Standing out in a competitive college application field is becoming more difficult than ever.
When you’re up against the best of the best, you might need a little something to make your application shine. A high ACT score can increase the likelihood that you’re noticed by the college of your choice.
However, the ACT has a reputation for being a tricky test to get right. With a tight time constraint and varied questioning, even more than competent students struggle to achieve a high score.
An ACT prep course does more than just teach you the material — it prepares you to take the test.
These courses can push up your final score, giving your college application the extra edge it needs. Find the best courses to prepare for the ACT with our guide.
The 5 Best ACT Prep Courses
The Princeton Review
Best Overall
A comprehensive course with proven results, The Princeton Review is our top choice for ACT prep course.
The Princeton Review focuses on completely preparing students to take the ACT. They provide tips and tricks for how to approach the exam, including the best methods for answering questions.
Students have access to the self-paced course for one year, providing time for learning at your own pace.
The highlight of The Princeton Review ACT prep course is the 280+ video library students have access to. These videos are engaging and highly informative, and offer comprehensive coverage of the ACT.
The videos are a fantastic resource, and they’re only one part of what the complete Princeton Review course has to offer.
Learners of different styles will find the lessons, practice work, and textbooks can help them to ace the ACT.
Taking a fairly traditional approach, The Princeton Review uses tried and tested methods to ensure results. Their top-level course offers a 31 score guarantee, as well as 24/7 on-demand tutoring.
This is an expensive course, but if you don’t have the budget for it, The Princeton Review offers various lower tier options.
Pros
- 280+ videos – Exceptional video learning course with engaging and knowledgeable tutors.
- Variety of learning options – Find the course and learning style that works for you.
- 31 score guarantee – With the 31+ guarantee course, students can get top results.
Cons
- Price – For the top level course, you can expect to be paying a high price.
Magoosh
Best Value
If you’re looking to improve your ACT score, but trying to fit studying into an already packed schedule, the Magoosh course is an excellent prep guide.
It breaks down the lessons into small, easily digestible chunks. You can fit studying into the natural rhythm of the day, and maintain that work/life balance we all aim for.
ACT prep can be expensive, and if you’re paying for a guided course, you might find you don’t get the most from your money.
This is why we love the self-paced option from Magoosh. This is a budget course that delivers excellent ACT prep, and that you can complete on your own time.
Although Magoosh is a low-cost option, this is still a prep course with quality.
Over 250 video lessons and 1300 practice questions can guide you through the ACT, and you can approach each module on your own time, and act at your own pace.
All questions also come with text or video explanations, so if you do go wrong, you can see where.
The video lessons are informative, but a little dull. However, the 7-day money-back guarantee means if you’re struggling to engage, you don’t have to commit!
Pros
- Value option – Magoosh offers one of the best value ACT prep courses around.
- Question and answer breakdown – Understand your errors, so you can learn from them.
- 250+ video library – Extensive video library featuring short, information packed videos.
Cons
- Reduced number of practice questions and exams.
PrepScholar
Best For Different Abilities
PrepScholar offers students the chance to have their learning and abilities assessed, before providing a tailored lesson plan to better suit each individual student. For those who have been consistently struggling with the ACT, and find traditional courses don’t help, this is an excellent feature.
PrepScholar combines a classic approach to studying with a lesson plan designed to target different learning abilities. It follows the “learn, drill, and review” method.
First, students learn the material. Questions are then used to drill the skill, refreshing what’s already been learned. Finally, students review any mistakes, to learn and improve.
The PrepScholar course provides students with access to video learning, and the largest ACT question bank available. That’s over 4300 questions!
For students who find they know the material but get confused by the questions, this is invaluable research.
Students often struggle with motivation when it comes to ACT prep, which is why PrepScholar intends to never overwhelm.
Instead, the course is divided into approachable chunks, intended to be manageable for your exact skill level. They also provide personal messages of encouragement, which is a nice touch when you’re feeling demotivated.
