What the digital SAT looks like
The SAT is now taken on a laptop or tablet in the College Board's Bluebook app. It has two sections, Reading and Writing, and Math. Each section is split into two modules, and how you do on the first module in a section changes how hard the second one is. The test is shorter than the old paper version, runs a little over two hours, and is scored from 400 to 1600. A graphing calculator (Desmos) is built into the app for the entire Math section.
Reading and Writing questions are tied to short passages, usually one question per passage, and cover vocabulary in context, evidence, transitions, grammar and punctuation conventions, and the structure of a short text. Math covers algebra, advanced math, problem solving and data analysis, and geometry and trigonometry. Format details can be updated by the College Board, so we always check collegeboard.org for the current description before we plan with a student.
How an SAT tutoring plan works here
Every student starts with a short diagnostic, ideally a full-length practice test taken in Bluebook so we are working from a real score report rather than a guess. We look at the pattern of mistakes, not only the total. A student who loses points to careless arithmetic needs a different plan than one who has never seen a function written in a table.
- Diagnostic and score review: where the points are, and which are the cheapest to win back.
- A written plan mapped backward from your test date, broken into weekly milestones.
- Weekly 1-on-1 sessions focused on error review, new strategy and timed sections.
- A running mistake log, so each wrong answer turns into a rule you can reuse.
- Session notes after every meeting, so parents know what was covered and what is next.
We do not run group classes and we do not hand out a generic workbook. The material is the official practice you already have access to, plus targeted problem sets built from what the student missed.
Math: strategy that holds up under time pressure
Most SAT Math points are lost in two places: topics that were never fully learned, and good students who run out of time. We fix the first with direct instruction and a few worked examples, and the second with pacing practice. That includes knowing when the built-in Desmos calculator is faster than algebra, and when it is a trap that burns a minute.
Reading and Writing: shorter passages, same discipline
Because the passages are short, the skill is precision. Students learn to name what a question is asking before reading the choices, to eliminate answers for a stated reason, and to check grammar and punctuation choices against a small set of rules instead of by sound. Sessions include timed sets followed by a review where the student explains why the correct answer is correct and why the tempting wrong one is not.
When to start and how many sessions
The right start date depends on the gap between where a student is now and the score they want. Students who begin three to four months before a test date generally have room for a diagnostic, a content phase and two or three full practice tests. A student who is already close to a goal score may need only a few sessions on specific question types. We will tell you honestly after the diagnostic whether a short tune-up or a longer plan is the better use of your money.
SAT dates are offered on Saturdays several times through the school year, and many NYC public schools also administer the SAT during the school day for juniors. Registration deadlines fall a few weeks before each date, so check collegeboard.org or ask your school counselor. Whether a college requires or only recommends test scores varies by school and changes, so check each college's current policy before deciding how much prep you need.
Format, price and location
SAT tutoring is $100 per hour, the same rate as every subject. Sessions are online over live video by default, with a shared screen for practice questions and Bluebook review. In-person sessions are also available at your home or a nearby public spot across Westchester, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn, with a travel fee based on location that we agree on before you book.
One note on scope: we tutor the SAT, not the ACT. If a student is deciding between the two, the diagnostic can help, but ACT-specific preparation is not something we offer.