SAT: Product Knowledge

2017 Product Center Training Series

Training Objectives

Understand the contents of EICs SAT products

Understand the format and scheduling options of EICs SAT Products

Understand the differences between Foundations, Intermediate, and Advanced

Understand the unique selling points for EICs SAT products

Understand how Prepsmith makes Blended Learning possible for SAT

Myth #1: Current SAT = Old SAT

Many of EICs competitors are attempting to downplay the differences

between the current SAT and the old SAT because they lack the
resources necessary to develop a new product for the new exam. The
two tests are radically different, however, and require different courses.

Most of EICs competitors have only the OG and past SAT exams for course materials and mock exams
The current SAT is very different in terms of content, format, and timing from the old SAT
EIC has leveraged its robust R&D department to develop over 200 hours of course material designed
specifically for the current SAT
Myth #2: The SATs Tests US History

One of the SATs reading passages draws from US History or World

History. Since they lack SAT course materials, competitors are filling
their SAT courses with lessons on US History and analyses of such US
founding documents as the Declaration of Independence.

Students do NOT need to formally study US history to excel on SAT

Students who prepare for the rSAT by reading US textbooks are wasting time
Students are just as likely to encounter a text from World History as US History
Approximately 40% of EICs SAT Reading lesson content teaches strategies and offers practice specifically
for the SATs History/Social Studies passages.
Myth #3: Chinese Students Can Ignore Math

Many students were able to achieve a perfect 800 on the old SAT Math
because there were many past exams available and because the math
topics included were quite easy. Current SAT Math requires even
Chinese students to prepare for the exam.

The use of a calculator is restricted on one of the two SAT Math sections
SAT Math includes trigonometry and complex numbers
SAT Math is now worth 50% of a students total score
Students who earn 800 will likely impress admissions officers
Review: Overview of the SAT

Trainees should know all the details of each section of the SAT, as well as differences between the
old and current SAT.

Subject Test Timing Questions

Reading 65 minutes 52 questions

Writing & Language 35 minutes 44 questions

Math 80 minutes 58 questions

Essay (optional) 50 minutes 1 prompt

Review: Reasons for Choosing the SAT

Many Chinese students will choose the SAT over the ACT simply because the College Board
(makers of SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and AP Tests) is perhaps the most recognized and respected US
education brand in China. Below is a list of student types that are likely to succeed on the SAT.

Class of 2018 students and younger who can avoid test changes

Students who read and write at a sophisticated level

Students who are naturally good test takers

Students who prefer to work slowly and solve intricate problems

Review: SAT Scoring

Maximum score of 1600 (Total Score)

800 points for Reading & Writing (Section Score)
800 points for Math (Section Score)
10-40 for each subject (Test Score)
7 scores assess specific skills (Subscores)
Maximum Essay score of 24
2-8 Essay points for Reading, Analysis, Writing

Students, parents, and teachers should probably focus on the section score and test scores,
which are likely to be most relevant to US university admissions.
SAT vs. ACT Scores

SAT ACT SAT ACT

1600 36 1150 23
1550 34 1100 22
1500 33 1050 20
1450 32 1000 19
1400 30 950 18
1350 29 900 17
1300 27 850 15
1250 26 800 14
1200 25 750 13
 EICs SAT Product Line

EIC offers the most robust SAT product line of any overseas education
company in China. As of February 2017, EICs SAT product line supports 264
unique hours of instruction and boasts 23 full-length mock examinations.
EICs SAT products exist at three different levels:

SAT Excel Foundations

SAT Excel Intermediate
SAT Excel Advanced

The following slides explain the purpose, features, structure, and contents of
each of EICs SAT products.
 EICs SAT Excel

EICs SAT Excel courses are designed specifically for the current SAT: every
exercise, passage, question, and strategy has been designed to target success
on the SAT. Every level of SAT Excel seeks to impart three kinds of knowledge:

Students learn the concepts and skills the SAT assesses

Students study the most frequent question types on the SAT
Students learn to apply strategies designed to improve timing and accuracy

The contents of each level of SAT Excel are entirely unique from the content of other levels.
Students may take all three levels without repeating a single question.
EICs SAT Cram

EICs SAT Cram courses allow students to practice test-taking strategies in a real testing
environment and receive immediate feedback and clarification from a trained instructor.
Whereas SAT Excel classes teach a full range of concepts, strategies, and question types, EICs
SAT Cram courses provide an opportunity for students to practice the knowledge and skills
theyve learned.