Pros
- Assessed learning – PrepScholar considers your learning abilities, and provides a course to match.
- 4300+ prep questions – An extensive library.
- Tracked progress – A weekly email report helps you to keep track of your studying, encouraging you to engage.
Cons
- Reduced video learning – Learners might miss videos in some sections of the course.
Kaplan
Best For Real ACT Experience
Kaplan has created their ACT prep course alongside the ACT board, meaning learners get access to actual questions that have been used in past ACT exams.
No matter how skillfully other courses might craft their practice questions, they can’t quite compare to the real thing.
With the Kaplan course, you have the advantage of seeing exactly how previous exams have challenged students.
When it comes to sitting the ACT yourself, this prior experience helps you to tackle those tricky phrasings and complex questions.
It isn’t just the questioning that makes Kaplan a course worth considering. There are several courses offered by Kaplan, to better suit your learning environment.
The Live Online course uses a class structure, offering live instruction with a qualified teacher. Not sure if the classroom set-up is right for you? The self-paced course is a complete course, for you to tackle in your own time.
As well as ACT questions – from a bank of over 2000 – Kaplan has exceptional video instructions.
These bite-sized videos both teach you the information, and provide strategies for answering questions — and they give you time to absorb the method and try it yourself. Excellent for learners with limited time.
Pros
- ACT partnered – See actual ACT questions from past exams.
- 5 official practice tests – Provided by ACT, these tests give you actual experience.
- Bite-sized video lessons – Learn on your own time, at your own pace.
Cons
- No money-back option – If your score doesn’t improve, Kaplan offers no refund.
Testive
Best For Tutoring Advice
While self-learning can be an excellent way to fit test prep into a busy schedule, it can be tricky to keep track of your progress.
For many learners, some level of feedback is necessary to ensure studying is on the right track, and working as expected.
This is what we love about Testive. The Testive ACT prep courses take a combined approach — self-motivated learning is used alongside expert tutor help, to ensure all students are learning to the best of their ability.
Testive offers both high and reduced levels of tutor engagement, so you can select a course to suit your own needs.
If you like learning on your own time, you can study with Testive’s thousands of practice questions, and check-in with a tutor up to 4 times a month.
For a supported approach, upgrade to the Testive custom tutoring package, and enjoy weekly meetings with your tutor. They also offer one-to-one tutoring, for those who struggle to learn alone.
Testive can provide the classroom experience, from home. The highly personalized learning approach is excellent for learners who struggle to guide their own study.
But this inclusive program provides enough materials for at-home learning, with just the occasional tutor review.
Pros
- Tutor learning – Engage with your tutor for guided learning.
- Up to 8 practice tests – Put your knowledge to the test, and review the errors with detailed reporting.
- Thousands of practice questions – Test yourself frequently.
Cons
- Expensive – For hands-on tutoring, you can expect to pay a high price.
Buyer’s Guide
There are many ACT prep courses available, offering high promises for improving your learning, boosting your score, and helping you master the ACT.
Many of them fail to deliver. However, even ACT prep courses with proven results aren’t right for everyone.
In this buyer’s guide, we’ll take a look at how to choose an ACT prep course that actually works for you.
Proven Results
Before you pick an ACT prep course, you want to know that others have used the course, and had positive results. Don’t be the guinea pig for an untested program, or you might end up unhappy with the results.
Many of the best ACT prep courses have been running for years, have helped numerous learners reach their goals, and have worked continuously to keep material up to date.
If you do choose a new course, make sure it’s either offered from a brand you trust, or they have a money-back guarantee.
Learning Style
Consider your own learning style, and think of what materials will be helpful for you. Do you learn best with visual engagement? Do you need to test yourself to make sure you understand?
Do you like to be able to ask questions and get feedback? When you know what learning style works best for you, you can find a course that accommodates your needs.
Time Period
How long do you have to prepare for the ACT? ACT prep courses tend to offer you access to the material for a limited period of time, and set the schedule within that period of time.
Choose a course that is designed for your set time period.
