The only preparation my dd did for testing for 7th grade talent search was to skim through a prep book for familiarity and review general test-taking strategies. I wanted the test to show her abilities and knowledge as they are, not what was "taught to the test." She got DYS-level scores without preparation, and had she had formal preparation I would have questioned the results. Especially since have a tendency to be in denial/underestimate her as it is. That being said, a number of parents I spoke to at the recognition ceremony had done a fair amount of test prep and multiple practice tests. Perhaps a bit more prep has made their results more indicative of their abilities as they are able to focus on the questions rather than the test itself. As for testing as a high school junior/senior, I think absolutely formal test prep is appropriate as that is for an entirely different purpose.
