SAT® Prep

Our most popular SAT Prep courses usually take 30 hours and run 8 weeks prior to SAT test dates. Depending on your teen’s goals and current strengths and weaknesses, the course may be longer or shorter.

Typically, SAT Prep courses average around $999. However, each of our Sylvan centers is locally owned and operated, so pricing varies slightly by center. Contact a Sylvan near you for up-to-date pricing.

Yes! Many local Sylvans offer in-person SAT Prep classes as well as live, online sessions.

We’re confident that our expert tutors, combined with the hours of additional prep materials available to your teen through our online learning portal, will help raise their test scores. But don’t just take our word for it! Hear from parents who have seen amazing results with Sylvan’s SAT Prep.

The SAT is a 3-hour test made up of three components: Evidence-Based Reading , Evidence-Based Writing and Math.

When the College Board scores your teen’s SAT, they will provide the following information to your student and the colleges/universities they apply to:

• Total scale, ranging from 400 to 1600
• 2 section scores, ranging from 200 to 800
  • Evidence-Based Reading and Writing test (combined)
  • Math test
• 3 test scores, ranging from 10 to 40
  • Reading
  • Writing and Language
  • Math
• 2 cross-test scores, ranging from 10 to 40
  • Analysis in Science
  • Analysis in History/Social Studies
• 7 sub-scores, ranging from 1 to 15

Prep courses like the ones we offer are a great way to prepare for testing and improve scores. But there are other ways to make sure your teen is ready to do their best!

Here are some great tips for preparing for and taking the SATs.

Before the test:

• Start studying early: Set up a study schedule months in advance to eliminate the need for cramming.
• Take practice tests: Taking multiple practice tests will make students feel more comfortable with the testing experience and remove much of the mystery involved with college/university entrance exams.
• Sleep and eat: Studies have found that stress is elevated by fatigue. Be sure that your teen gets plenty of uninterrupted sleep in the nights prior to the test day. And, since the SAT is generally offered in the morning, it’s important to eat a good, healthy breakfast before the test. This will keep students energized for a long day and help them stay focused and alert.
• Come early and prepared: Make sure your teen is at the test site early and has all of their testing supplies. Plan bathroom breaks for before the test starts and during breaks in testing. Being late or missing materials will cause unnecessary stress.

During the test:

• Use process of elimination: If your teen is having trouble with a question, the best strategy is to get rid of any answer choices they feel can’t be correct and make a guess from the remaining answers.
• Never leave an answer blank: If your student can’t eliminate any of the answer choices, or if they feel it would take too long to answer the question, make a random guess — it can’t hurt!
• Keep going: The items on the test include a range of difficulties, and they appear in a mixed order. If your teen finds one type of question challenging, they should mark it and come back.
• Watch out for the dreaded “I’m one off” syndrome: Make sure students periodically check their answer sheets to make sure they have not misplaced an answer.
• Mark it up: Marking up questions helps teens focus on key parts of the question or eliminate answer choices as they work. Marking up the booklet will not only improve both their understanding of questions and concentration on the day of the test, it will also help them manage their time efficiently.