ACT. SAT. ugh. These tests are never fun for students during their high school years. Testing takes place in order for students to determine their positioning for college and these tests can be quite stressful. Many parents want their children to do well during...
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ACT Explodes in Popularity
ACT Explodes in Popularity: Palos Verdes Peninsula Tutoring and Test Prep Center Continue to Ensure High School Students Are Prepared for College Entrance Exams While the SAT exam has long been the most popular of college admissions tests, the ACT continues to grow...
read moreThe Three Legs of the Stool
You are not defined nor limited by your test score. You are a whole person and colleges want to see this. A proper balance of life and it will positively impact your impressions on college admissions officers. While, wisdom and virtue may be the two wheels of the...
read moreFinish the School Year Strong – 5 Ways to Ace Your Final Exams
As the summer months approach, plenty of students are beginning to feel the familiar fatigue that sets in after a long school year comes to a close. But in order to keep grade point averages up and momentum running strong into summer, adequately prepping for final...
read moreBridging the Transfer Gap
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that not only are those with a 4-year degrees more employable, they out earn those with only a high school diploma by about $20,000/yr. Those four additional years of schooling translate into a major opportunity in terms of...
read moreEyes on the Prize (AP 5)
John Wooden had a pyramid of success he used to train the greats like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to get to undefeated national championships. Maslow defined the hierarchy of needs that transformed the world of psychology and how we understand the mind. What do competitive...
read morePreparing for SAT and ACT Testing
During the junior and senior year of high school, students will have to take the SAT and ACT tests. The scores of these tests will determine what classes you can take for dual enrollment during high school as well as determine what colleges you qualify for. You are...
read moreSteps to Work on Your Professional Goals
Being professionally successful needs to have a strong foundation. You need to be prepared for all the challenges ahead to reach your goals. You should be equipped mentally, physically, and emotionally to face all the problems that may seem to be far-fetched. You need...
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“Benny’s Rules” and the Perilous Dangers of Self-Study
“Benny’s Rules” and the Perilous Dangers of Self-Study Why does it take some students 1 hour to accomplish what other students take 5 minutes to do? The old Cliché of time is of the essence is no longer the same truth. Estimates place a student’s...
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Scholarships: Finding Funding
Harvard University has gone need-blind. They will not consider student or parent contributions or financing in their admission process. Twenty percent of admitted applicants (mind you only 7-8% of those apply are accepted) will pay nothing. Surely, there are major...
read moreMaking a difference with your examination results.
Whether you are taking the SAT or ACT, test preparations are quite difficult, especially when there are a lot of distractions at hand. Anxiety can have a tremendous effect on your performance and impact your scores. One way to beat it is to have an adequate...
read moreHow To Overcome Exam Anxiety
Experiencing a certain level of exam anxiety is normal and should not be a cause for alarm except when it negatively affects the performance. One of the ways to reduce test anxiety is adequate preparation. PVP Test Prep in Palos Verdes, CA provides comprehensive test...
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Are Universities going away from the required SAT Essay?
Along with the significant changes to the SAT come March 5th, the SAT Essay has some radical changes itself. Old Versus New The (now) old SAT provided students with a short paragraph, usually 4-5 sentences, making a general claim. The assignment was to take a...
read moreHow to Choose the Right Test Preparation Course
Finding the best test preparation and tutoring could be as challenging as the actual examination. The top three things to consider are the cost, individual’s learning style and size of the group. A flexible and excellent study plan is possible with the help of PVP...
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The New 2015 PSAT Scores
Valerie Strauss at the Washington Post is trying to address the confusion you may be facing regarding the delayed access of the PSAT scores and the new scoring criteria. She lays out the reasons for the confusion and possible solutions in her article, Scores for new...
read moreHow to Perk Up Your Brain When Reviewing
Exams are exams. You need to prep up and review in order to pass. Unpreparedness, mental block, and forgetfulness are the worst things that could happen when you’re at your desk, holding the test papers. When you review, you flex your brain muscles. You visualize and...
read moreGET READY TO EXCEL!
