How many hours of tutoring will my child/I need?
At A to Z, the focus is on the individual, so there is no one answer. On average, most students sign up for 10 to 20 sessions to achieve their desired “bump” in standardized test scores. Academic tutoring is different, as that usually spans an entire school semester.

How do I know which test my child needs to take when applying for middle or high school?
It all depends on the on the schools he or she is applying to. There are different tests for private schools, catholic schools and specialized schools. Check the admissions pages on the schools’ websites, and you should find which test is required in the application criteria.

How early should my child start preparing for these tests? What about the college tests?
For the middle/high school exams, late summer or early fall is good.  Keep in mind that the lesson plan for a 4th grader is not the same as that for an 8th grader.

For the SAT or ACT, it depends.  Somewhere between 3 to 6 months is a good timeframe. The earliest anyone should start is the summer before Junior year, as it will not be until the following spring (9 months later) that the student will take the test for the first time. Any sooner and there is a risk of burn out or loss of momentum. Starting too late doesn’t work either; cramming for 1 or 2 months, on top of schoolwork and extracurriculars, is usually a recipe for a meltdown.

What if my child has a learning disability?
ALL the tests – middle/high school and college level - provide special accommodations for students with documented learning and/or behavioral issues. You will need to go to their websites and look under “Special Needs” or “Accommodations” to find out what kind of modifications are provided and how to apply for them.

What is the PSAT good for?
The PSAT gives the student a (shorter, easier) preview of the SAT without having the score count.  If the score is high enough, the student can qualify for a National Merit Scholarship, which is a prestigious national award - something that looks good on a college application.

How many times should I take the SAT? The ACT? 
You can take the SAT and/or the ACT as many times as you want, but don’t go overboard. Statistically, students show improvement between the first, second and, if necessary, third time they take the test - but plateau after that.

What are the differences between the SAT and the ACT? Which one should I take?
Basically, the ACT is another standardized test that many colleges use to evaluate an applicant. It is scored differently than the SAT, with a maximum of 36 instead of 2400. It is also structured differently, with four longer sections: English (grammar), Math (more difficult than the SAT), Reading (reading comprehension), and Science (data interpretation - NOT scientific memorization).  The essay is optional. Most importantly, the ACT does NOT take points off for wrong answers. For a detailed breakdown, click on Alex’s chart.

If you have a choice, you should take diagnostic tests for both the ACT and the SAT to find out if you're better suited to one or the other (most students do equally well on both).  Then you’ll know which test to focus on. Be aware, however, that you may not have a choice – it depends on what each college requires.

What is a good SAT score? ACT?
Once again, it all depends on where you are applying. Any comprehensive college profile book will tell you what individual schools look for. In general, state schools require scores of 500-550 in each section of the SAT (for a total of 1500-1650) and a 20 or above on the ACT; the more competitive schools look for 600s (totaling 1800+) on the SAT and a 25 on the ACT; the Ivy League wants 700s (or 2100+) on the SAT and a 30 or above on the ACT.

Will colleges see all my ACT scores?
Only if you want them to – you get to choose which tests to send to colleges, so you can take it as many times as you want and only send your best scores. In addition, for the first time, some colleges are now officially allowing you to Superscore the ACT, meaning they will accept the best scores from each section of the ACT, even if they come from different tests/test-dates!

What is SAT Score Choice?
This is an option introduced by the College Board in 2009 whereby you can pick which SAT tests you want to submit to schools. It has proven controversial and for a full breakdown (and Alex’s opinion), click here.

What about SAT IIs? Do I have to take them? Which ones?
Many colleges do not require SAT IIs, but some do. The good news is that you can pick which Subject Tests to take – so pick those that cover material you excel in, or that you are already studying for other tests - like the AP exams.  The exception is if you are applying for a specific academic track:  if you know you are going Pre-Med, you have to take one of the Science tests. Engineering?  Math Level 1C or IIC. International Politics or Law? World History and a Language would be good. There is an SAT II for Chinese, you know…