Tag Archive for: test preparation

Rachel Hodis
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Study Techniques That Improve Long-Term Retention

Study Techniques That Improve Long-Term Retention

Studying for a test and actually learning material aren’t always the same thing.

A student might review a chapter several times the night before an exam, remember enough to get through the test, and then struggle to recall the same information a few weeks later. That approach might work in the short term, but it can create problems when classes become more cumulative and students need to build on what they learned earlier.

Effective studying should help students understand information, recall it when they need it, and connect new material to what they already know. Here are several techniques students can use to make that happen.

Practice Active Recall

One of the simplest ways to make studying more active is to stop looking at the material and try to remember it.

After reading a section of a textbook or reviewing class notes, close the book and ask yourself what you remember. Try writing down the main ideas without checking your notes, or explain a concept aloud as though you’re teaching it to someone else.

This is much different from simply rereading a chapter. Instead of recognizing information that’s already in front of you, you’re practicing retrieving it from memory. Explaining what you’ve learned in your own words can also help you think through the material and make connections that make sense to you. This can make it easier to recall and apply that information later on a quiz or exam.

You can also use active recall to identify what you don’t know. If you can easily explain three concepts but can’t remember a fourth, you know exactly where to spend more of your study time.

Space Out Your Studying

Think about how you might prepare for a vocabulary quiz on Friday. You could wait until Thursday night and spend an hour trying to memorize all 30 words. You might remember enough to do well the next morning, but how many of those words will you still remember a few weeks later?

Instead, spread that hour of studying across several days. Spend 15 minutes reviewing the words on Monday, revisit them on Tuesday or Wednesday, and quiz yourself again on Thursday. Each time you return to the material, you’re asking your brain to recall something you haven’t thought about for a little while.

You can use this approach for more than vocabulary. Briefly revisit your history notes a few days after class, work through a few older math problems each week, or review important science concepts throughout a unit instead of waiting until the test is approaching.

Spacing out your studying also makes test preparation less overwhelming. When exam week arrives, you aren’t seeing several weeks of material for what feels like the first time.

Consider Trying Interleaving

Another study technique you might experiment with is interleaving. Instead of spending an entire study session focused on one subject or type of material, interleaving involves alternating between two or more related areas of study.

For example, you might alternate between math and chemistry, or between different types of chemistry problems. The goal isn’t to jump randomly from one assignment to another. Instead, you intentionally change what you’re working on at regular intervals, which gives you practice recalling and applying different information rather than repeating the same process for a long period of time.

Interleaving can feel difficult at first, and it may take some experimentation to figure out how to use it effectively. This article explains why interleaving can help with retention, how long to spend on each topic, which subjects to combine, and how to get started.

Make Connections Between Ideas

Think about how difficult it can be to remember a random fact with nothing else attached to it. You might memorize that the stock market crashed in 1929 for a history test, for example. But if that’s the only information you remember, it’s easy for that date to disappear from your memory after the test is over.

Instead, connect the fact to the bigger story you’re learning. What was happening in the economy before the crash? What happened afterward? How did it affect people’s lives? How does it connect to the Great Depression? Now, 1929 isn’t just a date you’re trying to memorize; it’s part of a series of events and ideas that you understand.

You can use this approach in almost any subject. When you’re studying, ask yourself:

  • Why is this important?
  • What caused this to happen?
  • How does this connect to something we learned earlier?
  • How would I explain this in my own words?

You can also create diagrams or timelines to see how different ideas fit together. The goal is to understand how facts and ideas relate to each other so they’re easier to understand, recall, and use later.

Test Yourself Before the Real Test

You don’t have to wait until test day to find out what you actually know. Imagine you’ve spent 30 minutes reviewing your biology notes and feel pretty confident about the material. Put the notes away and try answering five questions from your study guide without looking anything up. You might discover that you can easily explain three concepts, you’re a little fuzzy on another, and you can’t remember the last one at all.

Now you know where to spend the next 20 minutes of your study time!

You can create questions based on your notes, redo problems from previous assignments, or ask someone else to quiz you. When you get something wrong, don’t simply memorize the correct answer. Figure out why you missed it.

