short message, and keep it low pressure. "Would you be happy to write a couple of sentences about your lessons? Say whatever you honestly think." Then give them these questions: - What were things like when you started? - What's different now? - Who would you recommend these lessons to? - Is there anything we could have done better? The last question makes it clear you want an honest answer, and it often brings out the most useful detail. For more on wording the request and following up, see [how to ask for a testimonial](/guides/how-to-ask-for-a-testimonial/). ## Getting permission, especially for under-18s Before you publish a student's name, photo or words, get permission in writing. Treat this as good practice. It protects the student and it protects you. Say exactly where the quote will appear. Wording for an adult student: > I'm happy for [business name] to publish my words and my first name on their website and social media. I understand I can ask for them to be removed at any time. For a student under 18, ask a parent or guardian: > I'm the parent or guardian of [first name]. I give permission for [business name] to publish their words and their first name on its website and social media. I understand I can ask for them to be removed at any time. If you want to use a photo too, add it to the wording and ask separately. Keep the reply, because an email or message is a fine record. If a parent says no or doesn't reply, don't publish. If anyone asks for a quote to come down, take it down. ## What you must not do: incentives, scripting and fake quotes The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 bans fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews. The CMA's guidance says this includes a review given to a business to put on its website or in its marketing, so the quotes on your site are covered. In practice: - **Don't write quotes yourself or invent students.** The guidance defines a fake review as one that claims to be based on a person's genuine experience when it isn't. - **Don't ask staff, assistants or family to write them.** The guidance lists a business asking a member of staff to write a review as a form of commissioning. It also says hiding that a reviewer is an employee can mislead. If a student also helps out at your school, say so next to their quote. - **Don't reward them.** The guidance counts discounts, vouchers, free products and similar perks as incentives. If a testimonial is given in return for one and that isn't made clear, it's a banned concealed incentivised review. A quote labelled as incentivised won't do much for you anyway, so offer nothing and simply say thank you. - **Don't script them or change their meaning.** The guidance says asking for reviews without deciding in advance what they will say is allowed. A quote you have rewritten is no longer the student's genuine experience. Fixing a typo is fine, but send the student the final version before it goes live. For more on where the law draws these lines, see [fake reviews and UK law](/guides/fake-reviews-uk-law/). ## Where to use student testimonials Put them where a hesitant person is making up their mind: your lessons or classes page, your booking or enquiry page, and social posts. Match each quote to its page. A nervous beginner's quote belongs on your beginners page, and a parent's quote belongs on your children's classes page. A dedicated page works too, and [testimonial page on website](/guides/testimonial-page-on-website/) explains how to lay one out. ## Next step: turn quotes into cards Once you have genuine quotes and written permission, the free [testimonial card maker](/tools/testimonial-generator/) turns a quote you already have into a card you can share on social media or print for your studio wall. ## Questions people ask ### What should a student write in a testimonial? Where they started, what changed and who they would recommend the lessons to, in two or three sentences of their own words. If you are the teacher, ask those questions and let the student answer. Don't write it for them. ### What are student testimonials? Short statements from students, or from parents speaking for a child, about what learning with you was like, which you publish with permission on your website or in your marketing. For how a testimonial differs from a review, see our post on what a testimonial is. ### Do you need permission to use a student's testimonial? Get written permission before you publish a student's name, photo or words, and ask a parent or guardian when the student is under 18. Treat this as good practice. An email or message saying yes is a fine record, and remove the quote promptly if they change their mind. ### Can you offer a student a discount for a testimonial? Don't. The CMA's guidance counts discounts, vouchers and free products as incentives. An incentivised review that doesn't make the incentive clear is banned under the DMCC Act 2024, and many websites and platforms don't allow incentivised reviews at all. Ask, accept what they say and thank them. ## Sources - [CMA: Fake reviews guidance (CMA208), guidance on paragraph 13 of Schedule 20 to the DMCC Act 2024](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67eeb64fe9c76fa33048c790/CMA208_-_Fake_reviews_guidance.pdf) - [GOV.UK: Fake reviews (CMA guidance landing page)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fake-reviews-cma208) - [GOV.UK: Short guide for businesses on publishing consumer reviews](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fake-reviews/short-guide-for-businesses-publishing-consumer-reviews-and-complying-with-consumer-protection-law)