SAT Cram courses are offered immediately before real SAT tests so that students have an
opportunity to refresh their knowledge and skills in the days and weeks leading up to the real
exam. Since the mock tests used in each SAT Cram session vary from course to course,
students may take multiple SAT Cram courses without repeating content. .
 SAT Excel Course Sequence
Students maximize their SAT scores when they begin with
SAT Excel Foundations (typically in Grade 10 or Fall Grade 11), SAT Excel
graduate to SAT Excel Intermediate (typically Winter or Advanced

Spring Grade 11), and finally level up to SAT Excel Advanced

(Summer before Grade 12). Students build from one level to SAT Excel
the next! Intermediate

Each level of SAT Excel spends less time reviewing

SAT Excel
fundamental concepts and skills and more time teaching Foundations
strategies for solving more difficult question types than the
last.
SAT Excel Foundations: Course Structure

SAT Excel Foundations includes 72 hours of in-class instruction and three full-length mock
examinations.

Subject Area Lessons/Mocks Classroom Hours

Evidence-Based Reading 13 lessons 26
Writing & Language 13 lessons 26
Mathematics 6 lessons 12
Essay 4 lessons 8
Mock Exams* 3 mocks 12 (with breaks)

*Mock Exams are not included in the total number of hours of instruction.
SAT Excel Foundations: Scheduling

The figure shows one way that

the SAT Excel Foundations
course could be scheduled so
as to finish all 72 in 18 days,
four hours per day. There are
many other ways the lessons
could be scheduled.

A mock exam occurs before

the course begins so that a)
the teachers may understand
student levels, strengths, and
weaknesses and b) the student
can establish a baseline score
for measuring improvement.
 SAT Excel Foundations: Offline Materials

EICs SAT Foundations course uses the following course workbooks to accomplish lesson objectives, complete in-class
practice, and assign homework.
Every level of SAT Excel
Document Title Contents # Hrs. Homework
Reading includes 13
vocabulary lessons SAT Excel Foundations Reading (224 pp.) 300+ SAT qs. 26
teaching memorization
techniques. Students SAT Excel Foundations Writing & Essay (372 pp.) 250+ SAT qs. 34
also receive a vocabulary
SAT Excel Foundations Math (193 pp.) 360+ SAT qs. 12
textbook with 2,250 high
frequency words and SAT Excel Foundations Mock A CB sample SAT n/a
definitions that
correspond to the SAT Excel Foundations Mock B 1 CB sample SAT n/a
vocabulary quizzes on
the Prepsmith mobile SAT Excel Foundations Mock C 1 CB sample SAT n/a
app.
SAT Excel Intermediate: Course Structure

SAT Excel Advanced includes 72 hours of in-class instruction and three full-length mock examinations.

Subject Area Lessons/Mocks Classroom Hours

Evidence-Based Reading 13 lessons 26
Writing & Language 11 lessons 22
Mathematics 6 lessons 12
Essay 6 lessons 12
Mock Exams* 3 mocks 12 (with breaks)

*Mock Exams are not included in the total number of hours of instruction.
SAT Excel Intermediate: Sample Schedule

Earlier we saw one way of

scheduling a 72-hour SAT
course over 18 days. To the
right is a schedule that allows
students to complete the entire
course in only 12 days, ideal for
an intensive period when
students are off from school.

We should note that the 12-day

version of the course includes
one mock before the course
begins, one in halfway through
the course, and one
immediately before the final
lessons in each subject.
 SAT Excel Intermediate: Offline Materials

EICs SAT Excel Intermediate course uses the following course workbooks to accomplish lesson objectives, complete
in-class practice, and assign homework.

