US College Entrance Tests

We tutor all of the standardised tests for US colleges and schools. Test results form a crucial part of a student's academic profile.

SAT

The SAT, or Scholastic Aptitude Test, is the more famous of the two college entrance tests - the other being the ACT. The SAT is a mostly multiple-choice test designed to benchmark students' level of academic attainment against their peers, and an SAT (or ACT) score is one of the key factors that admissions advisors take into consideration when making decisions about applicants. Students are tested on a range of skills, including editing, writing, reading comprehension, quantitative skills, and data analysis. There are four sections to the test: two of Reading and Writing (English), and two of Math. The four section scores are then grouped into two section scores out of 800 - Math, and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, giving a final score out of 1600. Read more about the SAT...

The SAT changed format in March 2023 to an adaptive, digital test. If you're wondering which test to take, please click here.

SAT Courses and Tuition

ACT

The ACT, or American College Test, while less well known in the UK than the SAT, is in fact almost as popular. Like the SAT, the ACT tests editing, writing, reading comprehension, quantitative, and data analysis skills, although data analysis skills are tested in a separate Science section. In this section and the three others - English, Math, and Reading - students receive a score out of 36. The average of these four section scores is calculated to give a composite score out of 36. Like the SAT, the ACT is multiple choice, and it's normal for students to take the test more than once to get the scores they need. Colleges accept the ACT and SAT equally when considering applications. Read more about the ACT...

Which test should you take? Please click here.

ACT Courses and Tuition

GRE and GMAT

The GRE and GMAT are the most commonly required standardised tests for postgraduate study in the US. The GMAT is generally used for business school applications, and it tests students on their Verbal and Quantitative Skills (each scored out of 60 and combined on a scale out of 800), Integrated Reasoning (scored out of 8) and Analytical Writing (scored out of 6). The GMAT focuses in particular on analytical thinking and critical reasoning skills, and for that reason we generally recommend it for science and mathematics graduates. The GRE is more commonly required for other postgraduate courses but in recent years, business schools have accepted GRE scores as well as the GMAT. The GRE also assesses candidates in Verbal and Quantitative sections (each scored out of 170), and has an Analytical Writing section with two essays (scored out of 6). Because of the extra essay and the focus on vocabulary and text interpretation, we generally recommend the GRE for humanities graduates. Read more about the GRE and GMAT .

GRE or GMAT Tuition

ISEE and SSAT

Younger students wanting to go to an independent middle or high school in the US, or a school in the UK or Europe with an American curriculum, may be asked for ISEE or SSAT scores as part of their application. These tests are very similar and test students' aptitude in Verbal Reasoning, Reading, and Math. A critical difference between the two tests is that the ISEE may only be taken once in every four month period, whereas the SSAT does not have the same restrictions and is available eight times per year. Schools will look in particular at students' percentiles in comparison to other test takers, although it's important to remember that students may score lower than they would usually expect, because other students who take these tests are often high achievers. Read more about the ISEE and SSAT...

ISEE or SSAT Tuition

Subject-Specific Tests

such as UKCAT, BMAT, APs

We help students with subject-specific standardised testing for British universities. These include the BMAT, UKCAT, and GAMSAT, which are required for medicine programmes in the UK, and MAT and STEP papers, which are required (or recommended) for mathematics programmes at Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, and Warwick. We also tutor students for the Advanced Placement exams on the American curriculum.

Private Tuition

PSAT

The PSAT, or Preliminary SAT, is run by the College Board, the same company that administers the SAT. The PSAT is designed for students in Grades 10 and 11 (equivalent to Years 11 and 12 in the British system). It's similar in structure and content to the SAT, but some of the questions are not as advanced. American citizens or residents who take the test are eligible for consideration for the National Merit Scholarship Program, an award for the top 1% of PSAT takers as considered by state. Although the PSAT is not accepted as a college entrance test, it's a good introduction to standardised testing and allows students to benchmark their level of achievement against their peers at an early stage. Read more about the PSAT...

PSAT Tuition

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