Test Preparation in NYC

Taken by millions of college applicants each year, the SAT features notoriously tricky questions and a tough Math section—meaning students who wish to score to their potential need to commit to disciplined preparation. At CATES, SAT test prep begins with diagnosing obstacles and prescribing new study techniques that will turbocharge progress through the SAT prep program. Next, CATES’s expert SAT tutors ensure that students know the test content, help them find the right SAT-specific strategies, and guide their development of test-taking skill to unlock peak performance.

Now the most popular college admissions test, the ACT is a great fit for many students (particularly those more inclined to the humanities), but its intense timing requires committed preparation. At CATES, ACT test prep begins with diagnosing obstacles and prescribing new study techniques that will turbocharge progress through the ACT prep program. Next, CATES’s expert ACT tutors ensure that students know the test content, help them find the right ACT-specific strategies, and guide their development of test-taking skill to unlock peak performance.

As of June 2021, SAT Subject Tests are no longer offered in the U.S. or internationally. Advanced Placement (AP) exams are a great substitute for students who wish to show colleges their prowess in a particular academic subject. CATES offers comprehensive tutoring support for a wide variety of AP tests to help you put your best foot forward in college applications. Similar to the SAT Subject Tests, there are AP tests that cover a range of subjects from Biology to Music Theory. Although there are currently over 38 AP test options, few high schools offer classes in all subjects.

Unlike many other tests used in the college admissions process, AP exams can be taken only once per year. These high stakes make thorough preparation especially vital. At CATES, AP test prep begins with diagnosing obstacles and prescribing new study techniques that will turbocharge progress through the AP prep program. Next, CATES’s expert AP tutors ensure that students know the test content, help them find the right test-specific strategies, and guide their development of test-taking skill to unlock peak performance.

If you’re applying to a US college and English is not your native language, you will likely have to take the TOEFL—the world’s most popular English-language test. CATES’s expert TOEFL tutors ensure that students know the necessary vocabulary and grammar rules, help them find the right TOEFL prep strategies, and guide their development of test-taking skill to unlock peak performance.

More than simply a “preliminary SAT,” the PSAT provides students with an excellent opportunity to get a head start on SAT preparation and offers a chance to qualify for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship. At CATES, PSAT test prep begins with diagnosing obstacles and prescribing new study techniques that will turbocharge progress through the PSAT prep program. Next, CATES’s expert PSAT tutors ensure that students know the test content, help them find the right test-specific strategies, and guide their development of test-taking skill to unlock peak performance.

Required for admission to many elite private middle and high schools, the ISEE typically demands dedicated preparation from high-scoring students. At CATES, ISEE test prep begins with diagnosing obstacles and prescribing new study techniques that will turbocharge progress through the ISEE prep program. Next, CATES’s expert ISEE tutors ensure that students know the test content, help them find the right test-specific strategies, and guide their development of test-taking skill to unlock peak performance.

Required for admission to eight of the nine New York City Specialized High Schools, the SHSAT demands dedicated preparation from high-scoring students. At CATES, SHSAT test prep begins with diagnosing obstacles and prescribing new study techniques that will turbocharge progress through the ISEE prep program. Next, CATES’s expert SHSAT tutors ensure that students know the test content, help them find the right test-specific strategies, and guide their development of test-taking skill to unlock peak performance.

Required for admission to many independent elementary, middle, and high schools, the SSAT typically demands dedicated preparation from high-scoring students. At CATES, SSAT test prep begins with diagnosing obstacles and prescribing new study techniques that will turbocharge progress through the SSAT prep program. Next, CATES’s expert SSAT tutors ensure that students know the test content, help them find the right test-specific strategies, and guide their development of test-taking skill to unlock peak performance.

Thinking about applying to a Catholic high school in the NYC area? If so, the Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools, or TACHS, is likely in the cards for your student. Since the TACHS may be one of the first standardized tests your student takes, it does require disciplined preparation—but this will pay off later as your student progresses and takes higher-level tests.

At CATES, TACHS test prep begins with diagnosing obstacles and prescribing new study techniques that will turbocharge progress through the TACHS prep program. Next, CATES’s friendly, expert TACHS tutors ensure that students know the test content across the four sections of the test, Reading, Language, Mathematics, and Abilities. Finally, we help students find the right TACHS-specific strategies and guide their development of test-taking skill to unlock peak performance.

New York's prestigious Hunter College High School administers its own entrance exam for prospective students in the sixth grade. A standardized test covering Critical Reading, Writing, and Math, Hunter's entrance exam should feel familiar to students who've taken the middle-level ISEE or SSAT, but it does challenge students with a few unique features.

Whether the Hunter entrance exam will be a student's first standardized test or they're already old hands, prep at CATES begins with diagnosing individual obstacles and prescribing new study techniques to turbocharge progress through the program. Next, CATES’s expert tutors ensure that students know the test content and appropriate strategies across the three sections of the test, Critical Reading, Mathematics, and the Writing Assignment. Finally, we guide students' development of test-taking skill to unlock peak performance.

Used in admissions decisions at thousands of graduate and business schools, the GRE challenges test-takers with tricky questions and a time-pressured writing section that require committed preparation from even the brightest students. At CATES, GRE test prep begins with diagnosing obstacles and prescribing new study techniques that will turbocharge progress through the GRE prep program. Next, CATES’s expert GRE tutors ensure that students know the test content, help them find the right test-specific strategies, and guide their development of test-taking skill to unlock peak performance.

Required for admission to many business school programs, the GMAT is designed to challenge students across multiple academic domains, and earning an elite score is no mean feat. At CATES, GMAT test prep begins with diagnosing obstacles and prescribing new study techniques that will turbocharge progress through the GMAT prep program. Next, CATES’s expert GMAT tutors ensure that students know the test content, help them find the right test-specific strategies, and guide their development of test-taking skill to unlock peak performance.

Acting as the gatekeeper between students and medical school, the MCAT is an especially challenging test. Its marathon length (7 hours and 30 minutes, no less) mean that aspiring high-scorers must be well-prepared not only in the academic content, but also in the test-taking skills needed to focus and perform consistently over the course of the exam. At CATES, MCAT test prep begins with diagnosing obstacles and prescribing new study techniques that will turbocharge progress through the MCAT prep program. Next, CATES’s expert MCAT tutors ensure that students know the test content, help them find the right test-specific strategies, and guide their development of test-taking skill to unlock peak performance.

With a focus on highly individualized approaches not possible in a classroom context, our LSAT program helps students to master the content, strategies, and test-taking skills needed to ace the test—either independently or in conjunction with group instruction. All trained attorneys, CATES law tutors leverage years of experience, as well as comprehensive expertise in legal principles, practice, and pedagogy, to foster exceptional student outcomes.

Whether students are just beginning UBE preparation or need to resit, our specially-trained tutors have deep experience in building students’ substantive knowledge, multiple choice skills, and ability to write cogently under time limits. All trained attorneys, CATES law tutors leverage years of experience, as well as comprehensive expertise in legal principles, practice, and pedagogy, to foster exceptional student outcomes.

Students studying for the MPRE benefit from our specially-trained tutors deep experience in building substantive knowledge, multiple choice skills, and the ability to write cogently under time limits. All trained attorneys, CATES law tutors leverage years of experience, as well as comprehensive expertise in legal principles, practice, and pedagogy, to foster exceptional student outcomes.