Document Title Contents # Hrs. Homework

Every level of SAT Excel
Reading includes 13 SAT Excel Intermediate Reading (250 pp.) 450+ SAT qs. 26
vocabulary lessons
teaching memorization SAT Excel Intermediate Writing (228 pp.) 550+ SAT qs. 22
techniques. Students
also receive a vocabulary SAT Excel Intermediate Math (340 pp.) 240+ SAT qs. 12
textbook with 2,250 high
frequency words and SAT Excel Intermediate Essay (125 pp.) 5 SAT prompts 12
definitions that
correspond to the SAT Excel Intermediate Mock A SAT Mock n/a
vocabulary quizzes on
Prepsmith. SAT Excel Intermediate Mock B SAT Mock n/a

SAT Excel Intermediate Mock C SAT Mock n/a

SAT Excel Advanced: Course Structure

SAT Excel Advanced includes 72 hours of in-class instruction and three full-length mock examinations.

Subject Area Lessons/Mocks Classroom Hours

Evidence-Based Reading 13 lessons 26
Writing & Language 9 lessons 18
Mathematics 6 lessons 12
Essay 8 lessons 16
Mock Exams* 3 mocks 12 (with breaks)

*Mock Exams are not included in the total number of hours of instruction.
 SAT Excel Advanced: Sample Schedule

The SAT Excel Advanced

course can be scheduled in
a number of ways,
including the two previously
shown (18 day and 12 day
format).

12-day schedule shown

SAT Excel Advanced: Offline Materials

EICs SAT Advanced course uses the following course workbooks to accomplish lesson objectives, complete
in-class practice, and assign homework.

Every level of SAT Excel Document Title Contents # Hrs. Homework

Reading includes 13
vocabulary lessons SAT Excel Advanced Reading (250 pp.) 450+ SAT qs. 26
teaching memorization
SAT Excel Advanced Writing (228 pp.) 550+ SAT qs. 22
techniques. Students
also receive a SAT Excel Advanced Math (340 pp.) 240+ SAT qs. 12
vocabulary textbook
with 2,250 high SAT Excel Advanced Essay (125 pp.) 5 SAT prompts 12
frequency words and
definitions that SAT Excel Advanced Mock A SAT Mock n/a
correspond to the SAT Excel Advanced Mock B SAT Mock n/a
vocabulary quizzes on
Prepsmith. SAT Excel Advanced Mock C SAT Mock n/a
 Matching Students to Course Level

EICs Product Center strongly recommends that all SAT students regardless of
academic ability begin with the Foundations course for two reasons.

Materials: Unlike the ACT, the SAT is an relatively new test. There is no massive
reservoir of past papers students can use when studying. As a result, students must
be very careful with the way they use the materials that do exist.

Percentiles: No one truly knows what a good

SAT score is because, unlike the current SAT or ACT, there is not a long history of SAT
scores or admissions results. As a result, it is safest for all students to begin in the
Foundations course.
Supplementary Materials for SAT Excel

In addition to the thousands of pages of lesson material and homework, 9 full-length mock exams, and
vocabulary textbook described on the previous pages, EICs Product Center also makes the following
supplementary materials available to teachers and students who need extra practice materials:

Foundational Vocabulary Document with 570 pre-SAT vocabulary word groups

Pre-Arrival Packet including 12 long practice passages for reading and analysis
SAT Essay Prompt Bank with x additional essay prompts for practice
SAT Essay File with sample essays and list of rhetorical devices

Please contact the EIC Product Center for access to any of the above materials.
4 Key Differentiators

Course Materials
Courses teach Sam Hwangs proven test preparation system
EIC supplies textbooks in addition to stacks of past exams

Proven Results Lets compare EICs SAT and ACT

5 students with scores above 1550 on the SAT products with those offered by
5 students with perfect scores of 36 on ACT; 15+ students with scores of 35
competitors, focusing on the

Teaching Quality these four product features.

Teachers trained in exam content and proven teaching techniques
Harvard, U Chicago, Berkeley team of educators created teacher training program

Blended Learning
Prepsmith is the worlds most sophisticated online test prep platform
Blended learning extends learning beyond the walls of the classroom
Key Differentiator #1: Course Materials

EICs Research & Development team began building its SAT

course workbooks in 2014, as soon as information about test
changes became available. Today EICs textbooks boast the
most practice passages and questions of any SAT textbook in
China.