Did you misunderstand the concept? Did you confuse two similar ideas? Did you know how to solve the problem but make a calculation error?

Testing yourself can help you find the areas that still need work while you have time to do something about them.

Find the Techniques That Work for You

You don’t need to start using every technique in this article at once. Start by choosing one or two and try them before your next test.

Maybe you’ll put your notes away and explain what you just learned out loud. Or you might start using practice questions to figure out which concepts you actually understand and which ones need more attention.

There isn’t one perfect study routine for every student or every subject. Preparing for a history exam may require different strategies than studying for calculus or learning Spanish vocabulary. The goal is to build a collection of study techniques you understand and can use when you need them.

Developing those habits takes practice. At Hodis Learning & Music, our tutors work one-on-one with students and tailor instruction to their individual strengths, challenges, and goals. Tutoring can help you strengthen the material you’re learning now while developing study skills you can continue using in future classes.

Call us at (626) 227-1149 or submit a contact form to learn more about academic tutoring with Hodis Learning & Music.

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Rachel Hodis
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Preparing for Midterm Exams Without Last-Minute Cramming

Preparing for Midterm Exams Without Last-Minute Cramming

Unlike a quiz covering a recent chapter or unit, midterms may require you to revisit weeks (or even months) of material. And yes, it is already time to start thinking about midterms.

If you haven’t started thinking about midterms yet, now is a good time to put them on your radar. A little planning now gives you time to figure out what needs the most work and spread your studying over the days and weeks ahead.

Step 1: Figure Out What You Actually Need to Study

Before opening your textbook to page one and starting over, figure out what will actually be on the exam.

Look at the study guide if your teacher provided one. Review the syllabus, previous assignments, quizzes, tests, and class notes. Make a list of the major topics you expect the exam to cover. Then sort those topics into three simple categories:

  • I know this well.
  • I need to review this.
  • I don’t understand this yet.

For example, maybe your algebra midterm covers five major concepts. You’re confident in solving linear equations, need a refresher on systems of equations, and still don’t really understand quadratic equations. Now you have a much better starting point than simply saying, “I need to study algebra.”

Step 2: Work Backward From Your Exam Dates

Once you know what you need to study, look at how much time you actually have. Start by putting all of your midterm dates in your calendar. Then add the other things that will compete for your time: regular homework, projects, sports practices, rehearsals, work, family commitments, and anything else already on your schedule. Now you can see the time you actually have available to study.

Next, turn “study for midterms” into smaller tasks. If your biology exam is two weeks away, your plan might look something like this:

  • Monday: Review Chapters 1–2 and identify anything you don’t understand.
  • Tuesday: Review Chapters 3–4 and create flashcards for important vocabulary.
  • Wednesday: Practice labeling diagrams without looking at your notes.
  • Thursday: Answer practice questions from Chapters 1–4.
  • Friday: Review the questions you missed.
  • Weekend: Quiz yourself on the major concepts from the week.

Then continue building your plan until you’ve covered all the material, ideally leaving some time before the exam to revisit the areas that are still giving you trouble.

“Review Chapters 1–2” is much easier to start than “study biology.”

Step 3: Decide Which Classes Need the Most Attention

You probably don’t need to spend the same amount of time preparing for every midterm. Suppose you have three exams next week. You’re comfortable with the material in English, somewhat unsure about biology, and struggling in algebra. Spending two hours on each subject might feel fair, but it probably isn’t the best use of your six hours.

You might spend a shorter block reviewing English, more time practicing biology concepts, and your largest block working through algebra problems.

This doesn’t mean ignore subjects you’re doing well in. Give each exam the preparation it needs, but put more time towards the subjects and concepts that are more challenging.

Also, be realistic about your schedule. Planning four hours of studying after a two-hour soccer practice and a full day of school probably isn’t going to work. You’ll have more success with a shorter, but focused study session than one that goes into the middle of the night.

Step 4: Make Your Study Time Active

Once you’ve made a schedule, make the time you spend studying count. It’s easy to spend an hour rereading notes and feel productive because everything looks familiar. But recognizing something when it’s sitting in front of you isn’t the same as being able to remember it on your own.

