Today, students have plenty of affordable ? and even free ? options when it comes to perfecting their test-taking strategies or simply picking up a few more key vocabulary words. Begin with homegrown websites, such as The Critical Reader and EriktheRed, which provide help at little to no charge. Add to that major test-prep companies, such as The Princeton Review and Kaplan Test Prep, which offer cheaper ($50 and under) printed and online training tools for motivated students who may not need the structure and support of classroom coaching.
New lower-cost options even abound for those who want the most personalized attention, as in one-on-one tutoring. ArborBridge, a California-based tutoring company, has just introduced truePrep, a service offering private SAT coaching for $75 an hour.