3,000 SAT Practice questions

9 full-length mock exams
20+ SAT Essay prompts
100+ hours of Online Homework
Key Differentiator #2: Proven Results

EICs has a demonstrated history of excellence in preparing Chinese students for

US university admissions examinations:

7 students have earned perfect scores of 2400 and hundreds have scored
2300+ on the old SAT
5 students have scored above 1550 on the current SAT
5 students have earned perfect scores of 36 on the ACT
15+ students have earned scores of 35 on the ACT

EIC has official reports verifying all of the above scores, which were achieved
without cheating.
Key Differentiator #3: Teaching Quality

EICs Academic & Training teams work extensively to provide

teachers with the thorough, high-quality training that promotes
teacher expertise and effective delivery methods.

Core Teaching Components

Continuing Professional Develop (CPD)
SAT Test Knowledge
SAT Product Knowledge

Training Program designed by Harvard, Berkeley, U Chicago

educators
Key Differentiator #4: Blended Learning

One way that EIC distinguishes itself from its competitors is

through the blended learning experience it offers its students.
Prepsmith is an adaptive online learning system that
complements live instruction in the classroom and offers distinct
benefits for students, parents, and teachers.

Online Homework
Online Test Review
Parent Access via Mobile App
Vocabulary Review via Mobile App
SAT Online Dashboard

Students create a Prepsmith profile upon joining their first

SAT course at EIC. The profile is saved so that students
are able to access past data on their SAT performance
even as they graduate from one SAT course to the next.
EIC staff add students to whichever courses they are
enrolled in so that they have access to all homework,
score reporting, and other features. The online system
allows students to easily see their progress over the
weeks, months, and years they spend preparing for the
SAT with EIC.
 SAT Online Homework
One of the chief benefits of Prepsmith for students is the bank of
online homework it offers for additional practice. All homework has
been selected by the R&D team to reinforce the concepts, skills, and
question types covered in each lesson of the live course.

Online HW is only available for Excel courses

Online HW includes original questions and adapted third-party
materials that mimic SAT questions

Each SAT Excel lesson corresponds to 30-60 minutes of online

homework in addition to vocabulary practice and offline homework.
SAT Online Score Reporting

Prepsmith automatically scores all mock examinations

uploaded to the online system and generates a detailed
score report printable as a PDF for parents and students.

The score report makes it easy for students to follow

along and ask questions during the instructor-led review
that follows every mock examination. Detailed
information on each test result is also available via
Prepsmith for mobile, an application free to download for
iOS and Android.
Prepsmith Mobile App & Parent Access

Parents are able to download the Prepsmith mobile app and

access their students mock examination and homework results so
that they can stay up-to-date with their students progress at EIC.
After downloading the mobile app and creating a parent account,
parents are able to easily pair their accounts with those of their
children so that they are able to track their childrens progress.

Parents whose students are enrolled in EICs SAT courses have

information about their childrens test preparation progress literally
at their fingertips.
Prepsmith & Teacher Access

Perhaps the most powerful application of Prepsmith is in the way

it empowers teachers to help their students. By logging into
Prepsmith, teachers can:

see which students completed online homework

view what percentage of students answered each question
correctly and incorrectly
identify student weaknesses and adjust their lessons to
maximize SAT score improvement
Sizing up the Competition

EIC believes that its SAT and ACT products are the best nationwide,
especially considering upcoming changes to the SAT. In order to prove our
advantages, we researched three key competitors in the Shanghai region:
New Oriental, New Channel, and San Li.

Two of these competitors, New Oriental and New Channel, are among the
largest educational companies in the world and have a strong test prep
presence throughout China. San Li is a regional company that has thrived
among local school students in Shanghai, leading to expansion efforts in
Nanjing, Hong Kong, and other key China markets.

We contacted their Shanghai branches for information about their products.

Lets see how EIC measures up to the competition . . .
Research Summary
Blended Course Teacher Proven
We focused specifically on the products Learning Materials Quality Results
available for the SAT and ACT. Some of
these competitors had very impressive
teachers and results for the old SAT, but
as the chart indicates they had little
experience with or expertise in the current
SAT or ACT. The following slides provide
more detailed information.
Blended Learning
None of EICs competitors offers blended learning, a teaching system
that combines live and online learning. New Oriental does offer a
standalone online course and some review videos (depending on specific
region and teacher), but does not offer any online practice to students
enrolled in its live courses. Neither New Channel nor San Li offers any
online learning, let alone fully integrated online learning.

