Award-Winning SAT Test Prep in Pasadena, CA

Getting ready for the SAT can be challenging, but Varsity Tutors has you covered with several SAT prep offerings to choose from. Whether you prefer small group SAT courses with a few other students in order to encourage one another and share suggestions, or you prefer to meet privately with an SAT test prep tutor, signing up for SAT test prep assistance through Varsity Tutors is an excellent way to enhance the quality of your study sessions. It's easy to get started with an in-depth SAT class when you reach out to us today. Or you can keep reading to learn more about how an SAT course could help you get the most out of your study sessions.

The SAT test serves a good purpose for both the students who take it and the colleges that use the results. Colleges and universities, almost all of which accept your SAT score as part of your application portfolio, appreciate being able to compare all applicants using a common data point. They use the SAT as a tool to determine how well prepared each applicant is for successful college-level study. This is one of the reasons the quality of your SAT test preparation is so important.

For you and all the thousands of students who take the exam each year, the main purpose of taking the SAT is to get into the post-secondary institution of your dreams. Knowledgeable SAT test prep tutors can help you identify which programs you should apply for, what their SAT score requirements are, and then help keep you on track during your SAT prep sessions once you've set your goal. Because Varsity Tutors refers you to SAT tutoring professionals who know what it takes to prepare for the test, your SAT classes can provide you with helpful study skills and testing strategies that could make all the difference on test day.

How can SAT classes near me help me meet the requirements to get into the college I want to attend?

We've established that SAT tutors can help you work towards reaching your goals, but perhaps you're still wondering how they do so. Whether you're in a one-on-one SAT prep tutoring situation or in a small group SAT course, you can count on Varsity Tutors to connect you with SAT tutoring experts who know many ways to study for the exam. One of the greatest advantages of not studying in a classroom setting is the flexibility SAT tutors have in planning your sessions.

Let's look at the following SAT test prep situation for an example. Even if you're a complete math whiz, your SAT class tutor will probably give you a math assessment during your first session. When you not only score 100% on it, but also do so in half the time allotted, you probably won't spend much time reviewing the math concepts you've clearly mastered. How much time would be spent reviewing math concepts in an SAT prep classroom setting? This example illustrates how studying in a one-on-one setting can be far more efficient than classroom alternatives. As a college-bound high school student, you don't have time to spend on unnecessary tasks, and by signing up for SAT test prep help through Varsity Tutors, you don't have to.

Are you curious about exactly what you need to study to prepare for the SAT? Review the information below to learn more about the format and content of the SAT:

The Tests That Make Up the SAT

• Reading Test
  • Assesses reading comprehension and reasoning skills
  • Answer questions from written passages
  • Some passages include tables, charts, or other graphics
• Writing and Language Test
  • Assesses grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and other skills in written English
  • Assesses the ability to understand words through context
  • Analyze passages to identify opportunities to improve claims or relevance
• Math
  • Features calculator and no-calculator portions
  • Assesses problem-solving and analytical skills
  • Assesses algebraic skills
  • Assess the ability to understand and solve mathematical expressions
• Essay
  • Optional
  • Assesses writing skills
  • Assesses the ability to understand an argument, present it, and support it with evidence

One thing to note is that although the Essay section is listed as optional, it's important to find out if any of the programs you're planning to apply for require applicants to complete the Essay section, as many of them do. This is another thing you can look up during your SAT prep.

What are the different options Varsity Tutors offers for SAT test prep near me?

The most intensive option Varsity Tutors offers to help you prepare for the test is one-on-one SAT tutoring. Working with SAT tutors allows for a great deal of flexibility, both in scheduling and in the study sessions. Varsity Tutors always does our best to connect you with a tutor who can meet at a time that fits your busy schedule. This is made much easier by the fact that our SAT courses are conducted online through our Live Learning Platform. This removes any travel or transportation obstacles, and also widens the timeframe that both you and your tutor have available for conducting your SAT prep sessions.

Possibly the greatest advantage to working with a private SAT test prep tutor is that they can create a customized learning plan for you that's targeted specifically towards your academic growth. If you learn one concept or topic more quickly than expected, your tutor can move your SAT test preparation on to the next subject without having to wait. By being able to adjust your study schedule in real time, your lessons are as efficient as possible, and every minute you spend in your SAT classes is productive study time. This may be the right SAT preparation choice for you if you've previously enjoyed getting individualized feedback while learning.

