No spring surprises

State Test Prep

Confidence for state standardized tests, tailored to your child.

Improve scores on state tests

State tests can make even the most confident student (and parent!) feel nervous. But you and your child can rest easy with our state testing prep. Our tutors are experts at helping kids take standardized tests with confidence.

We tailor our state testing prep to your child’s exact needs and struggles, and we’ll keep you in the loop — sharing feedback on your child’s progress, so you know exactly how they are doing.

Find State Test Prep Near You →

What’s included

What your child gets from state test prep

With Sylvan’s state testing prep, your child will:

Improve skills and develop effective study techniques. Our standardized test tutors will help your child target the skill areas that need the most help. We incorporate local curriculum, so there’s a positive impact in class, too.

Feel more confident on test day. No matter how well prepared your child is, some kids just get anxious taking tests. (We get it!) Sylvan will help your child review tested skills and apply strategies to tackle standardized testing with confidence.

Feel fully supported and keep frustration down. We tailor our tutoring sessions to your child’s unique needs, so your child learns in the best way for them. Our tutors are experts at connecting with kids, making learning fun and turning anxiety into confidence.

Be more successful on test day and beyond. Our State Test Prep can make a big impact on scores — and on moving ahead to the next grade.

How to prepare for state testing

Multiple choice and open-ended questions can be tricky, and getting tested on a range of skills can feel overwhelming! Whichever test your child is taking, we build the prep around it.

WE PREP FOR TESTS INCLUDING

CAASPP (California)
FAST (Florida)
STAAR (Texas)
Regents Exams (New York)
Or your state’s own test

11 things every parent should know about state testing →

About the test

What is standardized testing?

Standardized tests measure what a student has learned over the school year — whether they are on track with the state’s standards, and how the school is doing as a whole. Every state runs its own, so the details below are the common shape; your school will have the specifics.

Who takes it

Public school students in grades 3–8, every year, in reading and math

Once more in high school, often as an end-of-course exam

Science at least once in elementary, middle and high school

Format

Given in the spring, over several days

Mostly on a computer, with some states still on paper

Multiple choice plus short-answer, essay and technology-enhanced questions

Sections

English language arts (reading and writing)

Mathematics

Science, in the tested grades

Social studies or civics in some states

Scoring

A scale score, reported as a performance level — for example below, approaching, meets or masters grade level

Results usually arrive over the summer

In some states and grades, the result counts toward promotion or graduation

Hear it from Sylvan families

What parents are saying

“My son grew in reading from the 21st percentile to the 70th on his state standardized scores in the few months he was at Sylvan. You can see the giant leap in the graph his teacher sent- she was quite impressed too. He seems to really like going as well. Everyone is so nice!”

— Sarah T. · Sylvan of Fort Smith

“Our daughter has been going to Sylvans in Renton for several months now and we are noticing a dramatic improvement. Her MAP scores at school were outstanding with a 97% improvement compared to her MAP test at the start of the year. And the best part about it is she loves going to Sylvan‘s! Thank you!”

— Lisa R. · Sylvan of Renton

“My daughter has shown great improvement in her reading skills. Her grades and test scores have improved as well. She has gained so much confidence in her ability to read, which I’m incredibly grateful for. I also truly appreciate how the team works with me to ensure she can continue attending and growing there.”

— Marranda M. · Sylvan of Corpus Christi

Get started today

Start improving your child’s test scores today

State testing prep is available at select Sylvan centers. Give us a call at (888) 338-2283 or fill out the form to learn more about our current offerings.