I graduated with an MASW from the University of Chicago in 1968 and worked in Social Work for 20…read moreyears. Due to a variety of factors, I left the Social Work field in 1988 and went into real estate. Twenty years later, in 2008, my wife and I began to work as volunteers at a Joni-n-Friends summer camp for Families with People with Special Needs. I realized a reactivation of interest in Social Work. That and an introduction to the Enneagram, a Myers-Briggs predecessor by 1500 years, I also got interested in going back into clinical practice with a new perspective. BUT, I had to get licensed. So, last summer I dusted off cobwebs and began the pre-licensing process. Your site was extremely valuable. Your questions were very similar to the actual test questions. I especially liked the fact that they questions gave rational and helped think in the modality of the test. I also appreciated the fact that there were ready tabs to access the background and support material. When I was in graduate school, the DSM had a category "ego dystonic homosexuality", i.e. it was a treatable classification if the person thought they needed to be treated and Dialectical Behavior Therapy hadn't been invented yet. So, the readily accessible background info links to update my knowledge base were very helpful. The first time I took an untimed test, I scored a 68%. I knew I wasn't a hopeless case, I was close to what I needed but close doesn't count. However, your study rationale and the quick links gave me a fantastic boost. The next time I took the test (timed and untimed), I scored in the 90s. I KNEW I COULD DO IT ! I also realized that I could take the 170 questions in 2 - 2 1/2 hours. That told me that I could approach the actual test with confidence that I could do it in the allotted 4 hours. The testing site issues a dry erase tablet and marker. You can't write anything on the board until the exam begins, but once it does, you can. I had two mnemonic devices to help me. First, I hadn't used the DSM IV and wanted to quick way, especially under pressure, to remember the major categories. For that I constructed the following poem. Benjamin BUTTON gulped his MED (Button began old and became young: DSM 1 - youth; DSM II - dementia; DSM III - medical) But DRUGged himself CRAZY in a MOOD instead (DSM IV - sub abuse; DSM V - psychotic; DMS VI - mood disorders) ANXIOUSly his BODY did an interesting FAKE (DSM VII - anxiety; DSM VIII - somatoform ; DSM IX - factitious) DISSOCIATEd itself from SEX and CAKE DSM X - Dissociative; DSM XI - Sexual; DSM XII - eating) Then went to SLEEP on an IMPULSE, tis true (DSM XIII- sleep; DSM XIV-impulse) And ADJUSTED his PERSONALITY just for you. (DSM - XV - Adjustment; DSM - XVI - Personality) Sometimes, poems work for me. Make up your own. First, I go through the exam and answer all the questions I can with little or no analysis, conflict or reasoning out the probably answer. I answer 1/2 the questions and check the time. If I've answered 85 questions in 1 hr (more or less), I know I'm on track. I take a 10 minute break. Then I answer the rest of the questions. During this time, if I've answered a question that I was "hesitant" about or skipped a question, I just marked it After going through the 170 questions, I took another break and then came back to the marked questions. In my case during the exam, there were approximately 50 questions that I had marked and 10 of those were unanswered. I was fairly confident that I had a good grasp and easily answered a 120. If on the questions that I had a grasp of, I got 90% right, that was 108. A passing score of 75% of 150 would be 112. If on the 50 I had questions about, I got 25% right, that was 12 and then I'd have a possible score of 120 and that works. As it happened, after I completed the exam, took the survey and pushed the final button, I got the message I wanted "PASSED". I was told I needed 104 on this exam and I had scored 118. Although I used a couple of different exam prep sites, your site was the most efficient and correct (I had one exam site that I had to challenge a number of the question answers and was then told I was right and they changed the answers. That site did marvels for my confidence and ego from a different perspective). I would say, without hesitation, that your site was THE most helpful. Thanks again for your site! Sincerely, Jack Given, ACSW AND LCSW

The test questions on SWTP are most like the ones on the ASWB clinical exam and the rationales were…read morevery helpful....I passed on my first time using this (mostly) and some other test prep materials...... #yougotthis #nostress #justpositiveenergy #LCSW

The teachers are very supportive and it helped me grow in my SAT knowledge. I feel much more…read moreprepared and confident.

An excellent and stress-free experience prepping for the SAT this summer via one-on-one tutoring…read more Director Stacey is most attentive/responsive and made extra effort to work with our family's irregular schedule; and Vivienne at the front desk very professional and informative especially when we first called to inquire with MANY questions. Great teachers Liz (Reading/Writing) and Iris (Math) -- wonderful, supportive, kind, relatable. Our child did already start with a pretty decent SAT score, so our initial consultation discussed how to improve meaningfully in this scenario; with Elite's customized help our child hit a home run... leaving us with the sad thought that we wouldn't be seeing this super team again!

Great college prep. I didn't have any clue about college prep. at all since my husband and I both…read morewere educated in my country. We found this school when my son was entering high school. He was enrolled into intensive high school prep, loved teachers here. Then we decided to give it a try for college prep last summer. Ryan Lee and Sara Park, They helped my son to be accepted in Northeastern early decision. They were professional and knowledgeable about college application process as well as extracurricular and essays. They back us up for each and every step we take for college application. They were patient and nice all throughout the process. Whoever wants to be successful, register and get their help. highly recommended.

