Is September here already? I might have taken my summer support for self-care a bit too seriously, but I’m back in the tutor newsletter saddle again to take on a topic that means the world to me: test prep.
Obviously, I’m a firm believer in the transformative power of individualized instruction–that’s the dominant theme of this newsletter. However, amidst all the analysis of the how and why of tutoring, we rarely focus on what exactly you might specialize in. Choices certainly abound, with every single academic subject and assessment representing just part of what a tutor, teacher, or coach might help students with. I and many of my closest colleagues chose test prep.
Why teach test prep?
As part of my endless advocacy for assessment-oriented education, I’ve been categorizing all the ways in which test prep differs from general subject tutoring. Tutors on both sides of the aisle may cover much of the same content, e.g. coordinate geometry, punctuation rules, how to read a graph, etc. They’ll likely experience the same satisfaction in helping students learn, progress, and meet or exceed goals. Their relative structure of work and reward, however, may differ dramatically.
DEMAND
Subject tutoring typically sees strong demand only in certain subjects at certain times of year.
Test prep typically takes priority over subject tutoring, especially around particular dates.
PREPARATION
Subject tutoring demands ongoing preparation varied by a student’s subject, school, and teacher.
Test prep generally requires specific preparation only when new tests or revisions are released.
URGENCY
Subject tutoring commands little urgency considering the number of tests and assignments in a class.
Test prep involves a lot of urgency, especially for high stakes admissions or credentialing tests.
COMPETITION
Subject tutoring has a lower barrier to entry and thus a larger pool of competitors.
Test prep has a higher barrier to entry in terms of score requirements and additional training.
COMPENSATION
Subject tutoring suffers from commodity pricing.
Test prep permits more premium pricing, especially when ROI for test success is very high.
LEVERAGE
Subject tutoring usually entails 1-1 or very small groups.
Test prep can range from 1-1 to large group instruction.
Of course, these distinctions are general and exceptions abound; I personally know subject tutors whose rates far exceed those of most test prep teachers. That said, the trend generally favors test prep as higher paying, less competitive, less labor intensive, and better differentiated than standard subject tutoring.
What do you think? Am I way off base here or does this comparison coincide with your views on how subject tutoring and test prep differ? Most important, what distinctions did I miss?
Tips, Tools, And Thoughts
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Are you happy with the way you’re delivering SAT and ACT instruction to your individual and group students? Are you fully exploring both online and in-person opportunities with a powerful, modular set of student lessons and teacher’s guides? If you’ve never integrated an instructional program with the structure, depth, and flexibility of the TestBright SAT/ACT Curriculum System, you owe it to yourself to find out what you’re missing!
Riffing a bit on the Preparation category -- A test prep tutor also enjoys more autonomy than a subject tutor. We have the power to "set the agenda" for our instruction since we don't need to be directly responsive to what's going on in another classroom. We have a student with a set of skills and competencies, and a set of standards for them to reach, but how we get from A to B is up to us!