Standardized Testing Preparation

ERB/ISEE Exam Preparation - the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is an admission test developed by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) for its member schools as part of their admission process. The ISEE is the admission test of choice for many independent schools throughout the country and abroad. LRN Tutoring Academy offers comprehensive instruction on each of the five sections that make up the ISEE, including Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement, and an Essay.

STAAR Exam Preparation - the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR), are a series of state-mandated standardized tests used in Texas public primary and secondary schools to assess a student's achievements and knowledge learned in the grade level, beginning from the 3rd Grade through Grade 12. LRN’s goal is to assist students in strengthening competency in the core subject areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.

ACT Exam Preparation - American College Testing (ACT) is a national college admissions examination that measures high school achievement, and consists of subject areas of English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. Like the SAT, the ACT, along with a student’s high school GPA, letters of recommendation, essays, extracurricular achievements, et al, go a long way towards determining college admissions. Generally, a student will take the ACT for the first time in the spring of his or her junior year of high school (as this is when the student will be most academically ready). However, please note that it is offered a total of six times throughout the year, and more and more students are choosing to take their first ACT earlier, such as during the fall of their junior year, to offer more flexibility down the line. One way of the other, it is recommended that the student begin preparing for the exam well in advance. While many students are able to balance his or her school work and remain on task with a solo test preparation plan, adding LRN ACT private tutoring into a study regimen provides the student with a balance of test facts, test-taking strategies, educational content, and practice quizzes to give him or her the edge needed to achieve optimal scores.

PSAT/NMSQT Exam Preparation - The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) or National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) is a preparatory version of the SAT. While the PSAT/NMSQT does not count towards university-level admissions, it is one of the starting points to one’s college admissions path, and serves as a great primer for the SAT and even the ACT. It is also a qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship. Traditionally taken in October during one’s sophomore or junior year of high school, the standardized test has two sections: Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. While intensive PSAT preparation is not necessarily recommended, studying for the PSAT can commence the SAT/ACT study process (See Below) and scores can be a great indicator of future success or the level of preparation needed prior to taking those exams.

SAT Exam Preparation - the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. The test is owned and published by the College Board, a private, nonprofit organization, and is intended to assess a student's readiness for college. SAT scores, along with a student’s high school GPA, letters of recommendation, essays and other relevant information are used during the college admission process. The score a student gets on the SAT is often looked upon as a predictor of how a student is likely to perform in college-level studies. Most students will benefit from some form of test preparation. While a few students may be disciplined enough to prepare on their own, many students need the structure, knowledge and motivation an experienced instructor provides. Furthermore, most students benefit from small class sizes or one-on-one mentorship; LRN Tutoring Academy is proud to offer both. Our tutors help the student establish an overall preparatory timeline and goal, and work diligently with both student and parent to fully educate on all aspects of the test, from scoring and test-taking strategies, to time management and testing content.  

HSPT Exam Preparation - the High School Placement Test (HSPT) is a high school entrance exam, issued by the Scholastic Testing Service, Inc., which is traditionally taken by students in the eighth and ninth grades, who are seeking admission to parochial high schools. The HSPT is a five-section, multiple-choice standardized exam in which schools use, in addition to other criteria, to make admissions decisions and sometimes determine scholarships. Because of the desirability of a private school education and the competitive nature of the admissions process, there are often far more applicants for private high schools than there are available slots. That is why it is important to give your student the best possible opportunity for success. LRN offers both small classroom and one-on-one, private sessions to develop test-taking strategies and bring familiarity to testing content.

Kindergarten Admission Exams - several private schools or public gifted & talented programs also require a standardized entrance exam. A kindergarten test is meant to determine a student’s “readiness” to be in kindergarten and is not necessarily a measure of his or her intellectual capabilities. It is simply a gauge as to where children are in relation to what will be expected when they enter the classroom. Working with LRN’s experienced mentors helps ensure your child has the fundamental communication skills, appropriate motor skills, and necessary mathematical ability to, not only prepare him or her for success on the test, but to excel in a structured learning environment with other children.