Have you known the satisfaction of taking a test and acing it? You don’t even need to wait to see your grade to know that you did a great job! There is more than just subject knowledge required to do well on a test. There is an actual skill to taking tests and...
read moreARE YOU READY TO ACE YOUR TEST?
ARE YOU READY TO ACE YOUR TEST? Taking tests and getting good scores is both an art and science. One way to really improve your chances is to get the customized instruction you receive when you visit PVP Test Prep. Folks in the Palos Verdes Peninsula and South Bay are...
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Old SAT vs. New SAT vs. ACT
The debate continues to rage over whether students (especially current Juniors and Sophomores) will have better luck with the Old SAT vs. the New SAT vs the ACT and Dr. Gary Gruber addresses some of the vital differences between the tests in his article for the...
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New SAT Class Starting March 6th
We have just added a new class for the May 7th SAT Date. Our classes have a maximum of 6 students and the curriculum is adjusted according to the students diagnostic test results. The diagnostic tests will give you a clear insight to your strengths and weaknesses...
read morePVP TEST PREPARATION AND TUTORING
Is your child’s performance at school dwindling? Do you worry that his or her grades do not meet your expectations as a parent or guardian? Then it is high time you stop by at PVP Test Preparation and Tutoring to discuss the direction of your child’s...
read moreProviding the Palos Verdes Peninsula and South Bay Area
Providing the Palos Verdes Peninsula and South Bay Area At PVP we strive to assure parents that your children will receive the highest quality of test preparation and/or tutoring. Whether your child is in need of SAT or ACT classes, private test preparation, online...
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September 12th ACT Results Are In, With New Scores!
For those of you who took the September 12th, 2015 ACT go ahead and check your scores by logging in through actstudent.org. Several of our students have gotten their scores already. If your scores are not updated, do not worry. It is not uncommon for the ACT to...
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Virginia Tech Selects New SAT or ACT for Class of 2017
Virginia Tech has drawn a line in the sand, and it looks as if other universities may follow in their footsteps regarding the upcoming changes to the SAT Exam. For freshman students planning to enroll the fall of 2017, Virginia Tech will only accept the New SAT...
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Tips & Test Reminders – 2
Tips For Our September 12th ACT Test Takers The morning of the test: Eat a healthy breakfast – but not too big, especially if you usually skip this meal. Wake up with enough time to really be awake by the time you arrive at the test center. Don’t overdue the coffee or...
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Tips and Test Reminders – 1
My Tutors and the whole team at PVP Test Prep & Tutoring would like to wish all of our students taking the September 12th ACT good luck! We know that our students have dedicated a good portion of their summer preparing for this exam and improving their...
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New PSAT Diagnostic Test
If you are curious about how you will do on the New PSAT on October 14th or October 28th give us a call. We have a new 6 page diagnostic PSAT report that can tell you the New PSAT scores. The New PSAT Diagnostic test report will also tell you: How well you did on...
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ACT Seats Are Filling Up
Even though the first deadline for the September 12th 2015 ACT has passed you can still sign up for the exam. With all of the changes happening to the SAT, it seems that the ACT is becoming quite popular. One of our local public high schools has already filled all...
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Register Early for the ACT
For those planning on taking the September 12th ACT, make sure to register by August 7th. People who register after the 7th will have to pay the late fee. Test Date Registration Deadline (Late Fee Required) September 12, 2015 August 7, 2015 August 8–21, 2015...
read moreClient Testimonial
Last year about this time, my daughter, then a junior, had studied for several weeks with one of the big test prep companies, but she was making no progress. We called PVP Test Prep and talked to Jim, who invited us to come right in. In a single hour-long interview, my daughter learned more from Jim about test taking than she had from previous tutors. Chris, her PVP tutor, quickly evaluated Rachel’s strengths and weaknesses, taught her only the subject matter she did not already know, and helped her master test-taking strategies....
read moreSmashed Records
In the time it took this years graduating class to go from freshperson to senior, UCLA’s application figures rose in excess of 25%. Some can attribute this to the common app as UC berkley tops 89,000 this year. Some may think it due to a social-economic trend away from trade schools and lifelong employment commitments of a generation or two ago. More people are attending universities. More jobs require both educational and work experience. Another school has smashed its own record. Cornell decreased its early admission rate down to 24.3...
read moreTest Preparation & Tutoring: Why is it Important?
