Talking Test Prep with Hemal Pathak

For 10 years, Hemal Pathak has been one of Intelligentsia’s most trusted tutors. In addition to being an oft relied-upon math and science subject tutor, Hemal is one of our test prep maestros. In fact, he’s become so adept at preparing students for standardized tests, he’s started working on his very own online test prep platform. He’s calling it Cyngulum and we had a chance to chat with him about this exciting development before it’s released to the world.

Intelligentsia: You’re building an online test prep platform, Cyngulum. What are you focusing on as you develop it?

Hemal Pathak: I'm focusing on standardized testing in science - mainly Biology and Chemistry for now. The approach is to combine the recall effect, spacing, and scaffolding to help students retain information over longer periods. Another key aspect is learning to use online resources and searches to answer questions. In other words, to apply Google’d facts to a problem or question rather than just copying an answer. The content is at the level of Regents tests and SAT Subject Tests.

For the uninitiated, can you define the terms “recall effect,” “spacing,” and “scaffolding” in the context of test prep?

The “recall effect” is a well-documented relationship between recall and the transfer of information from short term to long term memory. Essentially, research has shown that answering certain kinds of test questions actually produces a long term memory for that content. There's some evidence as well for transfer of those retained ideas to new problem types and even to as yet unstudied material in the same subject.

“Spacing” refers to improved retention when content is studied and in a way that produces a delay between study sessions. The platform forces students to work through a practice test and then repeat it after a delay or space between study sessions.

“Scaffolding” involves taking a complicated idea or skill and breaking it down so that there's room for explanation at intermediate steps. It involves making problem-solving an assisted process so that students are not overwhelmed by complexity and gradually learn to figure things out on their own with less and less help.

Those ideas are simple to understand when broken down, but they seem based on some fairly complex science. I know you hold a PhD in neuroscience—has that expertise factored into the platform development?

Yeah, very much so. I tried to focus on ideas in learning that are supported by cognitive neuroscience studies - controlled studies with at least some support from fMRI data in humans and more detailed work at the level of genes and proteins in mice or other organisms. In my view at least, the more evolutionarily conserved a mechanism is and the more evidence there is at the cellular and molecular level, the more likely it might work out to be correct. Overall, that kind of thing - relating neuroscience data to actual learning - is really hard to know with any certainty, but it looks like there's some good support for it thus far.

Was this concept brewing for a while or did it come to you spontaneously?

I think it was brewing for a while. I kind of noticed that I remembered things really well after having practiced with multiple-choice tests. I assumed it was an approach I'd invented, but it turned out there's a massive amount of research in that field going back decades. I had played around with various versions of it for a few years and decided to focus on it more in the past year. Some of the things like scaffolding came up when I was in Ed school through the New York City Teaching Fellows

That's right, you were previously a teacher in NYC. Where and what did you teach?

I taught Biology and Neuroscience at Stuyvesant High School.

How long have you been helping students prepare for standardized tests?

I've tutored on and off for a long time, but I'd say about 12 years at near full-time.

Where do existing test prep platforms fall short and what will yours do better?

I don't think they combine the ideas in quite the same way or leverage online searches to help in problem-solving in the same way. I also have the advantage of having developed the materials with actual students over the past 10 years or so. I think the content we provide is better tuned to common pitfalls in student thinking and offers support in areas in which students seem to need it the most.

What are some of the pitfalls you see most often?

I view that as specific to the content. There are key hurdles in getting to the point where a student can connect the properties of water to transpiration in plants or osmosis across cell membranes. You can weight the number of questions and the extent of the scaffolding based on knowledge of which "intellectual hurdles" are the highest for most students.

Will the platform automatically adapt its content to address those intellectual hurdles?

No, [though] that's something I'm still considering. Right now I'm leaning towards the presentation of the content in a specific order as being more important.

Why is that?

Part of the reason for favoring order is that the ideas are presented as clues leading to future ideas. Adaptive models end up shuffling what's presented in a way that makes it hard to produce that feeling of insight that I'm aiming for as a student goes through the subcategories within a subject.

Do you envision this platform being used alongside other support, or as a replacement for existing methods?

I see it being used alongside other tools. Some ways it has proven useful are to prevent summer learning loss or to provide additional homework assignments during the school year.

