SAT math tutoring at Caddell Prep is 1-on-1 instruction focused on the math section, available online or in person at our Staten Island office. Sessions are built around a diagnostic test, which identifies which of the 17 Digital SAT math topics a student is losing the most points on. Tutoring packages are not section-specific, so a student can use the sessions for math only or split them across both sections as his results change.
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Why Math Is the Fastest Section to Improve
Math topics are discrete. A student who doesn’t know how to handle exponential growth can be taught it in one session and can then answer those questions. The skill has a beginning and an end.
Reading comprehension doesn’t work that way. It rests on vocabulary and reading habits built over years, so it improves more slowly and less predictably.
That’s why math-only tutoring is a reasonable choice while English-only rarely is. It is also why a student who is behind in both sections normally sees his math score move first.
Keep in mind that this is a fact about the two sections, not a claim about any particular tutor. Every prep company faces the same difference.
What SAT Math Tutoring Covers
The Digital SAT math section has 44 questions across two modules, and we’ve categorized every question on the released College Board practice tests into 17 specific topics.
The topics are not evenly distributed. Linear functions is 15% of the math questions. Combining like terms and solving equations is 11.7%. Some topics appear on fewer than one question per test.
A tutor doesn’t work through all 17 in order. He works through the ones costing a particular student the most points, which is normally five to seven of them. That’s the difference between targeted tutoring and a review course.
See the full breakdown of the 17 Digital SAT math topics and how often each one is tested.
What Happens in a Math Tutoring Session
Tutoring starts with a diagnostic test, so the topic list exists before the first session does.
In a session, the tutor works problems with the student instead of lecturing. The steps get written out by hand. If a student hits a wall on a question, the tutor helps him work through it without giving away the answer, so the student can answer a similar question on his own later.
Homework is assigned between sessions from the topics being covered. Most of the improvement happens there. The session is where a student learns how to approach a question type, and the homework is where it becomes automatic.
Practice tests are given throughout. They show whether the score is moving and whether the sessions are still on the right topics, because a student’s weakest topics change as he improves.
Sessions also cover the Desmos graphing calculator, which is built into Bluebook and available on every math question. Knowing when Desmos is faster than algebra and when it is slower is a judgment that’s easier to teach in person than to read about.
Should a Student Take Math-Only Tutoring?
For some students, yes. For most, no.
Math-only makes sense when a student’s reading and writing score is already close to where he wants it and can’t be improved much, or when the math score is far enough behind that closing that gap is the whole job.
It doesn’t make sense for most students. A math-only plan caps the total improvement at 400 points, and a student who hasn’t looked at his reading and writing results is normally leaving easier points there. A diagnostic settles the question in about an hour.
There’s also a case for covering both even when math is the priority. A student aiming for a 1600 needs both sections, and a student who ignores reading and writing for months will normally see that score slip. Continuing to take full-length practice tests and reviewing the mistakes is enough to hold it.
Packages are not section-specific, so this isn’t a decision a student is locked into. Sessions can move to SAT reading and writing tutoring at any point.
“Highly recommend Caddell Prep. Professional, focused on the individual needs, honest, knowledgeable in the material and test format/tricks.
Glyn tutored my daughter 1x a week remotely. She enjoyed working with Glyn who “made everything so easy”, motivated her, and helped with her confidence. After the diagnostic and practice tests they focused on where she needed improvement. When she started, an objective was to rise the math score – she ended up with a 780! The flexibility of the online platform suited her schedule.”
- Miriam Pipko (parent)
How Do You Know Which Math Topics to Work On?
The 17 topics are the same for every student. The five or six that matter are not.
Paying for instruction hours before knowing which topics they should cover means spending the first few sessions finding out what could have been known beforehand.
Start With a Free Diagnostic SAT
A free diagnostic SAT gives a student an accurate math section score based on College Board scoring, plus a ranked list showing which of the 17 math topics are costing him the most points.
That list becomes the session plan. It also tells you how many hours the student is likely to need, since the size of the gap determines the size of the job.
The diagnostic can be taken online or in person at our Staten Island office, and there’s no charge.
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A student going for a perfect math score is a different case. He isn’t learning topics for the first time. He’s eliminating careless errors and closing one or two specific gaps.
That normally takes fewer hours than a broader improvement, but the hours are used differently. More time goes to timed practice and error review, and less to instruction. See how to get an 800 on SAT math.
Digital SAT Math Secrets
Our SAT math book is math only. Digital SAT Math Secrets covers all 17 topics with over 900 practice problems and three full-length math practice tests.
The lessons are ordered by how often each topic is tested, so the first three lessons cover 68.6% of the math questions. Students in tutoring use it for practice between sessions.
Tutoring Packages and Pricing
Packages run from 12 to 48 hours, $1,380 to $4,800, with three-installment payment plans. They are not section-specific, so the same package covers math, reading and writing, or both.
See SAT tutoring packages and pricing for the full table and for guidance on how many hours a given score improvement normally takes.
Call (917) 722-0677 to get more information or to get started.
Other Ways to Prepare for SAT Math
An SAT prep class covers math and reading and writing together at a lower cost per hour, in classes capped at eight students.
Our on-demand SAT course covers all 17 math topics with a video explanation for every practice question, at the student’s own pace.