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Tutoring and test preparation

Whether your child gets extra academic help: none, only when struggling, enrichment to get ahead, or ongoing programs.

Should we pay for tutoring or test prep?

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: None; Only if struggling; Enrichment to get ahead; Ongoing supplementary programs. Evidence: evidence leans one way. Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational. Best settled: school age.

Evidence
Evidence leans one way
Best settled
School age
Part of
Learning & the wider world

Tutoring and test preparation: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.

  1. 1. None

    The child has no tutoring.

  2. 2. Only if struggling

    The child gets a tutor only when falling behind.

  3. 3. Enrichment to get ahead

    The child is tutored to move beyond the class level.

  4. 4. Ongoing supplementary programs

    The child attends a regular after-school learning program for years.

Tutoring and test preparation: what does the evidence say?

Evidence leans one way. Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational.

Tutoring works (0.37 standard deviations across 96 trials); SAT coaching adds about 20-30 points

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

Tutoring ranges from short-term help for a child who is behind to years of extra programs. It costs money and takes time from play and rest. Families differ on whether it is support or pressure.

Questions to ask each other

  • When would we consider a tutor?
  • How do we feel about test prep?
  • What would we want to protect?

More in School and academics

First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.