What’s behind the name Cyngulum?

It’s a reference to an area in the brain that uses testing to transfer information from short term to long term memory...the cingulate gyrus.

Care to shoutout an educator who made a difference in your life?

The most relevant one for this would be Mr. Keller, my 7th-grade bio teacher. All of his test prep was in the form of practice questions.

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Want to test prep with Hemal? No need to wait for the release of Cyngulum. In addition to one-on-one tutoring, he’s teaching our small-group test prep classes this fall, focusing on the spring/summer 2021 SAT and ACT exams. Contact us today to learn more.

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Hemal Pathak holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania, having studied the biophysics of chloride channel activity in acquired temporal lobe epilepsy. As a tutor, he has helped students in all levels of math and science classes, as well as for all parts of the ACT & SAT. He regularly helps students achieve their highest scores on all math and science AP & SAT subject tests.

How Does Your Child Read? Reading for School Versus Reading for Standardized Tests

Reading comprehension sections can be found on virtually all standardized tests. What I am about to share may appear to be simple, but it is critical for reading comprehension success on standardized tests.

Many students replicate the working-from-memory model on reading comprehension sections of standardized tests. Where is this model learned, and what does this model look like? School teachers assign a chapter or two from a novel or textbook, students read the material at home, and the following day students are quizzed on the material and are expected to reproduce answers from memory. School readings and subsequent examinations (mostly) require students to rely on their memories.

Why is relying on memory a poor strategy for reading comprehension sections on standardized tests? One, standardized test makers exploit students who use this working-from-memory model. They try to present answer choices that would seem familiar to students to deliberately trip them up. Two, working from memory isn’t necessarily the best strategy when the passage can be accessed with the flip of a page. In school, students are prohibited from accessing a novel or textbook during exams. On standardized tests, the passage they are being tested on is right in front of them.

Successful students, by and large, continually and strategically refer back to the passage. Less successful students, however, may be habituated (by school) to use the working-from-memory model on standardized tests to their detriment. What’s a better model? Treat reading comprehension sections on standardized tests as if they are reference passages, that is, passages that are to be continually consulted for specific details and information, like one would do with a manual or user guide. Manuals and user guides are not memorized; they are referred back to quickly, carefully, and systematically. Reading comprehension passages should be treated similarly. With training, there are ways of learning how to strategically locate the appropriate details on standardized test passages.

There is a whole repertoire of skills that tutors will teach their students on standardized tests. But here is a fundamental procedure students need to learn that can have a profound effect on scores: Rely less on memory and rely more on actively consulting the passage for important details required for answering questions.

— Eugene Netupsky

Eugene Netupsky is Intelligentsia’s CEO and a test prep expert. Contact him at insight [at] intelligentsianyc [dot] com.

Too Many Tests: A Standardized Test Glossary

Love it or hate it, standardized testing is a fundamental part of the American education landscape. While their merits may be contested, there is no avoiding the fact that all students, especially those seeking admission to elite schools, must learn to master the art of taking standardized tests. As a tutoring company, we believe that the most effective way to prepare for these tests is with individualized, one-on-one tutoring, but before that can begin, it helps to know the tests by name.

Tests For High Schools

ISEE

The Independent School Entrance Examination is used for admission into most private and independent high schools. It lasts three hours and is broken into four sections plus an essay: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning (basically Math), Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics Achievement + Essay (1 prompt). The ISEE is generally better for students with strong Math skills.

SSAT

The Secondary School Admission Test is similarly used for admission into most private and independent high schools. It also lasts three hours and is broken into four sections plus an essay: Quantitative 1 and 2 (Two Math Sections), Reading Comprehension, and Verbal + Essay (choice of 2 writing prompts, one personal essay or one short story). The SSAT is generally better for students with strong ELA skils.

SHSAT

The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test is used only for application into New York City’s eight Specialized High Schools. The SHSAT format is two sections, Math and English Language Acquisition (ELA), spread out over three hours, with no extra written essay, and no wrong answer penalty.

>> Read our full breakdown of these three tests!

Tests For US Colleges & Universities

AP Tests

Each of these 38 tests is administered in conjunction with Advanced Placement classes. Testing above a certain threshold may allow a student to gain college credit and place out of introductory college classes. Good scores also bode well on college applications. More info.

