The SAT is one of two main standardized tests used to inform admissions decisions for colleges and universities in the United States and internationally.  Most students take the test during their Junior year of High School, though some students may opt to take it slightly earlier or slightly later depending on their trajectory toward college.

Please note: recently, a growing number of colleges and universities have opted to make the submission of test scores optional or to not accept standardized test scores altogether.  While we are happy to discuss the SAT with you and/or your family, reaching out to a college counselor from your school or an independent organization is the best thing to do if you are deciding whether or not you should take the SAT for college admissions.

The SAT is divided into four sections: a Reading Test, a Writing and Language Test, and two Math Tests, one that allows use of a calculator and one that does not.  Additionally, some students may opt to take the SAT Essay test.

The Reading Test presents the test taker with a series of longer written passages and questions about the content, style, and grammatical structure of those passages to assess reading comprehension in the English language.

The Writing and Language Test presents the test taker with a series of short passages that may or may not be written correctly and coherently.  Questions in this section focus on identifying and evaluating grammatical, syntactical, and organizational choices within these passages to assess the test taker’s understanding of writing and composition in the English language.

The two Math Tests present the test taker with a series of questions covering mathematical topics up to and including Early Math, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus.  No understanding of Calculus is required for the SAT (though it can be useful!).  Neither section is designed to be “harder” than the other: questions on the No Calculator test will involve more straightforward numerical calculations that can be done quickly by hand, while the Calculator section will involve calculations that would be too tedious to do by hand but can be done quickly if the test taker understands how to use their calculator efficiently.  Both sections emphasize conceptual understanding of mathematical concepts equally.
Most calculators used in High School math classes are approved for use on the SAT, but you should always consult the SAT Calculator Policy before test day.

Historically, SAT Subject Tests have been offered for students wishing to demonstrate mastery of particular topics. These tests have now been discontinued in the US and will be discontinued internationally after June 2021.

While the SAT does require a solid command of some specific language-based and mathematical concepts and skills, it is -- like any standardized test -- first and foremost a game.  No matter what you do or do not know of the specifics, your chances of succeeding in the game of standardized testing improve dramatically when you know how to play the game.

In your very first session we will talk you through the rules of the game and the test-taking strategies that will help you make the most of the knowledge you already have from school.  From there, we will work to brush up and fill in the gaps on concepts you feel less confident in while always keeping an eye on strategy and test-taking discipline to make sure you feel as comfortable and confident as can be on test day.

It is important, however, to remember one thing: your tutor cannot take the test for you.  We cannot and do not guarantee specific scores on any standardized test because no tutor can make such promises honestly.

What we can guarantee is the excellence of our service as a resource in your test preparation.  For many students, working with a tutor helps them set aside a few hours per week to devote to thinking about standardized testing, and even that little bit of attention helps increase test-taking confidence and, in turn, test scores.  Furthermore, while studying you have immediate access to a tutor who knows not only the content covered in the test itself, but who can also teach you how to identify the ways in which the format of the test itself tries to trick you.

The SAT is administered by the College Board

The ACT is one of two main standardized tests used to inform admissions decisions for colleges and universities in the United States and internationally.  Most students take the test during their Junior year of High School, though some students may opt to take it slightly earlier or slightly later depending on their trajectory toward college.

Please note: recently, a growing number of colleges and universities have opted to make the submission of test scores optional or to not accept standardized test scores altogether.  While we are happy to discuss the ACT with you and/or your family, reaching out to a college counselor from your school or an independent organization is the best thing to do if you are deciding whether or not you should take the ACT for college admissions.

The ACT is divided into four sections: an English Test, a Math Test, a Reading Test, and Science Test.  Additionally, some students may opt to take the ACT Essay Test.

The English Test presents the test taker with a series of short passages that may or may not be written correctly and coherently.  Questions in this section focus on identifying and evaluating grammatical, syntactical, and organizational choices within these passages to assess the test taker’s understanding of writing and composition in the English language.

The Reading Test presents the test taker with a series of longer written passages and questions about the content, style, and grammatical structure of those passages to assess reading comprehension in the English language.

The Math Test presents the test taker with a series of questions covering mathematical topics up to and including Early Math, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus.  No understanding of Calculus is required for the ACT (though it can be useful!).  The ACT Math Test allows the use of a calculator for calculations that would be too tedious to do by hand, though some calculations may be done faster by hand, especially if you are less familiar with your calculator.

Most calculators used in High School math classes are approved for use on the ACT, but you should always consult the ACT Calculator Policy before test day.

The Science Test presents the Test Taker with several “passages” that may include written text, diagrams, graphs, or charts.  Questions in this section will ask the test taker to interpret and draw conclusions from the information presented.  The test taker may also be asked to perform a few simple calculations based on numerical information or formulas provided.  Use of a calculator is not permitted in this section.