Try putting the material away and seeing what you can do without it. Depending on the subject, you might:

  • Answer practice questions without looking at your notes.
  • Solve math problems from previous assignments.
  • Create flashcards and test yourself.
  • Explain a concept aloud as though you’re teaching someone else.
  • Draw and label a diagram from memory, then check it for accuracy.
  • Write possible essay questions and practice outlining your responses.

For example, after reviewing a section of your history notes, close your notebook and write down the major events you remember. Then reopen your notes and compare. What did you remember? What did you leave out? What did you misunderstand? Now you know what to review next.

Step 5: Let Your Mistakes Tell You What to Study

Old quizzes, tests, homework assignments, and practice questions can be some of your best midterm study materials. Don’t just look at the grade. Go back to the questions you missed—this might mean asking your teacher if you can take a look at your last quiz or test.

Let’s say you got six questions wrong on your last chemistry test. Try those questions again without looking at the answers. If you can solve five of them now, great! You probably don’t need to spend much more time on those concepts. If you’re still stuck on three of the questions, you’ve identified something you need to study.

Also ask yourself why you’re getting questions wrong. Are you missing the same type of math problem repeatedly? Do you know your history facts but have trouble explaining why events were important? Are you losing points because you misread questions or rush through calculations?

The more specific you can make the problem, the easier it becomes to decide what to do about it.

Step 6: Ask for Help While There’s Still Time

Imagine you’re reviewing algebra a week before your midterm and realize you never fully understood a concept from the beginning of the semester. That’s frustrating, but you still have options. You can ask your teacher a question, attend office hours, work with a classmate, or meet with a tutor.

Discovering the same problem at 10 p.m. the night before the exam doesn’t give you the same options.

Along those lines, while you’re studying, try not to wait until you feel completely lost to get help. If you’ve reviewed something several times and it still isn’t making sense, that’s a sign that you may need someone to explain it differently.

Step 7: Take Care of Yourself The Night Before

If you’ve been preparing over several days or weeks, the night before your exam should feel fairly manageable. Use your final study session to revisit a few areas you’ve identified as difficult, quiz yourself on important concepts, or work through a few practice problems.

Then, give yourself permission to be done studying. Pack what you’ll need for the next day, set your alarm, and take some time to wind down before bed. Getting a good night’s sleep can support memory and concentration, while also helping you feel more rested and ready to take the exam.

Start Preparing Now

If your midterms are coming up in the next few weeks, you still have time to put these strategies into practice.

Start by finding out when your exams are and what each one will cover. From there, identify the subjects and concepts that need the most attention and break your studying into smaller tasks you can spread across the time you have available.

Taking 15 or 20 minutes to look ahead at your exam schedule, organize your materials, and decide what you’ll review first can make it much easier to start preparing for midterms.

If you could use some extra support, Hodis Learning & Music is here to help! We have expert tutors available for all subjects who can help you work through difficult course material while also developing study strategies and organization habits you can use throughout the school year.

Call us at (626) 227-1149 or submit a contact form to learn more about tutoring before midterms!

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Rachel Hodis

SAT vs. ACT: Which Test Is Right for Your Student?

SAT vs ACT: What's the difference?

For years, students have heard all kinds of rules about choosing between the SAT and ACT: the ACT is better for students who are good at science, the SAT is better for strong math students, or students should simply take whichever test their school offers.

But both exams have changed significantly in recent years, making some of that old advice outdated. Rather than assuming one test is better for a certain “type” of student, families should look at the current formats, have students experience both tests, and compare their actual performance.

At Hodis Learning & Music, we don’t think students should choose based on SAT-versus-ACT folklore. The better question is: Which test gives this particular student the best opportunity to demonstrate what they know?

SAT vs. ACT at a Glance

While both are college entrance exams designed to measure academic skills, there are some important differences between the current SAT and ACT.

