If you plan on attending college, chances are that you will need to take the ACT. Many schools across the United States require students to sit for the ACT before applying to their schools. The ACT is a standardized test that tests students’ abilities in English, math, reading, and science.
ACT prep courses are intended to give an in-depth review of relevant subject matter material and teach test taking strategies.
Choose the best ACT Prep Course for you by using our comprehensive reviews and rankings.
Table of Contents
- Our Picks for Best ACT Prep Courses
- Comparison Table
- Who Needs an ACT Prep Course
- Magoosh Review
- Princeton Review
- PrepScholar
- Kaplan
- Green Test Prep
- Peterson's
Our Picks for Best ACT Prep Courses
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- Best Value
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- Rating:
- Visit Magoosh ACT
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- Most Comprehensive
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- Rating:
- Visit Princeton Review ACT
Best ACT Prep Course Reviews (2020)
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| ACT Prep | Magoosh | Princeton Review | PrepScholar | Kaplan | Green Test Prep | Peterson's |
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 |
 |
 |
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| Rating | T-G choice (Best Value) |
T-G choice (Most Comprehensive) |
||||
| Pricing | $948 $99 Get Discount |
$399 $299 Get Discount |
$397 | $299 | $497 | $234 |
| Subscription Length | 12 months | 12 months | 12 months | 6 months | Unlimited | 6 months |
| Free Trial | ||||||
| Guarantee | +4 point improvement | Higher score guaranteed | +4 point improvement | Higher score guaranteed | Higher score guaranteed - but no refund option | No |
| Practice Questions | 1300+ | 3200+ | 2400+ | 1000+ | n/a | n/a |
| Practice Exams | 4 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| Delivery Options | Online (self-paced) | Online (self-paced), Online (live), In-person | Online (self-paced) | Online (self-paced), Online (live), In-person | Online (self-paced), Online (live), In-person | Online (self-paced) |
| Videos | ||||||
| Study Plan | ||||||
| Essay Feedback | - via email | - additional $59 | - but no grader | |||
| Score Predictor | ||||||
| Support Options | Email, Chat | Email, Phone | ||||
| Summary | Review | Review | Review | Review | Review | Review |
| Learn More | GO! | GO! | GO! | GO! | GO! | GO! |
Who Needs an ACT Prep Course?
Many colleges require the ACT for admissions. The ACT is difficult and high scores are critical. Your ACT score is a factor not just for admissions but can also influence the amount of funding you’ll receive. Many undergraduate programs also use ACT scores to determine scholarships and academic financial aid.
Determining your best approach to preparing for the ACT can be tough. ACT prep courses can be expensive and time-consuming. Do you need an ACT prep course? The answer depends on a lot of factors.
Factors to Consider
- Study discipline – if you routinely have trouble maintaining a study schedule, you’ll find that a prep course is worth it.
- Improvement needed – take a free ACT practice test to see where you stand. If your score needs improvement, an ACT prep course may be a good option.
- Budget – ACT prep courses can get expensive. If money is tight, consider our best value recommendation, or self-study with ACT prep books.
- Need for encouragement – if you need encouragement, feedback and motivation, a prep course with an instructor (either in-person or online) is a good option.
- Learning style – if you have a history of successfully studying with books, a self-study approach with a good ACT prep book may be your best plan.
Benefits of an ACT Prep Course
- Simulates actual test – the online exams included in an ACT prep course do a great job of simulating the real ACT. Magoosh’s dashboard predicts your ACT scores and compares you to other students.
- Score improvement – the top ACT prep courses will guarantee a score improvement of 4 points or more.
- Quality instructors – courses that include live instructors will help you with efficient strategies, motivation, and one-on-one feedback.
- Comprehensive study plans – ACT prep courses will help you craft, and stick to, a customized study schedule that works for you.
- Identify strengths and weaknesses – the best ACT prep courses offer advanced diagnostics to identify the topics you need to focus on.
Why an ACT Prep Course May Not Be Your Best Option
- Time-consuming – prep courses often require significant study/prep time.
- Expensive – the best ACT prep courses may be over $500.
- Instructor-dependent – if you opt for an instructor-led course, the quality of your instructor will be a significant factor towards your success.
- DIY alternative - self-study using prep books may be a cost-effective alternative.
Bottom Line - If you need a top ACT score and have the budget, a top ACT prep course is a great option.
ACT Prep Course Online Reviews
Magoosh ACT Prep Review
- Test-Guide Rating: T-G Choice (Best Value)
- Price: Starting at $99
- Discounts: Available Here
Magoosh Feature Summary
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Price
- Best Value. Cheapest course we reviewed and get access for 1 year.
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Guarantee
- Guaranteed to raise your score by 4 points.
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Content
- Customizable study plans for students. In-depth videos. Great course layout.