EIC integrates online learning into all levels of its SAT Excel and ACT Excel
courses, creating an effective system of blended learning that extends
education beyond the walls of the classroom. Each SAT or ACT Excel
course includes access to Prepsmith, which features online homework,
review videos, mock exam review, and other blended learning features
What do courses at Harvard, MIT, and EIC
that maximize students success on the exam. have in common? Blended Learning.

Takeaway: Only EIC offers blended learning for ACT and SAT courses.
Course Materials
Major changes were made to the SAT in March of 2016, and most of
EICs competitors continue to lack the course materials necessary to
help students achieve top results on the exam. Since the new (now
current) places greater emphasis on Literature and American History,
EICs competitors are using the seven free SAT tests released by the
college board in addition to supplemental works of literature and
history instead of real SAT textbooks. In addition, some competitors
are reusing old SAT exams, claiming to parents that the tests are very
similar (they are not).

EICs Research & Development team has analyzed the seven sample
tests released by the College Board and written hundreds of questions The rSAT is not a test of History or
that imitate the. EICs rSAT product line includes over 2,000 pages of Literature. Students need to practice on
workbooks filled with realistic rSAT questions, in addition to 23 full- realistic rSAT questions if they want results!
length mock examinations.

Takeaway: EIC has more rSAT questions than any competitor in China.
Teacher Quality
New Oriental, New Channel, and San Li teachers have very little
experience with either the ACT or the redesigned SAT. Sure, they have
some pretty decent SAT and TOEFL teachers, but the SAT and ACT are
very different tests that require teachers to have unique skills and
experience. Moreover, very few of competitors teachers have actually
attended undergraduate schools in the US they have taken brief
graduate programs that did not require them to take the SAT!

EIC teachers have helped over one thousand students switch from the
SAT to the ACT. EICs teaching team uses strategies that have evolved
over the course of three years, when New Pathway first began
teaching the ACT. Furthermore, teaching expertise is centralized at Worried about changes to the rSAT, many
EIC: a team of teacher trainers who have completed undergraduate students are switching to the ACT.
and graduate education at top US schools like Harvard, Berkeley, and
U Chicago develop all strategies and train all EIC teachers.

Takeaway: EIC has more experience with the ACT than any competitor.
Proven Results
The new SAT has launched, but the ACT has existed in its current form
for decades. However, when we called local competitors, sales staff
were unable to give us concrete examples of students who have
achieved top scores on the ACT. The reason is that companies like
New Oriental, New Channel, and San Li have little or no experience
with the ACT they had been pushing students to the current SAT, an
exam that disappeared in 2016.

More than 6% of students who take ACT courses with EIC achieves a
score of 32+ on the real ACT equivalent to a 1450 on the current
SAT! EIC teachers have helped more than 15 students earn scores of EIC is famous for 7 perfect 2400 scores on
35, equivalent to a 1550 on the current SAT. 5 students have even the current SAT, and EICs ACT teachers are
earned a perfect 36! building on its reputation for top scores.

Takeaway: EIC has the best ACT results of any competitor in China.
Summary: SAT Advantage
The College Board has released only seven practice tests for the
current SAT. Most Chinese students, however, need at least 100
hours of preparation (approximately 25 tests) to feel prepared for
the exam. EICs competitors are using only the seven released
practice tests, as well as a random assortment of literary and
historical texts, to teach SAT courses this is not a good way for
students to prepare for the test because they are not exposed to
enough SAT questions to feel prepared for the test.

EIC provides students with thousands of SAT practice questions

that closely model the questions appearing on the sample papers EIC needs to help parents and students
released by the College Board. In addition, EICs courses teach understand that competitors are trying to
use bogus SAT content because they
students how to read literary and historical texts, but the focus of
havent invested in R&D for the SAT.
the course is on realistic test questions. This is the most important
key differentiator for EICs SAT Excel products.
Questions & Answers