Kumon and Test taking skill

Kumon is long-term caulking that I'd recommend for math.

The reason to do Kumon regularly, from as early a point as possible, is to avoid the need for tutoring.  Or, at least to minimize it.  If a student has done Kumon regularly and does well in school, when the time comes for "test prep," that student should only need  test taking "polish" (e.g. question pattern recognition, effective strategies to approach the test) rather than foundation test prep (i.e. "How do I FOIL again?")

A Kumon Child gains a solid foundation that they don't need to learn (or remember) foundation concepts. There is no time to "remember" during the SAT or ACT.  

Kumon alone as "test prep" probably wouldn't suffice. It's a long-term a strategy, though I will add that it's never too late to bolster the foundation. Get ‘em While They’re Munchkins!!  

Artistic creations are born through the solving of problems. How do I turn this clay into a sculpture? How do I portray a particular emotion through dance? How will my character react in this situation? Without even realizing it kids that participate in the arts are consistently being challenged to solve problems. All this practice problem solving develops children’s skills in reasoning and understanding. This will help develop important problem-solving skills necessary for success in any career quoted in an article in Washington Post 

Kumon makes math skills so solid that there should be no need to waste precious working memory space in the brain, thinking about things like "Is zero an integer?" or "What's prime factorization?"  Math should be so solid after a Kumon  that "how to" is all in long-term memory, thereby freeing up the working memory to problem solve on the test.

In short: Kumon is a long term strategy that teaches math to the point that when it's time for the Test taking, student will need less test prep.  Kumon tests require a high level of proficiency (speed and accuracy) before allowing the student to move up a level.