Think about how long you think you will need to study before deciding on a course. First time taking the ACT? Then you’ll probably want a longer time period.
Retaking the ACT and want to brush up on a few areas? A shorter course might be of greater benefit.
Scheduling
Many learners have to fit ACT prep into an already busy schedule, and the course needs to meet your needs. Look at how the course schedules its materials, and consider how easily it will fit into your lifestyle.
Some ACT prep courses provide a set schedule, with teachers and tutors working with learners over a certain time period.
Other prep courses give you all the information, and let you approach learning how you like. Both methods have their benefits, and it’s up to you to decide which is right for your needs.
What Is Included In The Course?
Let’s look a little deeper at the types of materials you can expect to find in an ACT prep course.
- Videos. Videos have become a standard format for ACT prep. Most courses will offer at least some videos to supplement text learning. These videos tend to be led by a teacher or tutor, and presented in a lecture style. Shorter videos are popular, because they’re more flexible.
- Questions. A good prep course will allow you to put your knowledge to the test, by providing you with a large bank of questions similar to those used in the ACT. Typically, these questions also come with explanations, so you can see where you went wrong. Practice questions are essential, so you can learn the phrasing and style used on ACT exams.
- Exams. As well as test questions, good courses come with test exams. These allow you to fully experience the ACT, and assess your readiness, without having to commit to the exam. Some providers will allow you to take several test exams, while others will have limited options.
- Tutors. One-on-one tutors, or even group tutors, can be an essential part of the learning experience. This is an opportunity to assess your progress, and receive help and guidance. Tutors are rarely included in budget courses, so consider paying more if you believe they will help.
- Textbooks. Physical textbooks are not always included with online prep courses (see also ‘Best SAT Prep Courses Online’). Some will require you to buy a textbook separately, while others won’t use textbooks at all. If you find reading books helps you to learn, look for courses with a textbook included.
Price And Trial Period
The price of an ACT prep course can vary greatly. A budget course can cost under $100, while an inclusive, premium course might cost over $2000.
Unsurprisingly, the higher the price, the more is included. Premium courses often feature a tutor element, while budget courses tend to be self-guided.
Many ACT prep courses (see also ‘Best GMAT Prep Course‘) also include a trial period. This will give you time to assess the style of learning offered, and see if it’s right for you.
Refund Or Money-Back Guarantee
ACT prep courses are designed to increase your ACT score. So, what do you do if they don’t work? Often, courses will offer some sort of money-back guarantee, allowing you to reclaim money if the course wasn’t effective.
The money-back guarantee varies depending on the course. Some offer the refund if you don’t hit a certain score, other’s if you fail to increase your score by a certain amount.
However, not all courses offer guarantees. In some cases, if you fail, you fail.
Encouragement
This is a small factor, but one that’s worth considering. How easily are you motivated to learn? If you struggle with motivation, you may benefit from a course that includes encouragement and feedback.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need An ACT Prep Course?
An ACT prep course is a good way to get a high score on the ACT, which can help you to stand out in a competitive college admissions field.
The ACT is a structured exam, and many students struggle with the format and style. A prep course can get you ready for the unique questioning of the ACT.
Can An ACT Prep Course Raise My Score?
Typically, an ACT prep course can raise your ACT score. These courses are designed specifically to prepare you for the ACT, and many of them offer a money-back guarantee if you don’t reach a certain goal.
Will they definitely raise your ACT score? Often, the effectiveness of the course is dependent on the effort of the learner.
How Much Does An Act Prep Course Cost?
An ACT prep course typically costs between $100 and $2000, with more inclusive courses costing more. If you want to pay for individual tutoring, expect a price based on the hours of tutoring required.
Final Thoughts
ACT prep courses such as those offered by The Princeton Review, Magoosh, PrepScholar, Kaplan, and Testive offer learners a chance to prepare for the difficult ACT exam.
With different courses suiting different learning styles, make sure to carefully consider the potential benefits of each one. With the right course, you might see your ACT score soar.
