Gemm Test Prep

Gemm Learning students have experienced SAT gains of over 300 points.  As important, they have gone on to perform at a higher level at school or in college, an important consideration in these increasingly competitive, uncertain economic times.

We provide SAT test prep at centers in Westchester, NY and Greenwich, CT in conjunction with Test Fundamentals, our unique, home-based program that not only strengthens the underlying abilities these high stakes tests are seeking to assess, but also works on test-taking skills.

Gemm's programs are for students at all academic levels.  They can replace traditional test prep or be an alternative source of ACT and SAT point gains. 

 

Gemm Programs

Our core program is Test Fundamentals -- a home-based, 30-minute a day program that takes two to three months depending on the student's starting point and goals.   We provide this program nationwide.

For students in Westchester, NY and Fairfield, CT we also offer SAT Skills test prep sessions at our centers in conjunction with the home-based program.

 

Test Fundamentals

After an in center or phone consult and student evaluation, we develop an individualized protocol for the student, choosing from 50+ cognitive, vocabulary and reading exercises in Fast ForWord software, targeting the best opportunities to add points based on his or her specific cognitive and test taking skill set.  The most common opportunities include:

• Improved reading skills.   Quicker, more accurate reading will improve test taking efficiency.
• Critical reading, comprehension.  The ability to draw inferences from the text and to reason are core competencies being tested.  Our program builds these skills, a powerful source of points.
• Better retention, faster test taking.  We can build processing speed and improve retention with working memory exercises that help avoid time-consuming re-reading, and improve multi-choice efficiency.
• Test taking stamina.  Fast ForWord can reduce impulsiveness, i.e., less careless errors, by improving working memory, so critical in multiple choice and in reading long passages.  The program also specifically works on test taking focus and attention stamina if needed.
• Vocabulary and language.  Fast ForWord builds sophistication in vocabulary and metalinguistics -- dexterity with language -- that will serve the student well in the upcoming NY or CT college test and beyond.
• If the essay portion is challenging, we have exercises that build the critical thinking and abstract reasoning skills that directly impact essay writing.   If essay writing is a particular concern we have a series of structured essay assignments that can be completed at home.

Our Test Fundamentals program successfully boosts test scores because it works directly on the underlying talents and skills being tested in high stakes tests like the SAT.  These are abilities (and point gain opportunities) that traditional NY or CT SAT, ACT or ISEE test prep does not address.  Our goal is to help each student make the most of his or her natural smarts.

 

SAT Skills Package

For SAT only, we offer a six-session in center course in addition to our home-based Test Fundamentals program.  Center courses include a comprehensive review of the tests, instructions on tactics and strategies, and practice tests.

The in center Test Prep session component of our Greenwich and Westchester SAT test prep can be done after Test Fundamentals or at the same time depending on your schedule.   

 

When To Do Gemm's Program

Since Test Fundamentals builds essential cognitive and learning skills that boost all future learning, Test Fundamentals is best done before traditional Test Prep.  Unlike traditional Westchester SAT prep, the gains we can achieve will endure, providing a boost to the entire college career.  

 

Getting Started

First call to schedule a Free Test Prep consult in center where will evaluate your child and recommend a course of action.  To help this process, tell us a little about your child by completing this Test Readiness Screening.   A representative from Gemm at a Westchester or Fairfield County learning center will call to follow up.

Gemm Learning is an alternative to Connecticut and Westchester tutoring that boosts learning ability in a way that directly impacts cognitive ability and test-taking skills, unlike traditional SAT prep which teaches content.