SAT, ACT and TOEFL Test Preparation

The CATS Academy Test Preparation Department has three experienced teachers, all with years of experience in both test prep and conventional classroom teaching. The Test Preparation Department offers courses in SAT Prep, ACT Prep, and TOEFL Prep. These courses aid in the development of the core skills tested on these exams, as well as many exam-specific strategies.

Test Preparation electives

SAT Prep

This class is designed to improve student performance on the SAT. Students practice the core skills to be tested on the SAT: reading comprehension, writing and grammar, and mathematics both with and without a calculator. The class also provides students with SAT-specific practice, including official SAT practice tests, allowing them to become more comfortable answering SAT-style questions and utilizing strategies that best fit the SAT. This course is recommended for all 11th graders who have not scored a combined 1250 or above on the SAT.

This course is recommended for all 11th graders who have not scored a combined 1250 or above on the SAT.

TOEFL Prep

iBT test and generally improve their English proficiency. Students practice general core skills such as reading comprehension and grammar, as well as TOEFL-specific instruction to improve performance on the TOEFL reading, writing, listening, and speaking tests.

This course is required in the fall for all non-native English speakers who are in ESL Level 3 or 4 as juniors or new seniors.

Faculty

Peter Bard
English Department Chair
pbard@catsboston.com
Read bio

Peter Bard

English Department Chair
pbard@catsboston.com

BA, English Literature, University of Connecticut
MS, Education, Eastern Connecticut State University

Peter Bard holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Science in English Secondary Education from Eastern Connecticut State University. He has been at CATS Boston since 2016 and became the English Department Chair in 2022. Prior to CATS, Peter worked for Summit Educational Group, a private tutoring company based in Massachusetts, and he taught English at Rockville High School in Vernon, CT. He is currently pursuing a second master’s in mathematics education from Harvard University, which he hopes to complete during the summer of 2023.