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Why MasteryPrep Boot Camps Work: The Master What Matters Framework in Action

  • February 11, 2026

When schools ask what can really be accomplished in a single MasteryPrep Boot Camp, the honest answer is: a lot—but only when the work is grounded in the right framework.

At MasteryPrep, that framework is Master What Matters, a research-driven approach built around three distinct—but deeply connected—areas of student growth: Content Mastery, Test Mastery, and Time Mastery. Together, they form a way to think clearly about where score gains actually come from and how to prioritize limited instructional time.

Our Boot Camps are designed specifically to operate within this framework. In a compressed window of three to six hours, these workshops, held either online or in-person, focus on the areas where students can make the fastest, most meaningful gains.

  • The Three Masteries: What Matters Most (and Why)

At the base of the Mastery pyramid is content mastery, the actual academic knowledge students need to succeed on test day. Above that is test mastery, and at the top is time mastery.

The shape of the pyramid is intentional, with content mastery serving as the foundation.

“Content mastery has a bigger impact,” says Craig Gehring, Founder and CEO of MasteryPrep. “You can get more score gain from content mastery than test mastery, and you can get more score gain from test mastery than time mastery.”

  • Why Boot Camps Emphasize Time and Test Mastery

Because Boot Camps operate within a limited time frame, the focus shifts to the areas where students can make the fastest score gains. That distinction is critical when schools are working within tight calendars and limited instructional windows.

“Content mastery takes much more time than test mastery, and test mastery takes more time than time mastery,” Gehring says. Boot Camps are optimized for that reality.

One of the most common misconceptions about test prep is that students struggle because they are “bad test-takers,” according to Gehring.

“There is no such thing as a bad test-taker,” Gehring says. “A bad test-taker is just a student who has not yet learned the critical thinking skills and time management skills that they need to be a good test-taker.”

Those skills are teachable—and they’re exactly where Boot Camps shine.

“There is no such thing as a bad test-taker. A bad test-taker is just a student who has not yet learned the critical thinking skills and time management skills that they need to be a good test-taker.”

Craig Gehring, Founder and CEO, MasteryPrep
  • Time Mastery: Turning Strategy Into Measurable Gains

Time mastery includes several teachable disciplines, namely item speed, mark-and-move, pacing, and stamina, all of which are essential for timed assessments like the SAT and ACT.

  • Item Speed

Item speed is about how long a student spends on a single question and whether they’re using the most efficient path to a solution. In Boot Camps, instructors help students recognize when they’re moving too slowly, even on easier items, and model faster solution pathways when opportunities arise.

The goal isn’t for students to rush but to be fast when they can, so that they have time for the items that require more thinking.

  • Mark-and-Move

One of the most powerful strategies taught in Boot Camps is mark-and-move—knowing when to make a best guess, flag a question, and move forward, rather than getting stuck.

“Mark-and-move is about the student knowing when it’s time to cut bait and run,” Gehring explains. Instead of falling into what he calls “black-hole questions,” students learn to prioritize points and protect their energy.

  • Pacing

Pacing is another major focus. Many students struggle not because questions are too hard but because they don’t reach questions they could answer correctly. Boot Camps create space for students to practice pacing in real time, often for the first time, with instructors actively coaching and reinforcing discipline across sections.

That structure helps students reach the end of the test and avoid uneven time spending when difficulty varies from one question to the next.

  • Stamina

Stamina matters because many standardized assessments are longer than what students are used to in class. As fatigue sets in, students slow down and make more mistakes, often late in the test when points are still available.

In Boot Camps, instructors coach students on staying focused, maintaining energy, and applying the same disciplined strategies late in the session that they use early on. 

“Standardized tests are much longer, typically, than what students are used to dealing with,” Gehring says. “When the student’s energy level goes down, they start slowing down and making mistakes.”

  • Test Mastery: Thinking Like a Strong Test-Taker

Test mastery focuses on how students think during an assessment. In Boot Camps, instructors explicitly teach four core test mastery skills: approach, accuracy, elimination, and guessing.

  • Approach

Strong test-takers don’t jump straight into answering a question. They use a repeatable mental process to understand what’s being asked, determine a strategy, and work through the item methodically.

Boot Camps model this structured approach step by step: how to enter a problem, how to work through it, and how to exit by checking accuracy before moving on. This reduces careless errors and helps students slow down in the right moments without losing time overall.

  • Accuracy

Students are often told to “check their work” but are rarely taught how to do it effectively. In Boot Camps, accuracy is reframed as a specific skill rather than a vague reminder.

Students learn that checking work doesn’t mean doing the same process again. Instead, they are taught to pressure-test answers from a different angle—plugging results back in, checking for feasibility, or using answer choices themselves to reveal potential mistakes.

  • Elimination

Elimination is one of the most powerful—and most misunderstood—test mastery skills. “The naturally-developing thought process is not the process of elimination,” Gehring says. “The naturally-developing thought process is confirmation bias.”

Boot Camps teach students how to intentionally eliminate both obvious and non-obvious wrong answers. Even when students can’t solve a question outright, eliminations increase the odds that a guess will be correct, turning partial understanding into real points.

  • Guessing

Guessing is not treated as a last-ditch effort but as a skill that can be learned and applied strategically.

“If there’s a strategy or technique for [students] to be a better guesser, we’re going to share that with them,” Gehring says.

Students learn how to avoid common overthinking traps and how to make informed guesses that improve outcomes in a norm-referenced testing environment.

Related Reading

Beyond Content Knowledge: MasteryPrep's Guide to Test-Taking Strategies
While content knowledge forms the foundation of standardized test success, effective test-taking strategies can significantly boost scores
READ MORE
  • Where Content Mastery Fits in a Boot Camp

While Boot Camps prioritize time and test mastery, content mastery is not ignored but approached strategically.

Rather than “drill and kill,” instructors isolate high-leverage, non-negotiable skills and reinforce them using strategies such as spacing, callbacks, and interleaving. Students may encounter the same concept multiple times across the day, strengthening retention and transfer.

“We don’t just give students a bunch of questions over and over again,” Gehring says. Instead, skills are revisited at intervals, helping lock learning into mid-range memory.

Mini-tests play a key role here, simulating the mixed practice students will face on the actual assessment while reinforcing pacing and stamina.

  • A Framework That Scales Beyond a Single Day

Boot Camps are just one expression of the Master What Matters framework—but they’re a powerful one. In a short window, students make meaningful gains in how they manage time, approach questions, and think under pressure. Those gains improve scores and build confidence.

“You can have a student, from a time and a test mastery perspective, really make major gains and change how they’re testing,” Gehring says.

That’s why Boot Camps work—and why they fit so naturally within MasteryPrep’s broader approach to helping students master what matters most.

High-Impact Workshops That Boost Scores in One Day

Discover how MasteryPrep's engaging Boot Camps address essential test-taking and time-mangement strategies to boost scores—and student confidence—in a single session.
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