Test & Exam Prep

If your child has a big math test coming up and you’re in the Boca Raton area, you’re not alone. I talk to a lot of parents who are worried about the SAT, ACT, PSAT, CLT, AP math exams, PERT, Accuplacer, EOCs, and even “just” the big chapter tests at school. The common theme is usually the same: “My kid is smart, but these tests are stressing everyone out.”

My name is Ioana, and I’m the owner of PrivateMath.com and the only tutor here. When you contact my business, you get me—every time. No call center, no rotating tutors, no one who’s just doing this on the side. I work directly with your child, one‑on‑one.

Over the years, I’ve seen a pattern. Students try to prepare using YouTube videos, apps, AI tools, and thick prep books. They’re not lazy; they’re actually putting in effort. But they often end up:

-Studying whatever pops up next instead of what they truly need.

-Doing tons of practice problems but not really understanding why they keep missing the same types.

-Running out of time on the math sections even though, in a calm setting, they could do most of the questions.

-Feeling so anxious on test day that they “blank out” on things they actually know.

That’s usually when parents call me.

When I start with a new student, we don’t jump straight into random practice. I sit down with them, look at any prior scores or tests they have, and get a sense of what’s really going on. Is it weak algebra basics? Is it pacing? Is it careless reading? Is it nerves? Usually it’s a mix.

From there, I build a simple plan that fits that student and that exam. For example:

If they’re working toward the SAT or ACT, we focus on the exact question styles those tests love to repeat.

If it’s AP Calculus or AP Statistics, we spend time not just on the mechanics, but also on how the questions are worded and graded.

If it’s PERT, Accuplacer, or EOCs, we zero in on the skills that actually move the needle for passing and boosting placement.

A typical session with me is pretty straightforward:

We look at a small set of problems or questions—usually real or very close to real exam questions.

The student talks me through how they’re thinking. I’m listening more to the thought process than to whether they’ve memorized a trick.

If something breaks down, we stop and fix that piece right there. That might mean going back to an Algebra 1 idea or cleaning up a sloppy habit.

We talk about timing: how long a question should reasonably take, when to let go and move on, and how to avoid spending five minutes on a problem that isn’t worth five minutes.

I also spend time on test‑day details that usually get ignored: what to do if the first page looks harder than expected, how to bounce back from a tough question, and how to manage energy over a long exam. A surprising amount of score improvement comes from those “little” things.

Because it’s just me, I get to know my students and their patterns very well. I remember which types of questions throw them off and which ones they can do in their sleep. Parents often tell me that, after a few weeks, the big change they notice isn’t just in scores but in attitude: less panic, fewer fights over practice, and more of an “Okay, I can handle this” mindset.

If you’re a parent in Boca Raton and any of this sounds familiar, we can probably help your child get to a much better place with their math exams.