Prep Expert Review Summary

Prep Expert provides online admissions consulting, test prep and academic tutoring to US students. They pay $30/hr and require experience, a Bachelor’s degree (or enrolled), and a 99th-percentile score. Most positions are part-time (2-20 hours a week), classes last 3 hours, and hiring is selective.

Prep Expert Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Competitive pay rate
• Low minimum hours commitment
• No teaching certificate required

Cons:

• Must have scored in the 99th percentile for your test
• 3-hour lessons
• Only part-time hours (unless you can work from their Las Vegas headquarters)
• Doesn’t hire large numbers (producing a lack of reviews from previous tutors)

What Is Prep Expert and Is It Legit?

Prep Expert is a legitimate online test prep and tutoring provider that was founded in 2010, originally as ‘2400 Expert’. The company was catapulted into American consciousness following an appearance on popular television program Shark Tank, when founder Shaan Patel secured a $250K investment from billionaire Mark Cuban, airing in January 2016. Prep Expert is further legitimized by the US Chamber of Commerce, Business Insider, and a Trustpilot score of 4.6 out of 5, having helped over 100,000 students so far.

This video highlights the company’s progress after Shark Tank:

How Does Prep Expert Work?

Prep Expert offers a range of educational services, including test prep, tutoring, and college admissions consulting. The majority of Prep Expert help is provided online.

Instructors deliver Prep Expert courses through 3-hour live classes that are beamed out to several dozen students at a time over the internet, and last 4-8 weeks. During these lessons, Prep Expert online tutors/instructors teach students new SAT and ACT test prep methods, how to master all possible test questions, and answer student questions regarding the previous practice exam and homework. The virtual classroom features a whiteboard and a chat box to facilitate student interaction, with lessons recorded for future viewing.

Some students also pay to take more personalized one-on-one Prep Expert private tutoring sessions for test prep (SAT, ACT, AP, PSAT, GMAT, GRE, GED, IELTS, SHSAT, or COMPTIA) and academic subjects (including Math, English, Science, Social Studies, Business and Technology, Foreign Languages, Music).

This video provides an example of how Prep Expert presents its instruction:

Prep Expert Salary Information

Prep Expert pay is typically $30 an hour. Of the test prep competitors I have reviewed thus far (e.g. PrepScholar, Applerouth, PrepNow/StudyPoint, etc.) only Revolution Prep offers the potential to earn a higher hourly rate (up to $40).

Prep Expert Hours and Schedule

Prep Expert teachers are predominantly part-time, working between 2-20 hours a week (though full-time instructor positions are available at the company’s Las Vegas headquarters).

Prep Expert classes last 3 hours, and are scheduled twice-weekly for periods of 4, 6 or 8 weeks, while once a week there is a 4-hour proctored SAT exam. Each weekend before an official SAT test, prep sessions are also run between 9am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Prep Expert Requirements

Prep Expert instructors are required to:

• have a documented 99th-percentile score on the SAT, ACT or other standardized tests (plus any other documented competitive scores in any test prep subjects)
• tutor K-12 subjects within the tutor’s area of expertise
• schedule appointments with students and maintain an updated bio/headshot
• have an engaging, effective teaching presence and technique, with an exceptional ability to convey material in a fun, personalized, and results-driven way
• have prior experience tutoring students in test prep subjects
• have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, or enrolled as a student at a ‘competitive’ university
• be comfortable working in a tech-heavy, fast-paced startup environment
• be accountable, honest, and professional
• possess attention to detail, analytical thinking, and initiative
• have a demonstrated history of drive and integrity

Prep Expert Hiring Process

To apply as a prospective tutor/instructor, simply visit the Prep Expert careers page and submit the following information:

• First name
• Last name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Position desired (Instructor/Tutor)
• Cover letter (upload)
• Resume (upload)
• Relevant teaching experience
• Standardized exams that you have scored in the 99th percentile
• I’m interested in learning more about a full-time instructor position to work at Prep Expert’s headquarters in Las Vegas (Yes/No)

Some more-specific roles are also advertised periodically through Indeed.

Prep Expert Reviews – Is Prep Expert Good to Work For?

Prep Expert employees have given the company an overall score of 4.3 out of 5 on Glassdoor, with 61% willing to recommend them. However, discounting a review submitted by the company president himself, this leaves just 4 Prep Expert instructor reviews (at the time of publication), with some positive comments regarding pay, advancement, management and colleagues, but criticism over the platform interface, employment status, accountability, and limited hours:

• Advantages:
  • “Bosses are super easy to work with and there is opportunity for advancement.
  • Good pay but not that good.
  • Some of the people were good to work with.
  • They offer pretty good pay.
• Disadvantages:
  • Interface for tutors is not ideal.
  • Non w-2, paid as you work but forced accountability for tutoring packages already purchased
  • There are pretty limited hours.”

Conclusion – Is Prep Expert Worth It for Tutors?

Prep Expert pays a competitive rate for the industry and is generally well regarded (though they lack a mass of employee reviews presently). The company is quite selective about who they hire, and their taught test prep courses are quite intense, comprising 3-hour classes that might be too long for some teachers.

You can apply for Prep Expert jobs online, though you might also consider our lists of alternative online teaching jobs and test prep companies.