OVERALL The quality of each ACT test course's teachers, methods and books/material varies. As such, when choosing a course, you should first determine what's important for you, then research each company to see which will fit your needs best. TEACHERS What should a good ACT teacher possess? The two most important things are experience in teaching the test and enthusiasm. When choosing a course, contact the company directly and ask who specifically will teach your course, rather than assuming that all teachers for a company are necessarily the same. In evaluating teachers, many students assume that the higher the teacher’s score, the better the teacher. This is not true. What's the difference between someone who scored in the 95th percentile and someone who scored in the 99th percentile? Very little. Indeed, above the 95th percentile, a higher score on the ACT test oftentimes simply reflects the speed at which a test-taker reads or completes math problems, not how much knowledge the test-taker has. As such, someone who scored in the 99th percentile probably simply reads slightly faster than someone who scored in the 95th percentile. Or, the 99th percentile test taker was just a little bit luckier. Although a higher score does not necessarily mean a better teacher, you should nevertheless have a teacher who is capable of scoring in the 90th percentile or higher. METHODS Rather than focusing on which ACT test class company has the "best" methods, find an ACT course and teacher whose teaching style fits your needs. Are you looking for a disciplined and serious atmosphere, or one which is more relaxed? Are you seeking to achieve near perfect scores, or are you completely lost with ACT test questions? Ask yourself these types of questions and then determine which course will best fit your needs. BOOKS/OTHER MATERIALS What about practice material? This is where the courses vary. Check each company to see what you get in addition to the class. Oftentimes the amount of extra practice material you receive determines cost. SHOULD I TAKE AN ON-LINE COURSE? On-line courses provide essentially the same content you would find in a company's live course. These on-line options have the obvious advantage of flexibility -- study when and where you want. This is an advantage for those who live a great distance from any live courses. Of course, the obvious negative is that you don't have a live teacher. Most of the on-line courses provide you with an e-mail contact if get really stuck, though. If you're okay without a teacher but want much more material than is found in a ACT test book, then consider on-line options. WHICH COURSE SHOULD I TAKE? Follow these steps: Step 1- Decide what’s important to you – Flexibility or Structure? Plenty of Classroom Time or Loads of Practice Material? Serious Atmosphere or a Relaxed One? Small Classes? Live or On-line? Step 2 - Contact the ACT test class companies and get specifics on your local ACT teacher’s experience and enthusiasm. Step 3 - Choose an ACT test course. |