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Questions
- 1300+ questions and 4 practice exams offered.
Magoosh Pros and Cons
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Pros
- Price - best value on market
- Subscription length
- +4 point score guarantee
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Cons
- Relatively low number of exams
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- -
Magoosh Summary
Magoosh’s ACT prep course is one of the most affordable prep courses available. The course is $99 and is available for use for 12 months. Magoosh ACT is a valuable resource as it offers over 1300 ACT test questions, videos to help learn concepts, study plans, and full-length ACT practice tests. Magoosh ACT works on all computers as well as tablets and mobile phones.
Magoosh ACT is completely online and is self-paced. While it is self-paced, Magoosh offers customizable study plans to help keep students on track. These study plans consider how much time and which areas the student would like to improve upon the most. Another cool feature of Magoosh ACT is the online videos used to teach the concepts. These are in-depth videos that provide a visual learning experience for the student to help get concepts across – these are especially useful for the ACT math section.
Magoosh ACT offers a free 7-day trial (with a no questions asked refund policy) and a course that can be canceled at any time, for any reason. There are a couple of different options for students looking for ACT test prep courses – the best offer is the 12-month course for $99. Magoosh also offers a 3-month course for $89 and a 1-month course for $79. Magoosh also has a formula that uses data analysis to predict your future score when you sit for the ACT. No other company we reviewed offers this type of feature to their users.
Best Feature of Magoosh - Budget Friendly with Score Predictor
Rating:
T-G Choice (Best Value)
Bottom Line
For only $99, this course is ideal for anyone looking to save money and do well on the ACT.
The Princeton Review ACT Review
- Test-Guide Rating: T-G Choice (Most Comprehensive)
- Price: Starting at $299
- Discounts: Available Here
Princeton Review Feature Summary
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Price
- $299 for 12 months of access to the course.
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Guarantee
- Higher score guaranteed when using this prep course.
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Content
- 280+ video lessons. ACT and SAT bundle option for those interested in both courses.
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Questions
- 3200+ practice questions. 8 practice exams.
Princeton Review Pros and Cons
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Pros
- Subscription length
- Number of practice questions
- Number of practice exams
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Cons
- Costs extra for essay feedback
- No free trial
- -
Princeton Review Summary
The Princeton Review’s ACT prep course provides test takers with more than 280 videos of lessons from top tutors on all topics tested by the ACT. Overall, the ACT prep course offered by the Princeton Review has numerous useful resources to help students achieve their desired ACT scores. The course is 100% online and is available to students for 12 months. The course is self-paced but offers study plans to help keep students on track. There are over 3200 questions offered and 8 ACT practice tests provided to students.
The Princeton Review offers a SAT and ACT bundle package for $299. This bundled course is completely online and self-paced. This is great for students who may be interested in taking both the ACT and SAT. However, if you are only interested in the ACT, you can purchase the ACT self-paced course for $199.
While there is no free trial, they do offer a higher score guarantee. If you do not receive a higher score than before, you can either take the course again for free or get your money back.
Best Princeton Review Feature - SAT & ACT bundled together for great price
Rating:
T-G Choice (Most Comprehensive)
Bottom Line
The most comprehensive ACT course we reviewed. Also includes an SAT/ACT bundle for students interested in taking both tests.
PrepScholar ACT Prep Review
- Test-Guide Rating:
- Price: Starting at $397
- Discounts: Available Here
PrepScholar Feature Summary
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Price
- On the more expensive side of ACT prep courses. 12 months of access to course.
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Guarantee
- +4-point score improvement guarantee.
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Content
- 100 hours of instructional material. Uses 3 real ACT exams that have been administered in past.
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Questions
- 2400+ practice questions. 5 practice exams.
PrepScholar Pros and Cons
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Pros
- Number of practice questions
- Number of practice exams
- Study plan offered
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Cons
- No essay feedback option
- No score predictor
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PrepScholar Summary
PrepScholar’s ACT prep course offers over 100 hours of instructional material and over 2400 practice questions. The course covers all sections of the ACT and is tailored to cover material on the current ACT. The course uses 3 real ACT’s that have been administered in the past. PrepScholar prides themselves on using videos as supplemental material and not just being a “collection of videos.”
The course follows a simple process – learn the ACT content and various strategies that will help you, drill down the content with realistic ACT questions, then review your mistakes so they will not be made again. The course was created by a team of ACT experts who scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT.
The most popular option is available for $397 and is completely online. This course is open to students for 12 months and includes 5 real practice tests. The other option they offer is their classroom option. This course costs $895 and includes everything the online course offers as well as online classes led by experts.
Best PrepScholar Feature – Overall Content Provided
Rating:
Bottom Line
Solid course for anyone looking for a good balance of practice questions and practice exams. A little pricey.
