Pros and Cons of 8 Top Online Test Preparation Programs

By: Michelle Goins, Teacher and Professional SAT Tutor

E-mail: love2teach101@gmail.com

The Major Programs

ACT

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

The Growing Programs

Beestar

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

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.

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@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.

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

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

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

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)

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

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Princeton Review
Price: Math= $169 (self-guided) Verbal= $169 (self-guided) $299 for both (Live online course = $599 Individual 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

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

To Recap:

Thanks for watching!

Michelle Goins
Love2Teach101@gmail.com

Love2Teach101.blogspot.com