There are basically two SAT test preparation options you can sign up for. The first is the private tutoring and the second choice you may want to consider is our small-group SAT classes. When you sign up for these SAT courses, you'll learn from an experienced instructor in an online learning environment that replicates the traditional classroom experience. You'll even get to learn alongside and interact with a small group of peers during each SAT class. As mentioned above, this gives you the chance to give and receive encouragement among other SAT prep students who know exactly what you're going through, because they are, too. It's not like sitting in a full classroom because the group is kept smaller. This type of SAT test prep also gives you the option to work with your instructor in a one-on-one setting when you need additional help with a challenging topic.

How can SAT tutoring near me help me study better than on my own or in a class?

First and foremost, working on your SAT preparation with the personalized attention of a private SAT tutor offers the most flexible and efficient way to study, as mentioned above. In addition to taking time during your SAT course to focus on particular content, tutors have the chance to choose among the many SAT prep study methods they have in their "toolbox," to find the ones that work best for you.

Your SAT test prep can get to know you better than a classroom teacher could. This means they can get to know your current study habits, both by asking you and observing you, and the strengths you bring to the table. They can also discover the learning styles that help you learn and retain information more effectively, and where your interests lie. By taking all of this into consideration, your SAT prep tutor can design lesson plans that are most effective for your unique set of personal attributes.

We can again look at some example SAT test prep situations to show how this might work. If you're studying for the SAT after spending a long day at school sitting in a chair and listening to teachers, you might be ready to fall asleep with your eyes open as your tutor explains things. This may be an effective way for you to learn normally, but a good SAT prep tutor will probably not only observe this happening, but take action to fix it.

If you're working on certain math skills, and you happen to enjoy basketball, they may take you outside with a ball to a nearby hoop and play a game that involves answering math questions while making shots. If you're working on reading comprehension, your SAT test prep can again move outside, this time to take a walk. When you're tired, moving and taking in fresh air can help you focus better on the topics being discussed and may improve your performance. Your tutor can bring passages, read them out loud as you walk, and ask you questions verbally. Or if they have the ability, they could make up short passages that are funny or strange so they catch your attention better than a piece of 18^th century British literature, and then provide questions for you to answer.

Can a SAT course near me help me with more than just content review for the test?

The SAT is a hugely popular college admissions exam. The test assesses how prepared you are for a college level of study through a series of multiple-choice questions that cover many of the most important things you studied while in high school. Students who earn a strong SAT score may become a more attractive candidate for admission at the colleges they're most interested in attending. That's why it's vital that you have a strong test preparation in place as you begin to prepare for this comprehensive exam.

Doing well on the SAT requires more from you than just remembering the content tested. Full SAT preparation involves study and test-taking skill enhancement in addition to subject review. Because each section of the exam has a limited timeframe for you to complete it, your SAT tutor can help you improve your pacing if that's an issue. They have a number of ways they can do so.

Sometimes it almost seems like the wording of SAT questions is meant to trick you. Your tutor can help you learn to first read questions carefully, then understand what they're asking for. A double-negative can make a question seem like it's asking one thing when it's actually asking for the exact opposite. Becoming familiar with the wording of SAT questions can make them less daunting, and when you're more quickly able to understand what a question asks, you can answer more quickly.

Which leads to another simple strategy your SAT prep tutor can encourage, which is trusting your first instinct. If you answer a question in your head before looking at the answers, and find your answer among the choices, you can feel confident picking that answer. In classroom tests, you're encouraged to review your work, but on standardized exams like the SAT, that's not always the best option. Depending on what your tutor observes when you take practice sections or tests, they can help you find the best way for you to pick the right answer. They may even have ideas on how you can improve your chances of picking the right answer even if you're not sure what it is.

There are other time-management tips your SAT test prep tutor can demonstrate as they help you choose the ones that work best for you. To track your pacing improvement, your instructor may administer timed sections of the exam, observe you as you answer questions, and provide more suggestions based on what they see. Because the SAT doesn't penalize you for wrong answers, but does penalize you for unanswered questions, it's in your best interest to practice your pacing until you feel comfortable in your ability to finish all items on the test.

It can be beneficial to have your SAT tutor walk you through what the whole testing experience will be like. Below, you'll find important information about what to expect on the day of your SAT exam:

• Doors open at 7:45 am on the day of the test
• Doors close at 8:00 am
• Testing starts between 8:30 and 9:00 am
• One 10 minute break and one 5 minute break
• Students not taking the Essay will be done around 12 pm
• Students taking the Essay will be done around 1 pm

Your SAT prep instructor may even be able to teach you techniques to reduce your anxiety on the day of the test if that's an issue for you. If you plan on taking the SAT soon, then consider signing up for an SAT test prep course with Varsity Tutors. You can get started with the SAT course of your choice when you reach out to us today. Whichever option you ultimately decide on, Varsity Tutors is dedicated to helping you enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of your study sessions. We look forward to hearing from you.