SAT ACT
Core Sections Reading & Writing, Math English, Math, Reading
Core Length 2 hours, 14 minutes 2 hours, 5 minutes
Questions 98 131
Format Digital and adaptive Digital or paper
Reading Short passages paired with individual questions Longer passages followed by multiple questions
Math 44 questions in 70 minutes; built-in Desmos calculator and reference sheet 45 questions in 50 minutes
Science No separate Science section Optional Science section

These differences can make the testing experience surprisingly different, even for students with similar academic strengths.

Which Test Format Fits Your Student Better?

One of the biggest differences between the SAT and ACT is pacing. The SAT generally gives students considerably more time per question. The ACT moves faster, requiring students to read, make decisions, and move through problems more quickly.

Students who work quickly and accurately may be comfortable with the ACT’s faster rhythm. Students who understand the material but like more time to think, reread questions, or work carefully through math problems may prefer the SAT.

Reading is another significant difference. SAT Reading and Writing uses short passages paired with individual questions, while ACT Reading uses longer passages followed by groups of questions. Some students prefer reading one longer passage and answering several questions about it. Others find shorter SAT excerpts easier to manage.

The Math sections also feel different. Both exams assess substantial high-school mathematics, but the SAT gives students more time per problem and provides a built-in Desmos graphing calculator and reference sheet. ACT Math moves more quickly and does not provide the same reference sheet.

None of these differences automatically makes one test easier. They simply mean that one format may work better for an individual student’s testing style.

What About ACT Science?

One piece of older ACT advice deserves particular attention: students no longer need to choose the ACT simply because they’re good at science.

Science is now optional on the ACT and is not included in the ACT Composite score. Students who take it receive separate Science and STEM scores.

Students considering the optional Science section should check the current policies of colleges and programs they’re interested in, as expectations can vary by institution.

The Best Way to Choose: Take a Practice SAT and ACT

Students don’t always predict which test they’ll prefer. That’s why one of the best ways to choose between the SAT and ACT is to actually experience both.

Have your student take a current, full-length practice SAT and practice ACT under realistic testing conditions. Avoid looking up formulas, checking answers midway through, or spreading the test across several days.

Then compare three things:

  1. Which test produced the stronger score?
    Use an up-to-date concordance table to compare SAT and ACT results across their different scoring scales.
  2. Which test felt more manageable?
    If the scores are similar but one test’s pace or format felt considerably more comfortable, that matters.
  3. Why did the student miss questions?
    Look beyond the final score. Were mistakes caused by content gaps, pacing problems, misunderstood questions, careless errors, reading fatigue, or unfamiliarity with the test?

A student who doesn’t understand the material needs a different preparation plan from a student who knows how to solve the problems but consistently runs out of time.

PSAT and PreACT scores can also provide useful information, but students shouldn’t necessarily choose an exam based on that one data point alone.

Sometimes the results of the two practice tests will point clearly toward one exam. Other times, the scores will be close enough that either test could work. In that case, consider which format the student prefers and where there appears to be more realistic room for improvement.

Should Students Prepare for Both Tests?

Usually, we don’t recommend spending months preparing for both the SAT and ACT.

Trying both during the decision-making stage can provide valuable information. Once a student has enough information to make a thoughtful choice, however, focused preparation is generally more efficient.

Students can then become familiar with their chosen test’s structure and timing, strengthen the academic skills that need improvement, address recurring problems, and measure their progress using comparable practice exams.

The goal isn’t to become equally good at taking two different tests. It’s to determine which exam gives the student the better opportunity to earn a strong score and prepare for that test intentionally.

SAT & ACT Test Prep at Hodis Learning & Music

At Hodis Learning & Music, we approach SAT and ACT test preparation as an individualized process. Students have different starting points, goals, academic strengths, and testing habits, and their preparation should reflect those differences.

Once a student has selected an exam, one-on-one test prep can focus on the areas they need most, including academic skills, pacing, test familiarity, and recurring problem areas.

If your student is deciding between the SAT and ACT or is ready to begin preparing, call Hodis Learning & Music at (626) 227-1149 or submit a contact form to learn more about SAT and ACT test prep.

