How to set up an AI tutor on Claude: account, Project, file and two settings to check

This is the walkthrough we wish every product had: what to click, what you should see, and what to do when it does not match. Menu names are checked against Anthropic's help pages as of 20 October 2026, and Claude's screens change, so if a label differs slightly, trust the label on your screen. Use a computer for setup if you can, since the first session is smoother on a larger screen.

What do you need before you start?

• An adult who will hold the Claude account. Anthropic requires every account holder to be at least 18, according to its help centre.
• The Coach file for your child's stage, emailed after payment. Stages 7, 8 and 9 launch together.
• A computer with internet and a modern browser. A phone works later, but a computer makes setup easier.
• Ten quiet minutes, and ideally your child nearby for the final step.

You do not need to install software. Coach needs the internet and cannot be used offline, unlike a printed booster.

Step 1: how do you sign in to Claude as the parent?

Go to claude.ai and sign in with your own account, or create one if you do not have one. Use your details, not your child's. The Coach page says the free plan works, and Anthropic's help centre confirms that free accounts include Projects, memory and file creation, which are the three things Coach uses.

You can upgrade later if sessions run into usage limits. Anthropic's get-started guide says the free plan has a session-based limit that resets every five hours, so a long mock paper may reach it. Anthropic's pricing page lists plans, and we do not quote its prices.

Step 2: how do you create a Project?

In Claude, open Projects and choose New project. Name it something your child will recognise, such as "Coach Stage 9". Anthropic's help centre says Projects are available to all users, including free accounts, and that free users can create up to five.

What you should see is an empty project page with a place for files and a place for instructions. Leave the instructions empty. Everything Coach needs is in its file.

Step 3: how do you add the Coach file?

Upload the single Coach file we emailed to the project's files, for example CM_AGENT_S9.md for Stage 9. That is the only file. Do not rename it or open and edit it. Anthropic's upload guide says project files can be up to 30 MB each and that the total content must fit within Claude's context window; a Coach file is far below the size limit.

You should see the file listed in the project. If Claude refuses it, check that you are uploading the file from the email rather than a download preview, and then write to [email protected] with the exact message you see.

Step 4: which two settings should you check?

Check Memory and Code execution and file creation. Memory carries your child's progress between chats, and the second setting lets Coach draw diagrams.

1. Memory. Open Settings, then Memory, and make sure it is on. Anthropic says memory is on by default for free, Pro and Max plans and that each Project has its own memory.
2. Code execution and file creation. Open Settings, then Capabilities, and switch on Code execution and file creation. Anthropic's help article says this is available to all Claude users, and lists SVGs among the things you can still create with it.

Memory is a Claude feature, so we cannot guarantee that it saves every time. Coach is designed to pick up where you left off, and if it loses track, tell it where you stopped.

Step 5: what happens when your child types hi?

Open a new chat inside the Project, not outside it, and let your child type hi. Coach should introduce itself, explain Learn and Exam in a few lines and ask what to call your child. The first-run message looks something like this:

Then your child says "learn" or "exam" and a topic. Stay for the first few sessions. For what Coach does next, read how CoreMark Coach works, and for your own role, supervising a child using an AI tutor.

How do you make the first session go smoothly?

Pick a topic your child has already met at school, so the first session tests Coach rather than the maths. Keep paper and a pen on the desk, because drawing questions ask your child to draw on paper and upload a photo, and Coach compares it with the correct drawing. Tell Coach what your child is studying right now, since schools teach chapters in different orders and Coach follows the curriculum, not your school's timetable.

Begin in Learn mode and leave Exam mode for the second or third session. A child who meets a timed paper cold may decide the whole thing is stressful. Finish by asking your child what Coach got right and wrong, and whether they would use it again. Their answer will tell you more than any setting.

What if something looks wrong?

Is the free plan enough?

For most sessions, yes, according to the Coach page, and Claude Pro helps for long sessions or full mock papers because it gives more room before you reach the free plan's limits. Neither is required. If you hit the limit often, try shorter sessions first, which also suits the twenty to thirty minutes a day we suggest. The overall picture, price and what Coach covers are on the Coach page.

Frequently asked questions

CoreMark Coach is an independent product that runs in Claude, made by Anthropic. CoreMark is not affiliated with Anthropic or with Cambridge Assessment International Education. AI can make mistakes: check important answers, and supervise your child's use.