Test Preparation & Tutoring: Why is it Important? Why do you really need some test preparation and why do these really matter? Every student is different and unique. Since every student has different strengths and weaknesses, you can’t expect that all students have the same learning pace. Let us face it – there are students who are fast learners, but also, there are students who are having hard times catching up on their lessons. Test preparation and tutoring are forms of personal learning strategy wherein every student has a chance...
read moreDawn of the Internet: Advantages of Online Learning
Dawn of the Internet: Advantages of Online Learning Welcome to the advent of the internet and technological breakthroughs! Almost everything can now be accomplished with just a single click. Thanks to the internet, there are people who are able to work at home without worrying about what to wear, what time to wake up, and what route to take to go to work faster. The same goes for learning. The modern world of today’s generation already offers online learning, wherein an online student gets the same education, lessons, and modules...
read moreNew California Laws Impact Post-High school Students
College tuition “Assembly Bill 19 establishes the initial stage of a “free college” program here, waiving the first year of fees for any first-time student who enrolls full-time at one of California’s 114 community colleges. That promise, however, depends on the state setting aside enough money in its 2018-19 budget to cover the fee waivers.” While Assembly bill 19 should be enthusiastically appliqued as an attempt to combat exorbitant tuition costs it does not address the transfer gap and aspiration gap as mentioned in previous blogs. This...
read moreAP Season Settles onto Students
Rusty on the Krebs Cycle? Confused about the Second Law of Thermodynamics? Wondering what the heck is a Dangling Modifier? When exactly was the Boston Tea Party? Whats the big deal with Covalent bonds? Perhaps it is time to brush up in preparation for the upcoming AP tests. Even some 5.0 students repeat classes. It is a strategy some of our students have undertaken. Despite a 5 on the AP exam and thus credit in college, some students whom have demonstrated proficiency in a particular subject take the class again in college. Why? To pad their...
read moreThe Importance of the Quality Time You Put In
The Importance of the Quality Time You Put In The preparation you carry out before taking a big test such as the ACT, SAT or PSAT involves a lot more than simply putting in the time. A lot of students believe that their results will depend solely on how many hours they spend in front of the handbooks and computer programs that can help them memorize the information that will lead them to have better scores. The truth is that one of the most important aspects of preparing yourself for one of these standardized exams is not the time, but the...
read moreGetting Over Exam Nerves
Getting Over Exam Nerves Words like “ACT” and “SAT” often strike fear into the hearts of many high school students. Many people feel that such examinations are more or less a single huge, deciding factor in their future careers. In addition to the pressure that school can generally put on young people, it only helps to add to the stress. However, when it comes to achieving education goals one thing is important: preparation. Yes, you can sit and study for the SATs and get all the advice you want. However, having a tutor is not necessarily a...
read moreTest Preparation
Test Preparation Moving on from high school to college or even from college to grad school is a big step. Some students start getting prepared for the upcoming tests really early, taking the time to plan out how much time they will need to get themselves into the position they want. This is extremely important, no matter whether you have a clear idea of where you are headed or not. There are also students who don’t find it so easy to plan ahead and this shouldn’t be a problem as long as they are willing to commit to doing what has to be done,...
read moreThe Advantages of Using a Test Prep and Tutoring Service
The Advantages of Using a Test Prep and Tutoring Service Success in any endeavor depends on the level of preparation one has put in; this is true for everything, especially when preparing for exams. Nobody wants to go into an exam room knowing they could have done more. When preparing for a test, nothing beats the rigor and effectiveness of test prep and tutoring services. Test-taking Tips Success in a test, especially high profile ones like the SAT and ACT is much more than the simple mastery of content. Test prep and tutoring services offer...
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