Pros and Cons of 8 Online Test Prep Programs

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Online Test Prep

• Pros and Cons of 8 Top Online
• Test Preparation Programs

By Michelle Goins, Teacher and Professional SAT
Tutor E-mail love2teach101_at_gmail.com
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The Major Programs

• ACT (www.act.org)
• College Board (www.collegeboard.org)
• Kaplan (www.kaptest.com)
• Princeton Review (www.princetonreview.com)

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The Growing Programs

• Beestar (hs.beestar.org)
• Edsortium (www.edsortium.com)
• Grockit (grockit.com)
• Method Test Prep (www.methodtestprep.com)

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Beestar
Price SAT Math Free Advanced Math
40/semester SAT Vocabulary 40/semester SAT
Reading/Writing 30/semester
Friendly and straightforward. Bi-weekly exams
test students knowledge of Reading/Writing,
Vocabulary, Math, and/or Advanced Math concepts
covered on PSAT, SAT, and ACT.

• The Pros
• Exercises gradually increase in difficulty, with
  emphasis on speed and accuracy
• SAT Math is free (as are sample exams for other
  subjects)
• They seem genuinely interested in helping
  students to do well, and do not push sales.
• They dont seem to spam or send annoying
  e-mails/letters/phone calls like some of the
  bigger companies tend to do.

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Beestar

• The Cons
• For those taking the ACT, there is no science
  section
• Not as interactive/customized as some of the
  other sites
• 11th and 12th grade content is not fully
  developed yet (though, from what I have seen,
  much of the content covered on the 9th and 10th
  grade exams is fairly advanced and relevant to
  juniors and seniors).

• Unique Bonus Features
• Excellent referral program. For each 2 successful
  referrals, you get a free semester of any
  subject. Please list my e-mail
  (love2teach101_at_gmail.com) if you sign up for this
  website, and I will donate the referral credit to
  my students.
• Weekly competitions in each subject. Everyone
  loves these! Allows students to see how they
  compare to other students in their grade level.
  Members compete to earn virtual trophies, medals,
  and ribbons.
• There is also a fully developed sister site for
  grades 1-8, which has referral benefits and
  weekly competitions as well.

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Edsortium
Price 575 for 4, 2-hour sessions
Offers online SAT courses in a virtual
classroom

• The Pros
• The site seems to assume a high level of academic
  performance and integrity in its users (which is
  generally good for helping boost confidence
  levels and reduce test anxiety)
• Instructor has an impressive history of teaching
  test preparation (including founding the
  Princeton Review of Tennessee)
• Accelerated courses are available for highly
  motivated students

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Edsortium

• The Cons
• Their method is based on the premise that
  students know everything the need to know to
  score perfectly on the SAT and ACT by the end of
  the 8th grade. (In my professional opinion, I
  think that should be the case, but I dont think
  that it is for most students I have encountered.)
• It seems fairly expensive for the amount of
  instruction received

• Unique Bonus Features
• Class recordings are available for playback if
  you miss or need to review something.
• There is also an option for traditional in-person
  lessons
• The teacher of the online and in-person lessons
  seems extremely eloquent, well-trained, and
  encouraging

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Grockit
Price 149.99/16 hours of video
29.99/month 359.88/year
Grockit offers online video courses and/or
one-on-one individual tutoring.

• The Pros
• They have an awesome name (which is an allusion
  to the wonderful book, Stranger in a Strange Land
  by Robert A. Heinlein)
• Group study section is free for everyone
• Grockit helps match students with potential
  tutors to suit their needs (for an additional
  fee).
• Shows you how your scores compare to those of
  entering freshmen of various universities

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Grockit

• The Cons
• All questions are extremely similar to those on
  the SAT and ACT. While this might be a pro for
  some, most students find these types of questions
  discouraging, tricky, or even boring. I find that
  the majority of students prefer to initially
  practice with more entertaining questions that
  gradually familiarize them with exam questions.