IB Tests

While not widespread, a number of private and public schools grant International Baccalaureate (IB) diplomas. The culmination of these programs is two weeks of standardized testing. Like AP tests, these can lead to advanced placement at some universities, but should not replace SAT Subject Tests. More info.

SAT Subject Tests

Formerly known as SAT II, these are subject-specific tests that will showcase particular aptitudes your student has gained during high school. While scores are often considered by colleges, there’s no need to wait until junior year to take them. Take these tests while the information is still fresh and only take tests on subjects in which you’d expect to do well. More info.

PSAT/NMSQT

This mini-alphabet of letters stands for Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. While the PSAT isn’t required by any colleges, taking this “pre”-SAT exam does help prepare students for the real thing. Beyond serving as great practice for the SAT, it is also used as eligibility and qualification for the National Merit Scholarship Program, which can help high-achieving students earn money towards college. The test is offered once each October and most students take it during their Junior year. More info.

SAT

Although the SAT has been known by several names, including the Scholastic Aptitude Test and the Scholastic Assessment Test, it’s now known simply as the SAT and the letters don’t stand for anything. The SAT is the poster child of standardized tests for college admissions and consists of four sections: Reading, Writing and Language, Math (no calculator), and Math (with calculator). There is also an optional essay section that certain colleges require. The exam lasts half a day and can be taken an unlimited number of times, usually during junior or senior year of high school. More info.

ACT

Originally named for the company making the test, American College Testing’s College Readiness Assessment is now, like the SAT, known simply as the ACT. While it once played second fiddle to the SAT, most colleges now accept scores from either test. Featuring four sections (Reading, English, Math, Science), the content and style of the ACT are very similar to the SAT and taking practice tests is often the best way to decide between the two. See how the tests compare.

>> Here’s a concise summary of all these tests from Kaplan!

Tests For Graduate Studies

GMAT

Students applying to MBA programs must take the Graduate Management Admissions Test. The GMAT is a computerized test with four sections: Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative Assessment, and Verbal. More info.

LSAT

Students applying to Law School must take the Law School Admissions Test. The exam is comprised of five multiple-choice sections and one essay. The multiple-choice sections are Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning (yes, 2x), Analytical Assessment, and a fifth experiment section that repeats one of the previous categories and does not count toward the final score. The essay section is not scored but is sent to law schools for further assessment. More info.

MCAT

Students applying to Medical School must take the Medical College Admissions Test. The exam is entirely multiple-choice and computer-based, testing in four key areas: Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems; Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems; Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior; and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills. More info.

GRE

Students applying to *any* Masters or Ph.D. program must take the Graduate Record Examinations. The GRE is actually two tests, the General Test and the (optional) Subjects Test. The General Test consists of four sections: Verbal, Math, Critical Thinking, and Analytical Writing. The Subject Tests are taken in order to highlight your aptitude in a specific subject, such as the one in which you majored. Note that some programs which require GMAT, LSAT, or MCAT scores may also wish to see GRE scores. More info.

>> Read USA Today’s breakdown of the graduate school exams.

English Proficiency Tests

TOEFL

The Test of English as a Foreign Language is the more widely-used of these two tests and it specifically tests American English as used in academic settings. It tests aptitude in four areas: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. More info.

IELTS

The International English Language Testing System is an exam aimed at testing English proficiency as it pertains to academic, migration, and work settings. It specifically tests British English in four areas: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. More info.

>> Still curious? Check out this overview.

— Evan Barden

Adrift In Acronyms: Choosing between the SSAT, SHSAT, and ISEE

The wild and wooly world of NYC specialized and independent high school admissions is difficult enough to navigate without adding test prep to the mix...which is why we, at Intelligentsia, wanted to give you a data-driven leg up this year! 

Ideally, we want your student to ace every test and be admitted to every school in the city, but we also want to increase your efficiency in your student’s testing and applications. Once you have narrowed a list of schools based on your student and family preferences, you may begin to notice that SSAT, ISEE, or SHSAT scores are required. Here’s a quick primer on how to figure out which test might be right for your student.

