How Tutor Teach Exam Prep Bridges Classroom Gaps and Boosts Test Scores by a Staggering 10%

It’s an all-too-familiar feeling, watching the disappointment glaze over your child’s eyes as they reluctantly hand you their exam, revealing a grade that is less-than desirable. And even more disheartening, is knowing just how much time, effort, and sometimes tears, your child has put into preparing for this exam, and the anxiety they felt walking in, only to receive a grade they are not proud of. Then confusion sets in. “How can this be?” You ask yourself, “they studied so hard, and just can’t seem to grasp the material.”

The reality is that students are always going to have areas in which they struggle more than others; after all, the saying isn’t “master of all trades”, for a reason. But just because our children may not over-excel in every subject, doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be able to keep up with the curriculum and achieve grades that are reflective of their hard work and that they’re proud of. So why do grades sometimes not match up with effort? Well, the culprit could be one of a few things:

1. Teaching styles and Learning Styles

One of the more common reasons why students seem to struggle grasping material, is simply because of a mismatch in learning styles vs. teaching styles. Learning styles and Teaching styles are unique to each student and teacher, and while educators often do their best to teach in a way that is effective to all the students in their classroom, it is a very tall task and is rarely achieved. This, unfortunately, is the nature of public education, and emphasizes the ever-growing need for one-on-one, personalized education. Having a conversation with your child and their tutor about their learning style and preferences is important to ensure the effectiveness of their tutoring sessions.

2. Understaffed classrooms lead to a lack of one-on-one help

According to a 2023 report from the Edmonton Public School Board, the average class size has increased to 24.4 students per class for grades K through 12. Research and data have determined the magic ratio to be 1:15, that is, one teacher to every 15 students in a classroom. Not only do classes of this size, on average, obtain higher test scores, a famous study published by Oxford University Press, has also shown that if this ratio widens, test scores can be expected to decrease. The study found that students in small classes (13-17 students) “score about five-seven percentage points higher than those assigned to regular sized classes (22-25 students).” Given the average class sizes in Edmonton and across Alberta, it’s no surprise that our students are struggling to achieve the grades they desire.

3. Lack of practice/study materials that are reflective of the exam

While students are provided with study materials in school, oftentimes it’s not enough material to sustain the large amount of studying that is necessary to excel in a final exam. Practice is crucial in achieving sufficient grades on final exams, and without the resources to do so, students are left with few options.

To directly address these issues and gaps present in the current education system, Tutor Teach launched our Exam Prep Courses, available for Grade 6 and 9 Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs), Grade 10 and 11 final exams, and Grade 12 diploma exams. These courses are carefully and meticulously cultivated to avoid reinforcing the lapses present in our education system, and instead build essential bridges necessary for students to excel. The courses aim to offer an opportunity for students to gain confidence, practical skills, and have their questions heard, and answered, competently. 

The most recent run of Tutor Teach's exam prep courses proved to be an overwhelming success, yet again, and the demand certainly reflects this. Among the 23 different exam prep courses that ran across Grade 6 to Grade 12, (an increase of 109% of courses offered compared to the previous year) and the 222.5% increase in student attendance for these courses, these courses helped students across Alberta achieve the grades they so desperately desired. These courses allowed our students to actively engage and participate with the materials and their instructor, and provided them with adequate time to ask and work through their questions and areas of difficulty. During these courses, instructors not only review content, but each student is provided with a comprehensive, printable workbook, full of practice questions and material that is entirely reflective of the curriculum and upcoming exam.

Parents and students alike have reported significant improvement in both confidence and test scores, after completing Tutor Teach’s exam prep courses. Our results show that students have seen up to a 10% grade increase after completing their exam prep courses. One parent explained that the exam prep course improved her son’s “overall understanding,” helping him feel “more confident going into the final exam.”

Maria G., whose son took the Biology 30 Exam Prep Course, offered her thoughts on the course:

“His grade went up 8%, and it really helped with [my son’s] diploma,” she explained.

Olga G., another Tutor Teach parent, emphasized the impact the course had on her child:

“My son was extremely happy with the Chemistry 20 Exam Prep Course” she explained,

“The material [was presented] in a very clear and precise manner, tailored to the pace of each participant.” She continued, “The workbook that was sent ahead of the course was instrumental for the preparation. My son feels very confident in his skills and course content following the exam prep.”

Registration for Tutor Teach's Exam Prep Courses running in January 2025, is open NOW. Claim your spot today.