While the ACT does require a solid command of some specific language-based and mathematical concepts and skills, it is -- like any standardized test -- first and foremost a game.  No matter what you do or do not know of the specifics, your chances of succeeding in the game of standardized testing improve dramatically when you know how to play the game.

In your very first session we will talk you through the rules of the game and the test-taking strategies that will help you make the most of the knowledge you already have from school.  From there, we will work to brush up and fill in the gaps on concepts you feel less confident in while always keeping an eye on strategy and test-taking discipline to make sure you feel as comfortable and confident as can be on test day.

It is important, however, to remember one thing: your tutor cannot take the test for you.  We cannot and do not guarantee specific scores on any standardized test because no tutor can make such promises honestly.

What we can guarantee is the excellence of our service as a resource in your test preparation.  For many students, working with a tutor helps them set aside a few hours per week to devote to thinking about standardized testing, and even that little bit of attention helps increase test-taking confidence and, in turn, test scores.  Furthermore, while studying you have immediate access to a tutor who knows not only the content covered in the test itself, but who can also teach you how to identify the ways in which the format of the test itself tries to trick you.

The ACT is administered by ACT Inc

The Independent School Entrance Exam, or ISEE, is widely used by independent schools to inform admissions decisions.  The most common times for students to take an ISEE exam are 5th grade and 9th grade for admission to middle and high school, respectively, though different versions of the ISEE exist for students entering grades 2-12 depending on which year they are applying for admission to an independent school.

Material on the ISEE varies depending on the grade level for which it is administered. ISEE exams for students applying to grades 2-4 have two sections: a reading section and a math section (the 2nd grade exam also has a brief auditory comprehension section). For grades 5-12, the ISEE includes additional sections on Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning. The time allotted for each test also varies depending on level.

While the ISEE does require a solid command of some specific language-based and mathematical concepts and skills, it is -- like any standardized test -- first and foremost a game.  No matter what you do or do not know of the specifics, your chances of succeeding in the game of standardized testing improve dramatically when you know how to play the game.

In your very first session we will talk you through the rules of the game and the test-taking strategies that will help you make the most of the knowledge you already have from school.  From there, we will work to brush up and fill in the gaps on concepts you feel less confident in while always keeping an eye on strategy and test-taking discipline to make sure you feel as comfortable and confident as can be on test day.

It is important, however, to remember one thing: your tutor cannot take the test for you.  We cannot and do not guarantee specific scores on any standardized test because no tutor can make such promises honestly.

What we can guarantee is the excellence of our service as a resource in your test preparation.  For many students, working with a tutor helps them set aside a few hours per week to devote to thinking about standardized testing, and even that little bit of attention helps increase test-taking confidence and, in turn, test scores.  Furthermore, while studying you have immediate access to a tutor who knows not only the content covered in the test itself, but who can also teach you how to identify the ways in which the format of the test itself tries to trick you.

The ISEE is administered by the Education Records Bureau (ERB), and you can learn more about the test and opportunities to sit for it at the ERB website

The SHSAT is a standardized test used to inform admissions decisions for specialized high schools in New York City.  Students interested in attending one of these high schools usually take the SHSAT in 8th or 9th grade.  According to the NYC Department of Education, the following high schools require the SHSAT for admission:

The Specialized High School Admissions Test, or SHSAT, consists of two sections: an English Language Arts (ELA) Section and a Math Section. The ELA section is further split into a revising/editing section that asks a student to identify and correct grammatical and stylistic errors in given passages and a reading comprehension section that presents the test taker with questions about six passages. The Math section combines computational questions and word problems that test a student’s ability to use Grade 8-level mathematics (primarily Pre-Algebra) to reason through a multi-step problem.

While the SHSAT does require a solid command of some specific language-based and mathematical concepts and skills, it is -- like any standardized test -- first and foremost a game.  No matter what you do or do not know of the specifics, your chances of succeeding in the game of standardized testing improve dramatically when you know how to play the game.

In your very first session we will talk you through the rules of the game and the test-taking strategies that will help you make the most of the knowledge you already have from school.  From there, we will work to brush up and fill in the gaps on concepts you feel less confident in while always keeping an eye on strategy and test-taking discipline to make sure you feel as comfortable and confident as can be on test day.

It is important, however, to remember one thing: your tutor cannot take the test for you.  We cannot and do not guarantee specific scores on any standardized test because no tutor can make such promises honestly.

What we can guarantee is the excellence of our service as a resource in your test preparation.  For many students, working with a tutor helps them set aside a few hours per week to devote to thinking about standardized testing, and even that little bit of attention helps increase test-taking confidence and, in turn, test scores.  Furthermore, while studying you have immediate access to a tutor who knows not only the content covered in the test itself, but who can also teach you how to identify the ways in which the format of the test itself tries to trick you.

You can learn more about the SHSAT at the NYC Department of Education Website