Basically, we can divide testing into New York City high schools into two groups: those that require SHSAT and those that require SSAT/ISEE.

The SHSAT

The first group, which asks for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (or SHSAT) is comprised of eight aptly named Specialized High Schools only:

• Bronx High School of Science

• Brooklyn Latin School

• Brooklyn Technical High School

• High School for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at City College of NY

• High School of American Studies at Lehman College

• Queens High School for the Sciences at York College 

• Staten Island Technical High School 

• Stuyvesant High School

If these schools do not interest your student, then feel free to skip to the section on ISEE/SSAT! But if your student is bonkers for Brooklyn Latin or a sucker for City College, read on...

SHSAT Test Composition and Scoring

The SHSAT format is two sections, Math and English Language Acquisition (ELA), spread out over three hours, with no extra written essay, and no wrong answer penalty. The highest possible score in each section is 350, leading to a total score out of 700. The key to the SHSAT and therefore, the Specialized High Schools, is that you simply test into them, and are admitted based on your scores (assignment to the schools themselves in the case of testing into multiple ones adheres to a slightly more complicated algorithm, but that’s a story for a later blog post). The cut-off score changes slightly every year, but you can get an idea of the present year’s score by checking the previous year’s score online.

Here’s the good news: your student does not have to get a perfect 700 in order to have a chance at the Specialized HS group. In 2019, the minimum cut off scores were in the 500s and high 400s!

The ISEE/SSAT

If you and your student are interested in the wide array of New York independent schools and even some boarding schools outside of NYC, you can narrow your test choice down to the ISEE or SSAT. But how, you ask, will you decide which test to choose?

While it’s true that some schools will outright list which test they accept, most will take either score. So, choose initially based on your student’s strengths. The ISEE has a slightly more difficult Math section, so if your student is a numbers whiz, they might head in that direction. The SSAT has more age-appropriate math and a slightly more challenging ELA section, so point your little Shakespeare towards that test.

ISEE/SSAT Test Composition and Scoring

Both tests are broken down into four sections plus an essay over 3 hours:

• ISEE: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning (basically Math), Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics Achievement + Essay (1 prompt)

• SSAT: Quantitative 1 and 2 (Two Math Sections), Reading Comprehension, and Verbal + Essay (choice of 2 writing prompts, one personal essay or one short story)

The scoring of each test differs, but the major gist of it is, your student should try to do the best they can.

For the ISEE, your student receives a raw score for each section, which is then converted into a scaled score between about 800 and 940. This number is then read as a percentile out of 100 and finally assigned a stanine (basically just groups or clusters of percentages) labeled 1-9. Aim for stanines 7-9! The essay is not scored but is sent to every school to which your student applies so the admissions specialists can see an example of the student’s undistilled writing. There is no penalty for a wrong answer on this test. Your student can only take the ISEE once every six months/once a school year, so plan accordingly.

For the SSAT, your student will receive a point for every correct answer and lose ¼ point for every incorrect one. Each section will be assigned a raw score, which will be converted into scaled scores between 500 and 800 points and a composite scaled score between 1500 and 2400 points. Your student can take the SSAT multiple times with fewer limits than the ISEE.

When preparing for the essay, consider that besides an exercise in structure, this is also an opportunity for your student to show their personality, voice/ability to write, and sense of humor.

General Testing Tips:

• If you do not wish to hire a tutor, buy a book so your child can begin studying at home - Barron’s and Princeton Review make excellent test books with great tips and practice tests.

• Whether you work with a tutor or solo, it is important for your student to take a few mock tests to practice upping their score and rehearse the testing experience. This can help cut down on test anxiety, too.

• However, keep in mind that there is a limited number of each mock test available in the public domain and plan accordingly.

• Schedule your actual test with enough time/awareness that your student might want to do some more studying and retake the test to attempt a better score.

• Make sure your student gets a good night of sleep, hydrates, and eats a good breakfast before the test

• And my personal favorite trick: send your student to the test with a pocket-sized snack. If they need to do so, they can run to the bathroom on the test break, to relieve themselves and raise their blood sugar levels.

We hope we’ve been able to demystify the test selection process a bit as you begin your journey. Here’s to an easy and exciting high school application process this year and beyond!

— Claire S.