01Why we're different
At More Than A Teacher, we do test prep differently than most of our competition. Why? Because our approach just works.
There are two business models in test prep. One sells parents on starting prep early - sometimes in 7th grade! - and keeps families enrolled for years by locking them into long-term contracts. The second actually prepares your student for the test they'll take, then gets out of the way.
We do the second one.
Shorter doesn't mean worse. Our students see score increases about 150% greater than those of typical test prep companies, and we do it in weeks, not years, by focusing on strategy-first prep at the time it actually makes the biggest difference.
“Our scores are the highest they've ever been.”
02What we do
Our standard classes aren't extended commitments. They focus is on strategies that students can use on test day, and they work toward a specific test date.
The classes. In-person and virtual, instructor-led, and more than just practice problem sessions. In each of our classes, we help students recognize patterns in the test and the best ways to approach them. Our curriculum stays up-to-date with the test, and we shape it to the test as it stands today through ongoing research and revision. Students also get access to online resources, free optional tutorials, flexible scheduling and make-ups, real practice tests, and discounted one-on-one tutoring.
Our instructors. Our instructors are more than just teachers. A great test score isn't enough - they also have to communicate the strategy behind how the test works. Our instructors start with elite test scores and get significantly more training than other prep companies provide, because they're not just reviewing practice problems with students, they're teaching strategy.
Guaranteed results. We offer a real guarantee with no gotchas or pages of fine print. Our prep works, and we'll back it up with more than just words.
A real history. We're DFW's most trusted test prep for a reason. Since 2007, we've been the first choice of public and independent schools and districts around the metroplex.
03...and what we don't do
We care about educating students and getting the largest score increases. If we thought doing more prep was effective, we'd offer that. It doesn't, and so we don't.
When it comes to standardized testing, quality matters more than quantity, and the research proves it. Studies show that test-prep gains plateau after about 45 hours of prep - and that includes classes, homework, and practice tests - and a 2025 analysis reached the same conclusion. More is not more when it comes to test prep, and your student could be doing things with that time that actually make a difference in college admissions.
Unfortunately, there's a ton of misinformation about testing and test prep out there, and some companies take advantage of families just trying to do the best for their student. Things to watch out for:
A too-early start. If your student is in middle school or the first year of high school, they don't need prep. Really. By the time these students sit for an official SAT or ACT, the test format will likely have changed. Since 2016, the SAT has had three major overhauls to its format, including a conversion into a fully digital, adaptive test. The ACT changed its format and scoring in 2025. Beyond these structural changes, the test makers constantly tweak problem type balance and emphasis. There's no benefit to prepping for a test that won't exist by the time it actually counts.
Inflated score gains. Imagine a track-and-field program that guaranteed your student would be able to run much faster when they graduated high school than when they started it, then didn't provide any training at all. Will your student be faster at graduation? Probably! There's a lot of maturation that goes on during high school, and it's going to happen naturally. Some programs sell prep gains the same way: a student who hasn't seen the material is going to perform poorly on a baseline test in 9th grade, and after taking the test their junior year, they'll have shown a huge increase. Was it due to prep, or the years of school that were going to happen anyway?
Multi-year contracts. Programs that get results don't need contracts to avoid "waitlists" and "sold out" tutoring. The only reason to offer them is to lock families into prep they don't need. Independent research backs this up: more prep past a point produces diminishing returns, not better scores.
FOMO marketing. "Spots are filling up." "Tests are getting harder." "Start now or fall behind." These are pressure tactics, not real concerns. You're not missing any opportunities, and your student isn't falling behind. If we thought more was more, we'd offer more. Our results stand for themselves.
Practice → Review → Repeat. Prep programs need to be more than just practice sessions. Students burn out, scores plateau early, and the only test that matters is the real one. Real prep doesn't need hundreds of hours to be effective.
04Won't we be behind?
Nope. But it's understandable to think otherwise. If your freshman or sophomore is hearing about classmates already enrolled in multi-year prep programs, the pressure to "just get started" is real - after all, what could it hurt?
The truth is that "Did the Most Test Prep" doesn't go on a college application. The only thing that goes on the application is the score. Colleges don't care how much time you took to get it, so there's no sense in spending more time than required. Focused classes on top of the regular academic foundation regular provided by school coursework is all you need.
Even if it seems like a good idea to just do more, anyway, just to be safe, every hour your student spends on test prep is an hour they didn't spend doing something else - reading, practicing an instrument, studying for a class they're actually taking, or just being a kid. If that hour doesn't produce measurable results, it was an opportunity lost. Starting "late" isn't falling behind - it's just not wasting time.
Where should you be? Check out our test prep timeline page for more details.