Kaplan ACT Review
- Test-Guide Rating:
- Price: Starting at $299
- Discounts: Available Here
Kaplan Feature Summary
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Price
- $299 for the course. Students only get access for 6 months.
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Guarantee
- Higher score guaranteed.
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Content
- Study plans available to students. Different types of prep courses offered for students.
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Questions
- Only offer 1000 practice questions. This may not be a problem because there are 9 practice exams offered.
Kaplan Pros and Cons
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Pros
- Number of practice exams
- Different types of prep courses offered
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Cons
- No essay feedback option
- Low number of practice questions
Kaplan Summary
The Kaplan ACT prep course is the digital extension of the pioneering educational company – Kaplan – an educational company that has been in existence for more than 80 years. The Kaplan ACT prep course includes more than 1000 practice questions and 9 ACT practice tests. The course is 100% online and self-paced and is open to students for 6 months. There are study plans available to students to keep them on track. Kaplan provides over 25 hours of on-demand lessons to students to help comprehend different concepts.
Kaplan offers a couple of different packages for students looking to enroll in an ACT prep course. The most affordable one is the 6-month self-paced course that is available for $299. Another option offered is the live online ACT prep course. This course is available for $499 and is an online classroom setting taught by teachers. They also offer the unlimited prep option and covers materials on the PSAT, ACT, and SAT. This option is $1299 and is available through December of your senior year of high school.
Kaplan offers a similar higher score guarantee as Princeton Review. If you do not achieve a higher score, you can take the course again for free or get your money back. Kaplan does not offer a free trial for their ACT prep courses.
Best Kaplan ACT Feature – 9 ACT Practice Tests Available
Rating:
Bottom Line
Good course for students who are looking for a prep course with a high number of practice exams.
Green Test Prep ACT Review
- Test-Guide Rating:
- Price: Starting at $497
- Discounts: Available Here
Green Test Prep Feature Summary
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Price
- Most expensive option we reviewed.
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Guarantee
- Higher score is guaranteed but no refund option is available.
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Content
- Additional materials are needed for this course. Course is already expensive as is.
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Questions
- Students get access to all of Anthony-James Green’s videos, workbooks, and transcripts.
Green Test Prep Pros and Cons
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Pros
- Experience of Anthony-James Green
- ACT/SAT bundled course
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Cons
- Price
- Additional resources needed for the course
Green Test Prep Summary
Green test prep was started by well known ACT tutor Anthony-James Green. He has been preparing students to take their ACT and SAT’s since 2005. He started off doing one-on-one tutoring for students costing over $1500/an hour. He developed a 4-year waiting list for his services, so he decided to do something about it. He founded Green Test Prep.
Green test prep offers their ACT and SAT prep course for $497. This course is accessible on any device for as long as you need it – there is no subscription length. There is a customizable training calendar available to users to help optimize study time. Users get unlimited access to all of Anthony’s videos, workbooks and transcripts.
The only downfall to this course is that additional materials may need to be purchased to get full value from this ACT prep course. Anthony recommends purchasing the Official College Board ACT study guides ($60). There is no free trial offered with this course.
Best Green Test Prep Feature – Anthony's Experience in the Industry
Rating:
Bottom Line
Experience of Anthony-James Green cannot be questioned. Solid course for students looking at an ACT/SAT bundled course.
Petersons ACT Review
- Test-Guide Rating:
- Price: Starting at $234
- Discounts: Available Here
Peterson's Feature Summary
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Price
- Relatively cheap compared to other prep courses.
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Guarantee
- No guarantee for this course
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Content
- They do not use videos to teach material. This could be a good or bad thing depending on what you are looking for.
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Questions
- Use of flashcards and subject-based lesson questions is unique. 3 practice exams offered.
Peterson's Pros and Cons
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Pros
- Price
- Study plan offered
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Cons
- No score guarantee
- No essay feedback or score predictor
Peterson's Summary
Peterson’s ACT prep course is an online self-paced course. They offer 3 ACT practice tests that are fully aligned with the most recent ACT exam. The ACT prep course works on all mobile devices, tablets and computers so it can be accessed anywhere. The course offers written subject-based lessons on various ACT topics to help drill down the material before taking the test. One of the most useful features is the use of flashcards to help remember content faster.
Peterson’s is based on a monthly subscription. The best deal offered allows users to sign up for $234 for 6 months ($39/month). They also offer a 3-month plan for $45/month and a monthly plan for $49/month. When you sign up for Peterson’s, you get access to all their other test prep materials, including their SAT materials and other AP class materials.
There is not a free trial or a guarantee offered by Peterson’s.
Best Peterson's Feature – Flashcards and Mini Quizzes
Rating:
Bottom Line
Different course layout and design when compared to other traditional ACT prep courses.
ACT Prep Courses FAQ
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Last update: 6/10/2020
