<p>Hi! I’m a junior self studying for the SAT. I have studied almost half summer over it, but I seem to have reached a plateau of 2100-2150. My friends told me that Tesmaster course is THE best thing that happened to him (his score increased from 1700 to 2250 on the testmaster’s course, and got 2270 on the real test). Many other students also say testmaster had very useful strategies for the SAT. So here are my questions.</p>
<li><p>How much would a Testmaster’s course be useful to a foreign student who had already significantly progressed on the SAT? (I increased my sophomore PSAT from 183 to 2150 on BB tests).</p></li>
<li><p>For those who already took an SAT course/Testmaster’s course, what is your opinion about it?</p></li>
<li><p>How much difference would there be if I don’t take the course, but use the study packets of my friends who took the course? Would it be nearly as productive?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks for any responses. I am eager to read your opinions/comments.</p>
<p>Testmasters gives pretty good strategies,hands down better that PR they also give some unknown(at least for me they were) tidbits about the test itself that helps in your answer choices, but for someone at the level your at, not sure if the $$$ is worth it, meaning at this level sometimes it boils down to luck and that particular day. </p>
<p>Using his packet wont really help much if you don't have the instruction behind it, but JMO on that one.</p>
<p>Those that I know who have taken it have gotten well over the 300 point raise, which brought them to the level your friend reached.</p>
<p>Do you know what you're doing wrong? Is there a pattern to errors, or is it random? If you can figure that out, you probably don't need a class, just need to focus on specific weaknesses. </p>
<p>A tutor might be better than a class, though.</p>
<p>Well, I have studied extensively my weaknesses. They are intrinsically related to the fact I'm not fluent with English.</p>
<p>However, what irks me is that I am working my @$$ off to improve my reading abilities while some of my friends take a shortcut by taking a Testmaster's course to get extremely high scores without really improving their skills. For example, most of those high SAT scorers who took Testmasters can't even manage an A in English AP (I do). Yet their SAT performance is way higher than mine.</p>
<p>They told me they don't even read the passage before answering questions, and that they read only 30% of the text given (lol, I've been reading hardcore nonfiction and fiction throughout summer to be able to finish all CR passages in time to answer, and you tell me it wasn't even necessary??) That's why I'm considering an "easy" way out to get that high SAT score.</p>
<p>BTW, does Testmaster use Blue Book practice test? if so, I think I won't take the course because I already have the Blue Book, AND Testmaster's workbook.
I also have Barron's book, an online PR course, the Red Book, and Kaplan's writing workbook.</p>
<p>Whether the kids doing Testmasters are taking the easy way out, standardized testing is an art unto itself. If you know from test to test(which is why doing the Blue book over and over, as well as old exams) is the only way to get a handle on the test. Know what they want, you can answer it based on repeated practice, that is all Testmasters premise is anyway, they use old exams and the Blue book, something anyone with time can accomplish.</p>