What do you really think about SAT prep courses?

[Grantmom]

And are there any that are worth the money and time?  Or is it really just as good to work through books on your own, if you can be disciplined to do it?

 

If your kids have not had a lot of testing experience, what has been the best thing for getting them ready for high school tests in general, SAT, AP, etc?  In terms of knowing the tips and tricks of time management, whether or not to guess, how to guess smartly, etc.  I feel like so much of test taking is not mastery of content but test taking skill.  Which is kind of disenchanting to think about, but it is what it is.

 

What has been the best for actually learning how to test well, knowledge of the content aside?

[Luckymama]

Taking practice tests from the testing organization/company or released previously-administered tests is the best way to become familiar with any test.

 

Tests from prep companies/publishers like Barrons and Princeton Review would be second choices. Some of those tests are either easier or more difficult than the "real" ones so you have to be aware of that.

[quark]

I think if a student has specific goals and a good prep course can help him/her fulfill them without too much stress, why not? The prep courses in my area (IRL ones anyway) are very expensive (possibly due to CoL and demand). I think some of them feed the hysteria parents in my area succumb to.

 

For us, the books are enough for now. He has tested twice with CB so far (one SAT and one subject test) and used Barron + College Board books. He plans on taking the SAT again (old format in January). He doesn't like Khan Academy's format enough to use it. He took a spin through some other free materials online (SparkNotes I think) but prefers the books.

 

All the good prep books will have a section on what to look out for, how to pace yourself, rule out answer choices and so on.

 

I have taken a few practice sub-tests and a full practice test myself recently (because I have never taken the SAT and was curious). Some observations:

 

• Both times that he tested and now for the upcoming third test, we chose a prep period when his studies were naturally winding down. We dedicate an average of 5-6 weeks to prep. He practices about 1-2 times a week, sometimes more if he is really intent on a specific score.
• DS doesn't like reading the test strategy sections of the prep books. He likes to just jump in, practice and finish and move on with the day. I think running out of time too often might signal some other issue and might be wiser to focus on what the cause is first? For him, time is fine, but he can be careless...he has a disquieting tendency to mix up sections sometimes when bubbling answers in practice tests! (thank goodness that actual tests have been fine)
• We spent time building good reasoning skills (mostly math and science) and discussing well-written books...and so do so many families here. BUT...and true for me, not DS...this might be a testing disadvantage for some people because you might overthink and take up too much time that way. If this is the case, I suggest paying more attention to the testing strategies outlined in the prep books.
• Stamina -- ugh, I started losing focus about 2+ hours in. I loved math and writing but the reading passages started getting to me and I think I let my impatience affect my focus. I have new respect for DS for being able to take full tests a few times in the 6-week period and remain cheerful.  :laugh:  If overthinking is a concern (it was for DS's first SAT and he was 2 years younger too), you can build stamina by completing just 2 sub-tests at a time and adding more until the student is able to somewhat comfortably complete a full practice test.

[clementine]

My dd has several friends that took a course after getting their first ACT score.  IMO, the results just aren't worth the cost.  Two points (from an average starting score) was the biggest improvement.  One stayed the same & two raised the score 1 point.  Classes in our area run about $600, but I truly think they could have gotten the same results with a good study book.  

 

My dds both used Princeton Review & took all of the tests offered - in the book and online.  They both scored 1 point higher in the actual test than they did on their highest scoring practice test.  The book helped a lot with time-management and the variety of questions to expect.  

[MerryAtHope]

I would see what your local course's/teacher's/tutor's track record is--that's probably going to be the best way to decide if it's worth the price. I do think prep of some kind is very valuable. I don't have any experience with online classes--for something like this, I would think in person help would be better (my son did several ACT prep/practice sessions in person with a tutor, and I felt it was extremely valuable. I don't think he would have had as much benefit from an online class.)

[G5052]

Both of mine used prep books, and both scored closely to what the prep books indicated. That's all we could afford anyway, and they felt like it was very helpful. Other than math, their scores are almost identical, excellent scores. I probably will have my younger repeat next fall with the ACT after some study, but she's fine with her December SAT score if we don't.

 

Friends have paid for the more pricey prep classes, and frankly none of them felt like they really got their money's worth. Maybe it's a local thing, but I'm glad we didn't do it that way.

Edited January 3, 2016 by G5052

[Penguin]

Just to throw in a counterpoint, one of my olders made a significant score leap after an in-person, local SAT prep course. It cost about $300, so not cheap but much less than many prep courses. It was worth it.

[madteaparty]

I don't have experience with them. I have pretty strong views on prep courses for the LSAT however, and am sharing in case there's correlation.

I think if you are scoring decently well, some of these courses will do more harm than good. They have a very specific method of teaching the test, and they want you to unlearn your method and learn theirs. This would work if you have zero experience answering a particular question (on the LSAT, this could be the logic games section). But if you have your way, and it's working decently well, having to unlearn and start over might not help.

I believe in strong prep, on one's own. When I took the LSAT many years ago, a girl I worked with paid lots of $ for a major testing company class. Her score increased by...one point.

Edited January 4, 2016 by madteaparty

[kewb]

My son took a prep course which helped him develop test taking skills.  After his first go around with the SAT we looked at where he needed help and hired a tutor to focus on those areas while reinforcing the ones he was doing okay with.

[Grantmom]

Thanks for the feedback.  Some of these courses are really expensive.  There are some online that are pricey, so I was just curious about them. 

[kewb]

Thanks for the feedback.  Some of these courses are really expensive.  There are some online that are pricey, so I was just curious about them. 

 

Some of the courses are very expensive.  We ended up using a lesser known local company instead of one the big ones.  Still expensive but not as expensive.

[quark]

Thanks for the feedback.  Some of these courses are really expensive.  There are some online that are pricey, so I was just curious about them. 

 

Ask around your local homeschool community if you have one. Sometimes veteran homeschoolers with kids in college might be tutoring part time and might be more amenable to lower hourly rates.