"The Ivy West tutors worked great with my daughter. They not only focused her on the subject matter, but encouraged and helped her relax in order to improve her test-taking skills. As a result, she scored beyond our expectations. I couldn't have been more pleased with the Ivy West tutors."
- Janet R., parent

We offer free practice tests for the PSAT, SAT and/or ACT and a personal assessment of your results. Use the form to the right to sign up and receive yours today!
Education News Contact Us
Please Send More Information About Test Preparation for College

*Student's Name:
 

*Parent's Name:
 

*Home Address:

*City:

*State:

*Zip Code:

*Email Address:

*Phone Number:
ex. xxx-xxx-xxxx

*School:

*Graduation Year:

*Who filled out this form:

I would like to receive:

Information about
      Online test prep

Information about
      In-Person test prep

A free practice test

The Ivy West Newsletter



*Required Fields | Privacy Policy
Our trained and certified tutors teach lessons at your pace and to your learning style.

ACT Prep Page

home act test prep

The ACT® Test

The ACT is a college admissions test that is a popular alternative to the SAT Reasoning Test. The ACT is accepted at almost all colleges and universities where the SAT is accepted. The ACT consists of four sections — English, Math, Reading and Science, and can include an optional Essay component. The ACT is different from the SAT in that it contains a science section, covers math through trigonometry, and does not test vocabulary directly. The ACT also tends to test academic content more directly than the SAT, which is more of a reasoning test. The ACT is two hours and 55 minutes long without the optional essay, and 3 hours and 25 minutes long with the optional essay. Each section has a total possible score of 36 points, and the scores from all sections are averaged to produce a composite score, on the same 36-point scale.

Because the structures of the ACT and SAT are so different, some students find they perform significantly better on the ACT. Ivy West recommends taking an ACT practice test to determine whether the ACT is the right test. If your child is taking the ACT, check with the colleges to verify admissions testing requirements; many competitive colleges, including the UC system, require the ACT with the Essay component.

Our ACT Test Prep Programs

Ivy West's ACT test prep programs cover the concepts and question types that are unique to the ACT. Program Advisors and tutors personalize every element of the program according to performance goals, academic needs, and scheduling preferences. The ACT test prep program consists of either 12 or 15 lessons, depending on whether the program includes the essay component. Each lesson is 90 minutes long.

ACT Test Dates

The chart below provides guidelines for when to start your ACT test prep lessons based on whether or not you intend to prepare for the Essay component of the ACT.

Test Date Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline*
September 13, 2008 August 12, 2008 August 13-22, 2008
October 25, 2008 September 19, 2008 September 10-October 3, 2008
December 13, 2008 November 7, 2008 November 8-20, 2008
February 7, 2009 January 6, 2009 January 7-16, 2009
April 4, 2009 February 27, 2009 February 28-March 13, 2009
June 13, 2009 May 8, 2009 May 9-22, 2009
* A late fee of $19 applies per www.ACT.org.
Lesson Start Date Guidelines for the ACT
ACT Test Dates Sept. 13 2008 Oct. 25, 2008 Dec. 13, 2008 Feb. 7, 2009 April 4, 2009 June 13, 2009
ACT Prep with Essay (15 lessons) June 2, 2008 July 14, 2008 October 27, 2008 October 27, 2008 December 15, 2008 March 2, 2009
ACT Prep without Essay (12 lessons) July 23, 2008 August 4, 2008 November 17, 2008 November 17, 2008 January 12, 2009 March 23, 2009