From the Seattle-Times, a peek behind the curtain of the test prep industry:
Just as aspiring actors must try out for parts, aspiring test-preparation teachers have to audition for their roles.
That's because effective teaching depends on showmanship as well as scholarship, say Kaplan Inc. and The Princeton Review, two international, for-profit companies that teach standardized-test-preparation courses.
They hold regular auditions — but only for those who've scored at or above the 90th or 95th percentile on such tests as the SAT; Graduate Record Examination or GRE; and the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT.
Such programs aren't cheap, despite the fact that few studies exist to show a clear gain in test scores after enrolling in such programs. The test prep instructors also make a big deal out of being able to quell test anxiety. However, I've always felt that, with their high prices and their public insistence that the tests don't actually measure anything yet are too tricky for examinees to prepare for on their own, these test prep companies are part of the test anxiety problem.
You don't need to spend a thousand bucks to pass these exams, especially if you're already smart, disciplined, or accomplished (because the tests do measure aptitude and ability). If you're really not smart, or you haven't paid attention in school at all, learning the "tricks" won't help you anywhere near as much as the test prep companies claim.
Posted by kswygert at March 31, 2004 01:29 PM