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Rachel Hodis
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Test Anxiety vs. Lack of Preparation: How Tutoring Addresses Both

Test anxiety vs. Lack of preparation.

When a student struggles on tests, it’s not always clear what’s causing the issue. Is it test anxiety? A lack of preparation? Or a combination of both?

For parents and educators, understanding the difference is key. The root cause directly impacts how best to support the student, and that’s where targeted tutoring can make a meaningful difference.

What Is Test Anxiety?

Test anxiety is more than just feeling nervous before an exam. It’s a type of performance anxiety that can interfere with a student’s ability to think clearly, recall information, and demonstrate what they know.

How It Commonly Presents

Test anxiety can look different depending on the student’s age and personality:

  • Younger students may complain of stomachaches, headaches, or try to avoid school on test days.
  • Middle school students might show frustration, irritability, or say things like “I’m bad at tests.”
  • High school and college students may experience racing thoughts, blanking out during exams, or excessive self-doubt.

In all cases, the key sign is this: the student knows the material when studying, but struggles to demonstrate that knowledge under pressure.

Why Do Students Experience Test Anxiety?

There are several common causes for test anxiety, including but not limited to:

  • Fear of failure or disappointing others
  • Pressure to achieve high grades
  • Past negative testing experiences
  • Perfectionism
  • Lack of confidence in their abilities

Sometimes, anxiety develops even when a student is well-prepared academically. It’s important to help students and address anxieties early before they turn into burnout.

When It’s a Lack of Preparation

On the other hand, some students struggle with tests simply because they aren’t adequately prepared. It usually points to gaps in skills or support, rather than the student being incapable.

Common Causes of Poor Preparation

  • Gaps in foundational knowledge: If earlier concepts weren’t fully understood, new material becomes harder to grasp.
  • Weak executive functioning skills: Difficulty with organization, time management, and planning can make consistent studying a challenge.
  • Unaddressed learning differences: Students with ADHD, dyslexia, or other learning differences may need tailored strategies.
  • Social or emotional challenges: Stress, lack of motivation, or low confidence can interfere with effective studying.
  • Ineffective study habits: Rereading notes or cramming the night before often isn’t enough for long-term retention.

How Tutoring Helps Students With Test Anxiety

When anxiety is the primary issue, tutoring focuses on building both skills and confidence.

Teaching Practical Test-Taking Strategies

Our educators will help students learn how to manage time effectively during exams, using the process of elimination on multiple-choice questions, and break down complex questions into manageable steps.

These strategies reduce overwhelm and give students a clear plan during tests.

Simulating Test Conditions

Tutors can help students prepare by simulating test conditions with timed quizzes or practice exams. This helps students become familiar with pressure in a low-stakes setting, become comfortable with pacing, and reduces fear of the unknown.

Building Confidence Through Support

One of the most powerful benefits of tutoring is the relationship students build with their tutor.

With consistent encouragement, positive reinforcement, and personalized attention, students begin to trust their abilities and feel more in control. This can build confidence and self-esteem in students who have test anxiety.

How Tutoring Helps Students Who Lack Preparation

For students who need stronger academic foundations or study habits, tutoring provides structure and accountability.

Strengthening Executive Functioning Skills

Educators can help students plan ahead for exams, organize materials and assignments, and develop consistent study routines.

Creating Accountability

Having a designated time, place, and person to study with makes a big difference. Tutoring creates:

  • Consistency
  • Clear expectations
  • A sense of responsibility

Reviewing Key Concepts

Tutors identify and reinforce foundational skills that are likely to appear on exams. This ensures students aren’t just memorizing—but truly understanding—the material.

How Hodis Learning & Music Can Help

Test anxiety and lack of preparation often overlap, but they require different approaches. A student with anxiety needs confidence, familiarity, and emotional support. A student who is underprepared needs structure, skill-building, and consistency.

The right tutoring approach addresses both, helping students feel capable and prepared at the same time.

At Hodis Learning & Music, we always take a personalized approach to test preparation. If your student is struggling with tests and you’re not sure why, we’re here to help. Call us at (626) 227-1149 or submit a contact form on our website to learn more or schedule a session.

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