TutorMaster is often asked “What are the pros and cons of taking a prep course for the SAT or ACT?”
Test prep courses can provide you with the guidance and support you need to achieve your best possible score on the PSAT, SAT or ACT.
Students who are properly prepared for a particular standardized test will perform better than students who do not prepare.
Unfortunately, many of the companies that provide test prep use people who, though having high scores on the ACT OR SAT, are not teachers!
Rather, they are good test takers but cannot impart the knowledge of how to independently solve the problem. In other words, they do not TEACH. Seeing how someone else solves a problem can give you a limited idea of how to do it, but it is no substitute for understanding and having insight into the fundamental elements involved in the problem
TutorMaster focuses on building the knowledge, fluency and skill to excel in each subject area of the test. Whether the focus is Critical Reading, Grammar, or Math (and ACT Science),TutorMaster focuses on building the fundamental knowledge of the underlying concept that a question is assessing.
One problem area we see constantly is that once students enter high school, they are expected to know all the material taught in the upper elementary grades, but often they have not retained this material, or never learned it properly in the first place. This leads to an improper foundation in the subject Basics.
This is especially true in Math (percents, ratios, and averages) Grammar (punctuation and structure), as well as Critical Reading (main idea, supporting details, tone), Vocabulary (Students no longer read as widely as they should, so their word knowledge is not very strong. With steady vocabulary work, we ensure the student grows an expanded vocabulary)
Deconstructing the particular area tested, whether on the ACT, SAT, PSAT, or other standardized tests, allows TutorMaster to build a student’s basic knowledge of the material, giving them the confidence to know how to break down and answer similar questions when they are confronted on the test
Properly done, test preparation can help students feel more confident and in control. This can lead to better test performance as well as improving overall academic performance.