Seven Questions Parents Should Ask Before Hiring an SAT or ACT Tutor, According to Mr. Test Prep

Palo Alto-based test-prep veteran Michael Romano offers families nationwide a practical framework for evaluating tutors before making a financial commitment

PALO ALTO, CA, September 19, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Families across the country have more test-preparation options than ever, from large national companies and automated platforms to independent online tutors. But websites, testimonials and sales calls reveal only so much about what a student will actually experience.

Michael Romano, founder of Mr. Test Prep, believes parents should ask a more practical set of questions before committing to an SAT or ACT preparation program — beginning with who will actually teach their student, what that person's experience is and whether anyone has watched the student work before recommending a plan.

Based in Palo Alto and coaching students online nationwide, Romano has worked with more than 4,000 students since 1997. A Duke University graduate who majored in Psychology and minored in Music, he has spent nearly three decades developing an approach designed around both sides of test-day performance: how students execute the test and the state they bring to that execution.

"The best way to evaluate a tutor isn't to listen to a sales pitch," Romano said. "It's to see how that person works with your student."

He recommends that families ask seven questions.

1. Who will actually teach my student — and what is that person's experience?
Parents should know whether the person they are speaking with will actually teach the sessions or whether the student will later be assigned to someone else.

The same applies to reviews and track record.

A test-prep company may have hundreds of positive reviews, but families should ask how much experience the individual tutor assigned to their student has — and whether the reviews they are reading actually reflect that person's work.

At Mr. Test Prep, Romano personally coaches every student. His nearly 30 years of experience and work with more than 4,000 students are the experience families actually receive.

Because the program is conducted online, students nationwide can work directly with him.

2. Does a diagnostic come before the preparation plan?
A useful plan should begin with evidence — but a diagnostic should reveal more than a score.

Romano looks at how a student actually works through the test: accuracy, pacing, question patterns, decision-making and where performance begins to break down.

Two scores alone do not necessarily tell a family which test offers the better path forward.

Mr. Test Prep begins with a free two-hour trial session built around diagnostic work rather than placing students immediately into a predetermined curriculum.

3. How will you decide whether my student should take the SAT or ACT?
Romano believes the answer requires more than comparing an SAT score with an ACT score and simply choosing the higher one.

The more important question is what produced those scores — and which problems are most realistic to improve.

A student may initially score better on one test while revealing a pacing limitation that will be difficult to overcome. On the other test, the initial score may be lower, but the weaknesses producing it may be more responsive to instruction and strategy.

The recommendation should come from watching the student work under timed conditions and understanding the performance behind the numbers.

4. What am I committing to financially — and what exactly does any guarantee require?
Families should look beyond the headline promise and understand the terms behind it.

If a test-prep provider offers a score guarantee, parents should ask what conditions must be satisfied for that guarantee to remain valid — including whether it depends on completing extensive homework or other outside requirements.

Mr. Test Prep takes a different approach.

Families pay one session at a time. Before preparation begins, Romano establishes a cap on the number of paid sessions based on the student's starting point, desired score outcome and testing plan.

If the student achieves the desired score outcome before reaching that cap, the preparation ends and the family never pays for the remaining sessions.

If the student reaches the cap and still needs additional coaching to pursue the agreed-upon score goals, additional sessions continue at no additional charge.

And because Mr. Test Prep does not assign required test-prep homework, that arrangement is not dependent on a student completing an extensive outside-work program.

5. What happens between sessions?
Romano has maintained a no-homework philosophy for years.

Students are always free to practice independently, but no test-prep homework is required.

Instead, Romano concentrates the preparation inside the coaching sessions, where he can observe how students approach questions, manage time, respond to difficulty and make decisions in real time.

The goal is not simply to give students more work. It is to make the work they do more useful.

6. How do you prepare students for performance under pressure?
Knowing the material is only part of performing well on test day. Students also need a way to execute effectively when the clock is running and the stakes feel real.

Mr. Test Prep approaches that from two complementary directions.

The Mr. Test Prep Method™ provides the tactics and frameworks students use to navigate the test itself — how they manage time, make decisions, respond to difficult questions and execute when it matters.

A-Game Access™ addresses the state they bring to that execution.

Together, the goal is not simply to make a student more knowledgeable, but to help that student access and use more of what they know when performance counts.

7. Can my student try the program before we commit?
Mr. Test Prep offers a free two-hour trial session to families nationwide.

The student works through diagnostic material while Romano checks in periodically, gets a firsthand look at how the student approaches the tests and, when useful, offers feedback or frames what he is seeing.

Just as importantly, the session gives the student a chance to meet Mr. Test Prep and experience his style and approach before the family decides whether to move forward.

A follow-up Zoom meeting with the student and parent reviews what the diagnostic revealed, discusses whether the SAT, ACT or both make sense, considers testing dates and preparation frequency, establishes target scores and outlines a recommended preparation plan.

A written proposal follows by email.

"Parents shouldn't have to make a large commitment just to find out whether the relationship works," Romano said. "Let the student experience the process first. Then everyone can make a much more informed decision."

Mr. Test Prep has been an educational consultant for over 26 years. One of his strategies is to increase his student's self-confidence thereby Elevating More Than A Score!

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