• Unique Bonus Features
• Mini tests help you predict your score and target
  your weaknesses
• Grockit allows you to sign in through Facebook
  and share your progress with friends
• Free three day trial (doesnt require that you
  supply any credit card information)

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Method Test Prep
Price 200 for 14 hours of instruction
(Choose SAT or ACT)
Short lessons followed by exams test students
knowledge of SAT and/or ACT content

• The Pros
• Choose either self-paced or teacher-led classes
  to suit your learning style
• Free study guides and test prep webinars
  (requires login)
• Offers larger-scale programs for schools and
  school districts
• According to the People of MTP page, the
  founder and employees seem very helpful and
  dedicated to their work
• Video, audio, and text explanations for missed
  problems

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Method Test Prep

• The Cons
• Since classes are broadcast live, you cant
  pause, rewind, or catch up if you miss them
• The cost of study materials is not covered. (Must
  buy The Official SAT Study Guide OR The Real
  ACT Prep Guide)
• Unless you choose the self-paced option

• Unique Bonus Features
• Access to their free blog with dozens of pages
  worth of testing and studying advice
• Students can participate in online sessions via
  text or microphone chat
• In person and individual online tutoring
  available (additional fees may apply for these
  options)

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ACT
Price 19.95 for one year
This website is created by the actual makers of
the ACT.

• The Pros
• Best all around value (for ACT prep)
• You can use the site to register for the exam,
  view your scores, and purchase official copies of
  your scores.
• Each day there is a free practice ACT question
  posted on the website.

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ACT

• The Cons
• Only covers the ACT, not the SAT
• It is best to be cautious because they are in
  fact the makers of the ACT exam. Since the actual
  ACT is less tricky than the SAT, however, this is
  probably not an issue.

• Unique Bonus Features
•  
• Once you purchase the program, you have access to
  a personalized section of the site known as the
  fictional city of ACTropolis. Here you will
  find all of your practice test scores, as well as
  a visual representation of which areas of the
  site you have and havent visited.

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College Board
Price 69.95 for one year
The College Board is the organization that
creates the SAT. Their online exam prep course
includes 10 practice tests and 18 interactive
lessons.

• The Pros
• This site offers a free SAT question of the day,
  and several practice problems.
• There is a free full-length practice test
  (available without purchase)
• When you buy the online course (69.95) AND the
  book (The Official SAT Study Guide, w/ DVD -
  31.99), you get a discount of 10.95 taken off
  at checkout.

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College Board

• The Cons
• Only covers the SAT, not the ACT
• Since they are the makers of the exam, they have
  an incentive to maintain a bell curve when it
  comes to student test scores (i.e., they may want
  good students to score well, average students to
  score average, and poorly performing students to
  continue performing poorly). There is no evidence
  that this has affected their preparation
  techniques, but it is best to be aware of that
  fact when considering this program.

• Unique Bonus Features
• You use the same website to actually register for
  the SAT.
• This website allows you to view your scores and
  purchase official copies of your scores to send
  to universities.

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Kaplan
Price 299 for 6 months 20
90-minute cram sessions (either Math
or Reading)
Individualized test preparation for various
exams (PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, ACT)

• The Pros
• Their website is the most visually appealing.
• There is an instructional video for every topic
  covered on the exams
• Also offers preparation for AP, ASVAB, and SAT
  Subject tests.
• They apparently have a great deal of practice
  questions available once you register for one of
  their programs.

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Kaplan

• The Cons
• Once youre on their mailing list, it is very
  difficult to get off.
• Their sales people are EXTREMELY motivated to
  sell you their products and services.
• You cant really take advantage of their free
  services unless you provide them with your
  contact information.
• They may value marketing and aesthetics over
  service quality.

• Unique Bonus Features
• Free Turbo Test that predicts your score
• Its hard to find out much more information
  without signing up, so if you find out anything,
  feel free to let me know!

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Princeton Review
Price Math 169 (self-guided)
Verbal 169 (self-guided) 299 for
both(Live online course 599Individual
Tutoring 2760-6600)
Filled with testing strategies and tricks that
will most likely improve your score

• The Pros
• This site is especially helpful if you are
  cramming.
• This companys books are excellent testing
  guides.
• This is a good option for students who already
  have a fairly good grasp of the subject matter to
  get an extra boost
• Several options are available to suit different
  learning styles and price ranges

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Princeton Review

• The Cons
• Their site has an abundance of information, but
  it can be difficult to find answers to all of
  your questions.
• This may lead you to call or chat with them. As
  with Kaplan, their representatives are VERY
  motivated to sell you products and services.
• While they have many tricks that help on the
  test, what you learn doesnt help much too much
  with the actual subject matter.

• Unique Bonus Features
• Offers prep courses for various college and grad
  school exams (GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc.)as well as
  the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, and ACT.
• There are also programs for individual tutoring
  and as well as in-person classroom instruction
• Website include a wealth of information about
  various college-related topics

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To Recap
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Thanks for watching!

• Michelle Goins
• Love2Teach101_at_gmail.com

Love2Teach101.blogspot.com