Scheduling Effective Test Prep
“I want to raise my SAT score by 100 points,” a student with whom I work as a test prep coach wrote me recently.
“Great! When are you planning to take the SAT?” I inquired.
“In four weeks.” Uh, oh, I thought.
“Wow,” I emailed her, “that’s not a ton of time, but you could reach that goal by meeting with me two or three times per week.”
“I can only meet with you once per week,” she replied, “and I want to prep for the ACT at the same time.”
As her tutor and test prep coach, I gave her a commonsense, realistic appraisal of what she could expect to accomplish in the time she had available. Unfortunately, she was devastated by it.
While extreme, this student’s expectations were not unique. Many of the students with whom I work as a test prep coach have lofty goals. But they’re often not prepared for the amount of time and effort that it takes to achieve them. What follows are my three simple pieces of advice for families to consider before starting test prep.
Test Prep Coach Rule #1: Consider the Golden Ratios
On average, SAT students who work with me as a test prep coach can expect their scores to rise 100 points after 10 one-on-one sessions with me (100:10). ACT students can expect about a two-point increase after the same (2:10). Some students experience more dramatic results. For instance, one student this fall saw her ACT score go up by four points after just 12 sessions with me as her test prep coach.
Students who want significantly higher scores need to put in more effort. One student raised his ACT score by seven points after 36 sessions with me as his test prep coach. Another lifted his SAT score a whopping 400 points after 29 sessions with me. These results are a testament to how deeply both students (and their parents) committed to the process. (The mother of the first student and the second student himself both submitted reviews that you can read here.)
Image by @NASA on Unsplash
Test Prep Coach Rule #2: Consider Time Available Between Sessions
Many students seek me out as a test prep coach while other activities compete for their time and attention. That’s fine if you’ve got a long runway till the test. However, if your test is in less than six weeks, increasing your score by the amounts above require more than one meeting per week. In addition, you’ll have 1-2 hours of homework in between sessions. If you don’t have that kind of time, it’s probably best to pick another test date.
On the other hand, if you cannot take the test at another time, you’ll be forced to make a choice. As a test prep coach, I cannot wave a wand to create more hours in a week. (Believe me, I wish I could! But I can help you learn how to manage your time more effectively.) You’ll need to either give up your other activities for the duration of working with me as your test prep coach or readjust your hopes of your final score based on the time you do have available. That might sound harsh to 16-year-old ears. But the simple equation of “effort + time = result” can’t be altered.
If you’re the parent of a freshman, sophomore, or early junior reading this, you might want to acquaint yourself with the ACT test dates and SAT test dates now. If possible, avoid planning vacations during the weeks the tests occur. (They occur the same weekends every year.) Consider working with a test prep coach during at least a two-month span right before a test when your child’s other commitments are minimal.
Image by @erothermel on Unsplash
Test Prep Coach Rule #3: Consider Your Priorities
As a test prep coach, I can’t tell you whether you should drop soccer for the SAT or abandon the ACT for archery. There’s no right answer to the dilemma I proposed above. However, you might ask, “What’s more important to me? The camaraderie of teamwork? Or getting a highly selective college degree?” The answer will be unique to each student. But only introspection can guide your decision.
Test Prep Coach Bonus Advice: Start Early
While there is no right answer to the dilemma of activities versus test prep, there is one way around it. Start test prep early. For example, the above student who raised his SAT score by 400 points began working with me as his test prep coach during the middle of his sophomore year. He ended just before his senior year commenced. During those eighteen months, we’d sometimes go weeks without seeing one another. But he could accommodate the times that his schedule did get busy because he started prepping so early.
I can’t promise your SAT score will increase by 400 points if you work with me as your test prep coach. I can promise you, though, that I’ll provide you with a realistic assessment of what you can accomplish in the time you have available. And as your test prep coach, I’ll cheer you on every step of the way, no matter which path you choose.