The Key to Stress Free Test Prep? Start Early!

February 27th, 2016|

The best test prep is stress free prep.   When I played the saxophone, I had fun. But I didn't love it so much that I wanted to practice 8 hours a day. And I was OK with that. I liked goofing around and being able to play what I wanted to. But no one [...]

Test Prep Tip – Know Your Proportions

February 1st, 2016|

Test makers love proportions. We work with standardized tests for public schools, ISEE, SSAT, ACT, SAT, SAT subjects, and more. In every case, the test makers are very interested in proportions.   A few years back we were working with a student on her standardized math test for public school. The test didn’t count as part [...]

Should you take the new SAT?

December 5th, 2015|

Should you take the ACT or the new SAT? We used to base this question on the science section: any of our students who did well on that were advised to take the ACT. We found it more straightforward, less tricky. However, anyone who just wasn’t going to do well in science was better off [...]

Testing, Ireland, and Brains on Low Oxygen

September 21st, 2015|

Having just spent ten days road tripping the beautiful country of Ireland, we learned first hand just how informative it is to break the habits we've learned driving in the U.S..  The first challenge is adjusting to a driver's seat on the right side of the car.  The next is to drive on the left [...]

Form First, Speed Will Follow

September 14th, 2015|

     A karate instructor told me to worry about moving with proper form, and let the speed come after. It’s true in taking tests too. There are a few of us out there who can take tests with no effort and do just fine. They’re rare.      Most of us think of a test as [...]

I Do and I Understand

September 1st, 2015|

School is back in session, and at ETP, our students are gearing up for the ISEE, SAT, and ACT.  Training for all of these tests is similar - the first part is devoted to learning the best strategies to get one's best score. But now, with the countdown closing in, we’re moving on and having our students practice [...]

Taking the New SAT?

August 24th, 2015|

An article in Forbes Magazine recommends not taking the SAT in its first year. For one thing, they say, it’s hard to prepare for a test that hasn’t been given before, versus one that has been given for years. Second, the scores for the first test in March cannot be reported until after the May [...]

Different Tests, Different Languages

July 6th, 2015|

Each test has its own language. Of course, learning the basics of taking a standardized test will help you in other tests. For example, learning how to take the ISEE will help you learn how to take the SAT, or the ACT, or any of the Catholic high school exams. We know because it helped [...]

Fluency and Testing Language

June 29th, 2015|

If you've ever studied linguistics you're likely aware of a theory that says human brains have a mechanism for picking up language.  It’s called a “language acquisition device.” The idea is that the brain is naturally geared to acquire a language without a lot of formal instruction. By simply by being exposed to a language, [...]

Top 5 Ways to Prepare for Your ISEE Test

June 22nd, 2015|

Get familiar with your test. Learning how to take any standardized test will help prepare you for others. But each test has its own personality, and the best thing you can do for yourself is understand the quirks of the one you’ll take. If you want to race in the Baja 1000, knowing how to [...]