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How Soon Should My 7th Grader Begin to Prepare for the HSPT?

Many parents ask us this question. And the answer depends upon several factors. If your child is a high-achieving student and consistently scores in the 80th and 90th percentile on their yearly standardized tests (STAR, IOWA, SAT, ERB, etc.), then he or she can wait until the fall of 8th grade to begin HSPT preparation.

If, on the other hand, your child :
  • does poorly on standardized tests
  • suffers from "test anxiety"
  • is a methodical and somewhat slow worker
  • takes a great deal of time finishing assignments
  • has average grades in school (B's and C's) 
then we suggest that he or she begin HSPT preparation during the the summer after 7th grade.

We offer two programs that are very helpful.  One is our HSPT Diagnostic Assessment for 7th graders. The assessment will tell you whether your child is prepared for the HSPT and what areas he or she needs to work on now in order to get ready for success on the HSPT. Visit our website for more information on the Diagnostic Assessment

We also offer summer HSPT prep class for students completing the 7th grade.  Visit our website here for locations and dates: Summer HSPT Prep

Some parents are worried that the summer class is too far from the actual HSPT, which is given in January of their 8th grade year. They worry that their child will forget everything that they learn in the summer. To allay these fears, we offer all of our summer students a FREE subscription to an outstanding online HSPT prep program: Ace The HSPT. With video explanations and practice problems and tests different from the ones that they took during the summer, students may work at their own pace during the fall to review and deepen the material that they learned during the summer.

Give us a call at (408) 821-4790 if you have questions about these two programs.


-Steve Saso

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