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Scoring well in the ACT can boost your chances of getting into the college of your choice. However, getting those much-needed high scores does not come easy. The ACT tests students in four main content areas – English, math, science, and reading. And, the test questions related to these areas can be quite challenging to answer. Spending sufficient time on ACT test prep is key to acing this rigorous test.
Fortunately, there are several reputable websites that can help you prep for your upcoming ACT test and ace it! Many of these offer free ACT practice tests in addition to answer guides.
If you’re looking for helpful websites for ACT test prep, you won’t need to look further than these 10.
1. ACT.org
When you’re looking for ACT test prep help, what better place to start than with the site that administers the test!
ACT.org offers a comprehensive range of free resources to give students the support they need to prepare for the ACT. When you sign up, you’ll get immediate access to the basic resources you need to get started. This includes an ACT study guide, helpful test-taking tips and strategies, and a full-length practice test. The practice test is laid out in the similar format as the real test with four sections and a writing prompt.
On completing the practice test, you will receive a detailed score report highlighting missed questions. You will also receive targeted resources to help you improve your weak areas, based on the questions you missed. When you’ve studied some more, you can take the practice test again. The aim is to help you get familiar with the format of the test and build confidence.
The best part – All of this is free of cost.
2. The Princeton Review
While putting in several hours of study is useful, nothing will prepare you better for the ACT than actually answering practice tests under conditions that mimic those at the actual test. This is exactly what you will find at The Princeton Review.
The Princeton Review offers students multiple free ACT online prep options. You can start by reviewing their online courses on testing strategies and when you’re ready, you can take the free full-length practice test. After completing the test, you will receive a comprehensive score report that gives you details of how you performed. You will be able to see which sections you scored well in and which ones you scored poorly. Going through this report will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses so you can better understand what you need to focus on to improve your overall score.
3. Magoosh
With a self-study platform and free mobile apps, Magoosh makes it easy for you to study anytime from your desktop or mobile while on the go.
This website has two sections that can be invaluable assets for your ACT preparation. The free, downloadable Magoosh ACT eBook provides plenty of practice problems for you to solve. It also explains the format of the test and gives you strategies for acing the ACT. You can print out whatever sections you want to keep handy to study whenever you have some time in between other tasks.
The ACT archives on the website are a treasure trove of helpful and relevant resources posted by professionals and students who have taken the test. Browse through the posts and you will come across lots of helpful tips for improving your ACT score. Overall, Magoosh is a great asset to anyone who is looking to ace their ACT.
4. Kaplan
Another good website for ACT test prep, Kaplan provides a variety of free prep options, designed to fit into your routine. Free resources include a half-length practice test using official ACT questions from all sections. This aims to help you get more familiar with the test format. The short pop quizzes with answer explanations are helpful for those who are short on time and studying whenever time permits. You can even opt to receive an email with a daily ‘ACT Question of the Day’ with real test questions delivered to your inbox every day.
Kaplan’s in-depth resources also include a customizable Qbank with over 2,000 official ACT questions, 16 hours of live online instruction, an ACT prep eBook, five full-length practice tests, and more.
5. Prep Scholar
The Prep Scholar blog is an exhaustive resource on everything related to the ACT. Here you can find numerous posts related to ACT including tips on saving time, developing study strategies for different topics and other test information. The blog is updated often and has high-quality, useful content.
Entering your email address will give you instant access to a free downloadable eBook titled ‘The Best ACT Advice’. This eBook covers important test prep tips from common mistakes student make and how to review your errors to customizing your ACT prep.
And if you’re short on time, this post lays out a 10-day, 4-point prep plan on how to cram for the ACT.
6. The Prep Factory
The Prep Factory is another highly valuable resource that has top-notch content that is very helpful. It requires you to sign up with your email ID to access the available content but the content is essentially free.
The information is neatly sorted into separate categories, which makes it easy to sift through and access relevant information. Overviews are offered for math, reading, science, and English with videos, notes and short quizzes to make sure that all aspects are covered and the matter has been learned adequately. The website makes it easy for students to navigate through quizzes, strategies, and practice sets, depending on where they are in the prep stage.
7. Varsity Tutors
At Varsity Tutors you’ll find a wide array of free ACT resources aimed at helping you strengthen your skills across all test sections. These resources range from general test prep materials such an ACT registration checklist and the scoring scale used to subject-specific resources in math, science, and English. You’ll also find more targeted advice on topics like vocabulary.
Creating an account on this platform gives you unlimited access to useful tools such as self-study practice questions, on-demand video lessons, personalized assessments, and more. Completing the assessments helps you identify your areas of strengths and weaknesses so you know which areas you need to focus on to improve your score.
8. McGraw-Hill Practice Plus
Think you are as prepared as you can be for the ACT? Go to McGraw-Hill Practice Plus website. Answer their practice tests to determine if you really are as ready as you think.
At this site, you will find 4 practice tests that are laid out in the same format as the real test. Answering all 4 practice tests will help you get more familiar with the structure and format of the test. It will also help you get a real picture of how ready you are for the real exam.
9. Union Test Prep
Union Test Prep, another helpful website for ACT test prep, offers an extensive range of free ACT prep resources designed to help students achieve high scores. The site offers detailed insights into the ACT structure, scoring, and what to expect on test day, along with free practice tests that allow students to familiarize themselves with the format.
Union Test Prep’s study materials include a downloadable ACT study guide, flashcards for effective knowledge retention, and targeted practice lessons. For those looking to deepen their study, the site also provides a personalized cram course and an essay grading service that gives constructive feedback to improve writing skills.
10. Test-Guide
Test-Guide provides an extensive collection of free full-length as well as focused ACT practice tests. These are designed to give students realistic test experiences across all ACT sections. For example, the full-length tests are actual tests from earlier years. It doesn’t get more realistic than that.
If you’re not prepared to take a full test yet, you can get started with the subject-specific ACT practice questions. These are similar to the questions asked in an actual test but they are broken up into sections, one for each of the 4 ACT subjects – Math, Science, Reading, and English. Taking these smaller tests allows you to focus your test prep on one subject at a time.
In addition to practice tests, Test-Guide offers valuable study resources and test prep tips to help student’s practice strategically and better prepare for test day.
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