How the STEM Diagnostic Changes Everything
Why starting with a structured assessment matters more than jumping straight into tutoring — and how it creates a personalized learning path that actually works.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Every NextMarks student starts with a 45–60 minute STEM Diagnostic before any tutoring begins
- ✓The diagnostic produces a Personal Learning Path with specific 8–12 week milestones
- ✓Targeted instruction based on diagnostics outperforms generic tutoring by 2–3x
- ✓Benchmark reassessments every 4 weeks ensure the learning plan stays on track
- ✓The diagnostic is included free with every NextMarks plan
How the STEM Diagnostic Changes Everything
Most tutoring starts the wrong way. A parent calls, describes the problem ("my child is struggling with math"), and sessions begin the following week. No assessment. No baseline. No plan.
At NextMarks, we do things differently. Every student starts with a STEM Diagnostic — a structured 45–60 minute assessment that maps exactly where they stand.
What Is the STEM Diagnostic?
The STEM Diagnostic is a two-part assessment:
- Topic Mapping (35–45 min) — Adaptive questions across your curriculum's key topics. The system identifies which concepts are solid, which have gaps, and which are completely missing.
- Oral Probing (10–15 min) — A live conversation with a tutor to understand how the student thinks, not just what they know. This reveals reasoning patterns that written tests miss.
What You Get After the Diagnostic
Within 24 hours of completing the diagnostic, families receive:
- Level Placement — Where the student sits relative to their grade and curriculum expectations
- Personal Learning Path — An 8–12 week plan with specific milestones, topic sequences, and session recommendations
- Priority Gaps List — The 3–5 concepts that, if fixed first, will unlock the most downstream progress
- Session Format Recommendation — Whether the student needs 60-min lessons, 90-min workshops, or a mix
Why It Works: The Science Behind Diagnostic-First
Research in educational psychology consistently shows that targeted instruction outperforms generic tutoring by 2–3x. The diagnostic makes targeting possible.
Consider two students, both "struggling with algebra":
| Student A | Student B | |
|---|---|---|
| Root cause | Weak number sense from Grade 5 | Strong computation, weak word problem translation |
| Correct approach | Rebuild foundations, then advance | Practice problem modeling, keep computation pace |
| Generic tutoring | Reviews current chapter (helps neither) | Reviews current chapter (helps neither) |
| Diagnostic-first | Targets number sense gaps specifically | Targets word problem strategies specifically |
The difference is dramatic. With a diagnostic, every session has purpose. Without one, you're guessing.
The Exam-Track Add-On
For students preparing for specific exams (GCSE, A-Level, AP, IB, SAT), we add a past-paper mini-section to the diagnostic. This maps their performance against actual exam question types and difficulty levels, giving us an exam-readiness score alongside the topic analysis.
How Often Should You Re-Diagnose?
We recommend a benchmark assessment every 4 weeks — a shorter version of the original diagnostic that tracks progress against the learning path milestones. This ensures we catch any emerging gaps early and adjust the plan as needed.
Getting Started
The STEM Diagnostic is included free with every NextMarks plan. Book your child's diagnostic today and see the difference that starting with data makes.