Standard tests like the ISEE, HSPT and SSAT have verbal skills, reading comprehension, and math skills in common. All are timed.

This one-on-one tutoring session allows the student:
--to target a particular area such as faster ways to solve math problems
--to get tips in improving performance in reading comprehension
--to practice brainstorming and planning for the writing section (ISEE and SSAT only)
--and to gain some experience answering reading comprehension questions, solving math problems, or identifying the correct synonym or analogy--each in one minute or less. 

Of course, doing practice problems and questions also gives the student an idea of what gaps in knowledge need to be addressed and which gaps should not.

In the case of the ISEE and SSAT tests, there are vocabulary words and math concepts the test taker has not yet learned.  This is because these tests are designed for students at two or three grade levels to take. (The student's results, though, will only be compared to others in the same grade.)

In addition to answering questions and solving math problems quickly and correctly, there is also the matter of which questions to guess and which to skip altogether.  It depends on the test. Only the SSAT penalizes for an incorrect answer--a quarter of a point.  For the other two tests, no points are lost for a wrong answer.