The Test Under Stress

January 10, 1999
The New York Times Magazine

"[Advantage Testing] teaches students specific test-taking techniques... but also uses the SAT as a vehicle to offer a long-term tutorial in vocabulary, reading comprehension, and math."

"At the heart of [Advantage Testing's] approach is the egalitarian belief that effort pays off."

"[AT founder Arun] Alagappan uses the SAT as a source of motivation for students to learn a range of skills that, he argues, are important in any intellectual endeavor - among them the capacity to break down and reason through a difficult problem or to acquire information that applies across disciplines."

"In the end, [Advantage Testing] is simply bringing to the SAT the same qualities we value in any teacher - passion, patience, clarity, inspiration."

"[Advantage Testing founder Arun] Alagappan isn't so much teaching the test as simply teaching - in this case, intensive tutorials in math or reading."

"[The Advantage Testing model] does suggest that it's possible to attract a better pool of teachers by paying them exceptionally well, and that the tutorial form can be a very effective method of instruction."

"Working with [Advantage Testing] produced not just a significant increase in SAT scores but also a major improvement in school work and a burgeoning intellectual self-confidence."