Most students are anxious about taking college entrance exams. Taking a good test prep course or working one-on-one with a tutor can help alleviate some of this anxiety by allowing students to become familiar with the exams and test-taking strategies. Here are some questions to ask when looking for a test prep class:
Who will be teaching the class? Some test prep companies use recent college graduates who had high SAT/ACT scores when they took the exam in high school. Be cautious if this is the case. There is a difference between scoring well on an exam and being able to teach others how to do well. Be sure to ask about the training the instructors receive to help them become effective teachers, not just effective test takers. The best programs either use experienced educators as instructors, or use educators for training instructors.
What is the content of the class? Is time equally divided between the different sections of the exams, or are whole sessions devoted to specific sections? Is more time spent on particular sections or particular skills development? Additionally, ask how many full-length practice exams, using real exams, will be given during the course; the more the better. Also ask how the practice exams are scored and shared with students. Do they get personal feedback on their strengths and weaknesses? Of course, you should always consider how you learn best, and then look for programs that are a good match for your learning style. Some students will do best with private tutoring, while other students can do well in a group setting.
What materials will be used in the class? The best test prep classes and test prep tutors will use actual SAT and/or ACT exams for practice rather than create their own exams. While many test prep companies use their own proprietary study books, they should also incorporate the College Board’s and the ACT’s own study guides into the classroom.
What is the class size? Look for smaller groups, and be sure to ask how much time is allocated in each class session to answering individual questions.
What is the refund policy? If your child thinks the course isn’t helping after a session or two, can you get a refund? What happens if your child gets sick or has a scheduling conflict that requires dropping out of the course?
Can you provide references? Checking references is especially important if you are considering hiring a private tutor. However, keep in mind that what works well for one student isn’t necessarily the best fit for all students. When checking references, be sure to dig deeper in your questions to try to get a sense of the tutor’s style, approach, and ability to adapt to your child’s needs.
What is the tutor’s or prep class success rate? Use caution here. If a class or tutor suggests that all students who take the course will raise their SAT scores by 100 or 200 points, it should set off warning bells. Students in any class will learn and improve at their own rates; it is very rare to see the same increases across the board for all students. Similarly, don’t be overly impressed by promises that your son or daughter can retake the prep class for free if their scores don’t increase. You want a course that helps the first time. A good question to ask of courses or tutors who make this promise is “what percentage of students retake the course because they didn’t get the scores they hoped for after the class or working with the tutor?” Listen to the answer carefully. Sometimes what seems like a positive, isn’t. A high percentage of repeats is not necessarily a good thing; you want a class that is likely to help the first time you take it.