I joined A1 in the spring of my junior year, and it completely changed how I approached my college…read moreapplications. The weekly essay workshops that started in early summer were super helpful. What I loved most was getting feedback from different teachers each week - they all brought unique ideas to the table and helped me make my essays much better. One thing that really helped was how organized A1 was with deadlines. They laid out a clear schedule that made sure we finished everything way ahead of time, which took away so much stress. My monthly meetings with the counselors, Ryan and Esther, were amazing - they helped me figure out which schools to apply to, what major would be the best fit, and how to tell my story through my essays. I also worked closely with Maddie teacher on my resume and UC activity list. She helped me make sure I included all my important experiences and achievements in the best way possible. Even though I ended up getting into NYU through early decision (which meant I didn't need my other applications), I'm so glad I had everything ready to go well before the deadlines for any outcome that could have happened. Looking back, I wouldn't be where I am today without A1's help. The teachers really cared about my success, and they gave me all the tools and support I needed to put together strong applications. I'm really grateful for all their help!

Carl is great! I was surprised at how my son, who has a two-second attention span, could sit…read morethrough an hour-long course with Carl. He is patient and engaging, and I believe he will significantly improve my son's language arts skills. From my son - Carl is a great teacher because although he is a tad strict at times, it's always for the better. He is very easy to work with, as Carl is understanding in all his subjects.

I started working with Carl six months ago when I sought a tutor to help enhance my daughter's…read morewriting and comprehension skills. Carl has exceeded our expectations at every turn. He is very organized, always preparing for sessions with thought-provoking materials that not only engage but also challenge my daughter to push her boundaries in critical thinking and creativity. Carl's patient and supportive approach has allowed my daughter to thrive, building her confidence and honing her analytical skills. The improvement in my daughter's academic performance is clearly visible. I highly recommend his services to anyone looking for top-notch tutoring in reading and writing.

I love the approach they have to education. More specifically, how Nicole has used games as a tool…read moreto educate kids. By using games, kids and adults tend to absorb a higher volume of information utilizing their skills to the fullest while having fun! We are in the VR game world and we understand how much kids need to have fun while learning a subject or topic. Great Job, Nicole!

I graduated from UC Berkeley with an English degree. I have over two years experience of tutoring…read more I love helping students find a way to love learning.

My son received excellent help from Compass. The tutor Compass provided for my son was excellent he…read morehelp my son immensely and prepared him with incredible insight on how to conquer both the SAT and ACT tests. My son only had to take each test once and his scores qualified him for some great scholarships. I would highly recommend Compass especially the Beverly Hills office.

We signed up our son for a 9 to 10 week session to prepare for the ISEE and HSPT. The program was…read morerecommended was by Compass director of Sales Sarah Berard with a tutor by the name of Miss Muffy. During those nine weeks, not once was he actually given an actual simulated exam under actual testing conditions. When he took a practice exam at Notre Dame on December 8, our son was ill prepared.  We highly recommend that you do not use this course especially anything that Sara recommends or that Muffy tutors. Now my son is trying to cram in a one month course what he was suppose to learn in 3 month. Absolute thumbs down with Compass in Beverly Hillls.

I just finished an Intermediate Spanish course with Owen Fine…read more Mr. Fine is a well prepared teacher who offers a wide variety of resources to support the Spanish course I was taking. I took a group course but he is an intuitive teacher who understands learning levels and is able to give everyone in the course the support they need to move forward quickly with language skills. He makes the course about you and what you need to learn a language.

1/5 Stars -- Bait-and-switch scam artists; completely dishonest and predatory…read more My experience with Varsity Tutors has been nothing short of a fraudulent bait-and-switch operation, and I strongly urge anyone considering them to run the other way. We called them with one clear, non-negotiable requirement: we explicitly and repeatedly asked for an in-home, physical tutor to come directly to our house. The sales representative on the phone looked us right in the eye--figuratively speaking--assured us that they could easily accommodate this, and rushed to take our payment information. They locked in the charge immediately. The second the transaction cleared, the entire narrative shifted. The promised in-house tutor suddenly vanished, and they told us the only thing available was their standard virtual online tutoring program--something we explicitly stated we did not want from the very beginning. They deliberately lied and misrepresented their services just to get their hands on our money, securing the sale through outright deception. When we demanded an immediate cancellation and a full refund for a service we never agreed to, they stonewalled us completely. They refused to reverse the charges, holding our hard-earned money hostage for a product that was completely different from what was explicitly contracted and promised. Taking money under false pretenses and refusing to refund it when caught in a blatant lie is unethical, predatory, and unacceptable. Do not trust a single word their sales representatives say, and protect your wallet by staying far away from this company.

My son has been taking tutoring lessons at Sylvan Learning of Glendale. It has not been a year, but…read moreI am already seeing improvements on some of his skills, such as reading comprehension, vocabulary, math. Thank you for all the amazing stuff and teachers.

My son loves coming to Sylvan because the tutors and teachers are so patient and encouragingread more

Lavoce after & tutoring academy has been a wonderful after school programs and excellent staffs for…read moremy third grader. They obviously really care about the kids and are great about communicating with the parents about what is happening there. I would recommend this program to anyone looking for high quality after school care.