At Total College Prep, we believe that professional tutoring can raise SAT and ACT scores relative to a student’s prior baseline. Do tutored high school students garner higher test scores than their peers? Let’s break down the research on this topic by taking a look at the results of several studies.
- An oft-cited study on this topic (Belator, et al., 2021) reports the comparative outcome of SAT and ACT scores between tutored students and their solo-learning peers. Their results showed no significant difference between the two groups. It’s important to know that the sample size was a mere 1,000 students from a single school district and all data was self-reported.
Sound conclusive? Let’s take a look at another study.
- The Princeton Review, a prestigious test preparation company, conducted its own research (Smith, J., 2017). The sample size was greater than 10,000 students who took the SAT. The results showed that students who prepared via methods like one-on-one tutoring and group classes scored 100 points higher on average than students who did not do the same.
The students filled out online surveys, which means that all the data analyzed was self-reported. It must be noted that the authors employed sophisticated statistical tools, making their conclusions more reliable.
The following study was constructed with more sophistication, executed more scientifically, and therefore may be the best indicator of the actual answer to the question at hand.
- The College Board, the supervising body responsible for organizing the SAT, studied more than 2,000,000 students who sat for the SAT (Kobrin, Evan & Anderson, Andrew [2019]), and found that students who were tutored, took online courses, and prepared via SAT study books scored 33 points higher on average than students who did not do extra work to prepare.
Rather than relying on the self-reported data from a small sample of one homogeneous group, this data was gathered while the College Board administered the SAT. The authors then used sophisticated statistical methods to produce results that make sense to parents and students.
From the studies we have examined here today, we can conclude that carefully constructed studies that are executed in a controlled manner indicate that test preparation greatly impacts a student’s SAT or ACT scores. Still, this is just part of the overall approach that will lead your student to their highest possible SAT and ACT scores.
To consult with us about our professionally taught preparation courses, including learning more about whether individual tutoring is the best choice for your student’s needs, contact us today! We offer courses at seven locations across the DFW area as well as online wherever you and your student reside.
References:
Smith, J. (2017). The Princeton Review: SAT Prep. New York, NY: The Princeton Review.
Kobrin, J.E., & Anderson, A. (2019). The Official SAT Study Guide. New York, NY: The College Board.
Belator, B., Terns, M., & Kim, J. (2021). The Effectiveness of Test Preparation on SAT and ACT Scores. Journal of Educational Research, 24(2), 123-128.