Test Your Knowledge: review of online tutoring services for test preparation and additional information

With second semester in full swing, it’s time for late-night test cramming, group study sessions and browsing countless websites that all claim to “dramatically raise your exam scores.” Whether you’re in the process of taking standardized tests or just want to boost your grades, I tested some popular test prep and tutoring services and compiled a list of the top five programs for high-schoolers.

Chegg:

We’ve all been there: it’s 2 a.m. and you’re frantically rushing to fill out your biology study guide when you get stuck on a question, and repeating the process when you get to the next question. That’s where Chegg comes in.

The process is simple: you take a picture of the problem, and an answer appears if the problem has already been submitted. If it hasn’t, an expert will review your problem and answer it by a video walkthrough within 30-45 minutes. Chegg offers essentially the same services a live tutor would, but with 24/7 availability and a cheaper price tag. 

Coming to a total of $14.95 a month for Chegg Study and $19.95 a month for the Chegg Study Pack — which includes the basic subscription, a math-solving algorithm and a citation authoring program — this is one of the more affordable study options online for its value. It also comes with a two-week free trial that allows customers to test the website’s features before investing. 

Unfortunately, Chegg is mostly math-based, so you’d be better off directing your homework questions about Renaissance-era European history to another service on this list.

Varsity Tutors:

When I was gathering information on Varsity Tutors, I was skeptical about how well this tutoring program works due to its seemingly incredible outcomes. Nevertheless, I was met with a multitude of positive reviews and genuine testimonials from many different families, all claiming spectacular results. Right now, Varsity Tutors is offering both in-person tutoring at your home and online tutoring over a virtual meeting. The website is very well-organized and boasts around-the-clock customer service. I had no trouble navigating the different services offered, which are plentiful and tailored to each learner based on individual needs. 

However, all of these features come at a price (around $75-$90 hourly to be exact). While I wouldn’t choose this option solely because of the price, this tutoring service is still a valid choice for many teens with its proven success rate of raising test scores by up to 12 percentage points and 24-hour availability.

Khan Academy:

Whether you’re expanding your learning outside of the classroom for fun or clarifying a bullet point on your study guide because your chemistry notes were too messy to decipher, Khan Academy offers in-depth lessons on any subject, from math to arts and humanities, to help build your classroom knowledge. Khan Academy covers the material needed for the ACT and SAT, as well as providing a free practice test for whatever subject you’re studying.

Published as a completely free program, Khan Academy is one of the leading academic platforms in the nation. I am an avid supporter of this website because of how easy it is to find and practice specific math topics. The feature that I find most beneficial about Khan Academy is the way each lesson is structured: an easy-to-follow video is posted, followed by a set of varying, real-life problems.

East 4 Excellence:

On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-4 p.m., the school library becomes a bustling study space with students scribbling down practice math problems in their notebooks as teachers help them with homework questions. East 4 Excellence is a tutoring option available to all East students, with a wide variety of subjects available for tutoring. Students can receive support in almost any class, including ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies and World Languages classes. They also offer assistance for study and organizational skills. Currently, it is running fully in-person, but remote students may join via WebEx if needed — all for free.

East 4 Excellence is a great student resource because it’s tailored to each student’s needs, as the teachers are familiar with the content and individual questions of the students. This is a valuable opportunity to catch up on schoolwork, seek academic assistance or just to clarify an academic issue.

Ebsco LearningExpress:

Provided by the Kansas State Library, Ebsco’s LearningExpress program provides all Kansas students with free access to tests, tutorials, eBooks, study skills tips and even career preparation. For those wishing to prepare for the ACT and SAT, this site has test prep resources for five different college admissions tests and essay writing practice. If you’re looking for homework help or general academic support, LearningExpress has you covered. 

It was difficult to navigate the website due to the high volume of resources and information available, but I eventually found the algebra test review question that I was searching for. I like how this resource is structured, with large, general topics at the top heading of subjects and smaller, more specific sub-topics with practices and tutorials towards the bottom of each subject heading. 

With practice tests and additional curriculum material, you can study almost any school subject from the ease and convenience of your home.