Academic Achievers believes the best way to train for the SAT/ACT is a one-on-one, in-home, custom designed program addressing both strategy and content.  We evaluate each student through a diagnostic assessment, analyze the results, and provide a specific program built on his or her strengths and weaknesses, learning style, and score goals. We also provide full-length proctored practice tests in our Santa Monica facility to sharpen test-taking skills.

We believe the best SAT/ACT curriculum should provide students familiarity with the math, grammar, and analytical principles that the SAT tests. Accordingly, we strive to refresh and build your student's math skills as well as grammar, logic, and reading comprehension.  Other SAT/ACT test prep programs focus on a standardized approach. Our SAT/ACT course curriculum is different; it is custom designed for your student's unique needs.  We approach the test from the point of view of the test makers.  We seek to provide test takers of all levels with content mastery and an organized approach that builds skills for every question type on the exam, including the most advanced content that many other test prep companies ignore.

Your child is unique. We believe his or her test prep should be, too.

What is the difference between the SAT and the ACT ?

The SAT and ACT exams are surprisingly more similar than they are different. This is why both tests are accepted for college admissions purposes.

The ACT has up to 5 components: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing Test. The SAT has 3 components: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and a required Writing Test.The SAT and ACT cover similar content in the English/Writing, Mathematics, and Reading sections. The key difference is the Science section on the ACT and the Sentence Completions section on the SAT.

The College Board introduced a new version of the SAT in 2005, with a mandatory writing test. ACT continues to offer its well-established test, plus an optional writing test. You take the ACT Writing Test only if required by the college(s) you're applying to.

The SAT has a correction for guessing. That is, they take off for wrong answers. The ACT is scored based on the number of correct answers with no penalty for guessing.

The total testing time for the SAT is 3 hours and 45 minutes, not including breaks, check-in and pre-administration. The total testing time for the ACT is 2 hours and 55 minutes (3 hours and 25 minutes with Writing Test).

What are the SAT Subject Tests?

The SAT Subject Tests are a set of 20 different tests focusing on specific disciplines such as Literature, History, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Foreign Languages. Each Subject Test lasts one hour and consists entirely of multiple-choice questions. These tests help the colleges make admission s and placement decisions. Academic Achievers advises taking the SAT Subject Tests in the subjects the student is best at. Since the questions are arranged easiest to most difficult, it is advisable to have some tutoring sessions to review the basics and to extend the student's knowledge base further. The test does penalize for wrong answers, so test-taking techniques are important and our tutors are fully versed in these techniques.
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Advanced Placement Tests

AP's, by definition, are highly rigorous classes. Although there are 34 AP subjects, students can only choose the number of AP classes available at any given high school. Students who enroll in AP courses and perform well in them tend to be regarded as more competitive in the college admissions process. More than 90% of four year colleges give student credit, advanced placement, or both for achieving a score of 3 or higher. It is therefore most important for the student to feel competent and confident when he or she takes the AP exams. Academic Achievers' tutors are very aware of the demands of the test and the importance of mastering the material and getting into the mindset of the test makers. We excel in preparing students for the AP exams.

ISEE

The Independent School Entrance Exam is a four-part standardized test given to students in grades 6, 7, and 8 who wish to enroll in a private school. The sections include multiple choice questions in verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, math achievement, and an essay. The essay is not included in the score but accompanies the results to the school.

To ensure that your child will achieve his or her maximum score, our trained tutors will review all of the basic components of the test and make sure your child feels confident with the material and is familiar with the test.   Although our ISEE test prep is one-on-one, in-home customized preparation, we also offer on-site practice tests to sharpen your child's test taking skills.
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