What Makes A Good SAT/ACT Class? 6 Qualities To Look For

Did you know that studying for the SAT or ACT can be a joint effort? SAT/ACT classes allow students to learn the most important exam components in a group setting, with guidance and advice from an expert teacher. Unfortunately, not all classes are high quality, so students need to choose before committing to one carefully.
A prep class is always a great choice for struggling students to come up with their own study plans and who learn better by having an expert teacher clearly explain difficult problems and concepts to them.  SAT/ACT courses can be wonderfully helpful for students who prefer following the main curriculum and having a teacher explain tricky concepts and answer questions about the test.

This blog will go over the six key qualities that make for a great SAT/ACT prep class.

#1: Small Class Size
One important sign of a good SAT/ACT prep class is how small it is, unlike large classes at school. Fewer students in a class mean more opportunities for personal attention and guidance from the teacher in each lesson. All students will be able to receive one-on-one help from the teacher with any concepts or strategies they’re struggling with or with any questions they might have about the exam as a whole.

Additionally, a smaller class size gives students more time to discuss ideas as a group.

 #2: Content Expertise
The best prep classes are taught ONLY by expert teachers at the exam they’re teaching (or the specific section of the exam they’re teaching). Students should look for classes whose teachers have helped students score 99th percentile on the ACT and/or ACT. They should also (ideally) have plenty of experience tutoring and/or teaching.
#3: High-Quality Homework and Study Materials
Another sign of a great ACT or SAT prep class is that it offers high-quality study materials and homework assignments for students to do between classes. These homework assignments should follow the class curriculum and allow students to practice what they’ve studied from the previous class while also preparing students for what they’ll be learning in the next class. This way, students will stay sharp and really get down to the new skills the class is teaching. The best homework assignments and study materials for the SAT/ACT are highly realistic, with questions similar to those that appear on the actual exams. Good classes also customize homework to focus on honing their biggest weaknesses or the content areas and critical strategies they with the most.

#4: Tailored Curriculum
A great prep class tailors the curriculum to its students’ needs so that those taking the class can concentrate on improving their biggest weaknesses. This requires a smaller class size, which gives the teacher ample time to get to know the students and where they excel and struggle on the test.

#5: Result Oriented
Most high-quality prep classes and programs will have guaranteed results for the students who take their classes. These results are typically guaranteed point improvements and/or score levels on the SAT/ACT. The reason guaranteed results are so important to look for when choosing a class is that they emphasize that the class works well for all different types of students. Basically, whether students struggle with math or vocab, an SAT/ACT prep class with a score guarantee means that they’re going to learn how they can improve their weak spots to get the score they want on test day.

#6: Reviews From Former Students
The final indication of a great ACT or SAT prep course is whether it has positive reviews from real students who’ve taken the class. These reviews can (and should) tell a few important details. We recommend first checking out the testimonials for a prep class students are considering. These are normally found on the website. As an example, here are our testimonials for our online SAT/ACT classes.

Students should then do some research on the class by looking at its (or the prep company’s) rating on Google and seeing what former students have written about it.

If students happen to know anyone who took an ACT or SAT prep class, it’s always a good idea to try to reach out to them and ask whether they thought the class was worth it or not.

These are just general guidelines for what makes a good SAT/ACT prep class. Ultimately, though, to find the best, students will need to consider how they normally learn best, what kind of class size they prefer, and their budget.

Once all this is done, the student is ready to enroll in a test prep class and the score they need! We hope this helps students in narrowing down their SAT/ACT prep classes. If you need any further assistance, feel free to reach out by filling out the student assistance form.

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