Elgin and Batavia ACT Practice Tests and Test Preparation: Is ACT and SAT Test Preparation Worth the Money?

Ever wonder if an ACT or SAT test preparation course is worth the money?  It is certainly a great worthy question and exactly the one I had when I first started investigating them. Here's what my due diligence showed  to me.

Virtually Every School has a Lower Limit for Acceptance

There is a lot more than bragging rights riding on your ACT and SAT scores! First, virtually every college and university requires that you meet or exceed a minimum score in order for you to be granted acceptance.  At any given college  the more competitiveprograms require higher scores still.

Would You Like to Pay Retail or Get a Nice Discount?

So, you already knew that there is a minimum score for acceptance you say? Well did you know that those sticker shock tuition prices you see on most school websites, especially private colleges and universities are really just suggested retail prices?

Depending upon the college or university just a 1 point increase in your ACT scorecan reduce your tuition bill by $2,000 – $5,000 annually. Sounds incredible, I know but you can watch a 2 minute video here: ACT Test Practice Pays Off and see more than a dozen real world examples.

Fully Prepare for Maximum Return

Knowing that just a 1 point increase can be worth$10,000 to $20,000 in tuition reduction over four years I hope you will agree with me that it makes a lot of sense to invest the time and money it takes to fully prepare for the test.  So the next question is how to best prepare?  For me, reading a book or even taking some online tests doesn't seem to be enough when there is so much riding on just 3.5 hours.  Think about it, we're talking about $3,000 - $6,000 an hour! Let those numbers sink in and you'll appreciate why I wanted to get the most from my investment of time and money. For me it was simple. I wanted to get the hands on help that only a local test preparation company can provide

Test Practice Centers: What Should You Look For?

The only remaining question for me was what to look for in a test preparation center ?  Again, after plenty of  research I found these four essential criteria:

1. In depth knowledge of your school's classes . This is essential because it allows you to focus on the holes and gaps that will be presentbetween your current education and what the ACT and SAT require .

2.   Small number of students. The optimum seems to be around 8 students in the class in order to provide the right balance between peer to peer learning and individualized attention.

3. Fluid course style with attention to individual needs .  Avoid centers that teach a canned course because it will likely not meet your particular needs.

4. Look for ACT and SAT preparation centers that emphasize both content mastery and test taking strategies as well.  Doing well on the ACT and SAT is as much about how you take the test as it is what answers you fill in .

After you conduct your own research I believe that you too will find that a local  ACT preparation company that offers a guarantee of improvement and small classes focused on individual attention will make the most sense for you. Remember, you are making an investment and the potential returns are huge!