Despite my almost two decades of teaching test prep, there is one thing that will never get old: hearing from students about their successes.
Here is a recent e-mail that put a smile on my face (name is changed to protect the students):
“I wanted to let you know that Sierra just received her test score from the September ACT and she did so well. She increased from a 28 to a 31. She is really happy and we wanted to thank both of you for your help.”
Sierra spent some time with two of our tutors, but more importantly she put in the practice time.
And here is a text that brings me joy (name is changed here, too):
“Bianca got a 30 on the ACT! Thank you. She did better in the science part. The first thing she said after she left the test venue was that your strategies really helped, how you taught her to approach each question, etc.”
Bianca, too, put in the time.
As much as I share in the student’s success, the real story for both of these students is that they put in hours of practice and preparation.
Test-taking is a skill. And like any skill, test-taking improves with consistent and quality practice.