Prep Expert ACT Course Review 2023: My HONEST Testimonial
Our Rating
Highlights
Prep Expert delivers a quality ACT prep course with enough flexibility to address various student needs. It is quite expensive but, thankfully, you can apply for monthly financing.
Course Effectiveness
Prep Expert’s courses are taught by instructors in the 99th percentile, so they have actually “practiced what they preach.” Moreover, the courses give you enough time to absorb the material, especially if you go for the 6-week course because it is structured in ways that set you up for success.
Price
Prep Expert courses are a bit expensive. However, you can apply for a monthly payment plan that offsets the steep upfront cost. You can also get a full refund if you are not satisfied with the results.
Ease of Use
The virtual classroom is quite user-friendly and is clearly designed to foster interaction between instructors and students. Anyone who has used a video conferencing tool will find it quite easy to work with.
Student Reviews
Many students have given Prep Expert ACT course review a high rating, although a few were not satisfied with some instructors’ teaching styles. Still, the number of positive reviews far outweigh the negative ones.
The Prep Expert ACT review platform comes with several course options to choose from, with instructors that have first-hand knowledge on how to improve your ACT scores. Even better, the program currently holds an impressive satisfaction rating among former students.
Is it as good—and as worthy of your hard-earned dollars—as it sounds though? This in-depth Prep Expert review aims to provide the answers.
About Prep Expert and Their ACT Prep Course
Prep Expert is an ed-tech company founded by SAT top-notcher Shaan Patel and backed by billionaire Mark Cuban (1). It was created to help high school students prepare for their ACT (as well as SAT) exams more effectively. Both live and pre-recorded online video courses are offered, as well as optional one-on-one private tutoring and admissions consulting.
What Makes This Prep Course Unique?
Prep Expert is taught by 99th percentile instructors (or those who scored in the top 1% on the ACT). In addition, students get a bonus book that details the tried-and-tested strategies to earn perfect scores.
Source: Prep Expert
Another thing that makes Prep Expert stand out is the generous guarantees. If your score does not improve at all, you get a full refund. It is worth noting, however, that the guarantees differ, depending on which course option you choose.
Take a look at the breakdown below:
- 4-Point ACT Score Improvement Guarantee – If you are taking the 6-week course (live or in-person) and have a starting score of 28 or lower, your score is guaranteed to increase 4 points.
- 2-Point ACT Score Improvement Guarantee – If you are taking the 3-week course (live or in-person) and have a starting score of 30 or lower, your score is guaranteed to increase 2 points.
- 1-Point Score Improvement Guarantee – If you are taking the self-paced pre-recorded course and have a score of 31, your score is guaranteed to increase 1 point.
Source: Prep Expert
It is easy to become eligible for the guarantees, too. You just have to make sure that you complete your prep course in its entirety and take the official ACT test. If you can prove that your score does not meet Prep Expert’s guarantees, you will get a full refund.
Curriculum Overview & Effectiveness
The Prep Expert review program offers several options to choose from:
- 6-Week Flagship Course
- 3-Week Fast-Track Course
- Self-Paced Course
- Weekend Review
The best thing about these options is that they are tailor-made to suit various needs. If you are not sure which one is for you, I have broken each course down below.
6-Week Flagship Course
This course features 72 hours worth of lessons taught over the span of 6 weeks (usually held during weekends). Owing to its lengthy duration, students can really sink their teeth into the course materials. Also, instructors take time to impart as much knowledge as they can.
Here is a typical course outline:
Source: Prep Expert
All of the lessons are taught live in an “online classroom” setting that encourages interaction between instructors and their students. If something is not clear, you can ask questions.
The flagship course also includes homework and weekly full-length practice exams that let you gauge your progress.
3-Week Fast-Track Course
The Fast-Track course covers the same material as the Flagship course does, albeit at a shorter span of time. Course lessons are also presented live in an online classroom setting.
This is recommended for students who have less than a month to prepare for their ACT exam.
Self-Paced Course
Unlike the Flagship and Fast-Track courses, this particular prep course does not feature live online classroom sessions. Instead, you will be granted a year’s worth of access to pre-recorded lessons taught by Shaan Patel himself.
The course consists of 60 hours of material, including strategies developed by Maria Filsinger (a student with a perfect ACT score), practice tests, and homework. If you want the flexibility to learn at your own pace, then this is the perfect prep course for you.
Weekend Review
Prep Expert ACT review program also offers a 12-hour weekend course for those who are looking for a comprehensive refresher before their ACT. This course is held online over the course of one weekend but is divided into 4 sessions. Typically, Weekend Review courses take place from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM PST, on Saturday and Sunday.
In-Person Classrooms and Private Sessions
Apart from live and pre-recorded online courses, Prep Expert also offers in-person classes. This is a great option for people with a slow internet connection or those who prefer to learn in a face-to-face setting.
In-person classroom locations are pretty limited at the moment though. In fact, as of this writing, the review program only has one location available: Las Vegas, Nevada.
Private tutoring sessions, on the other hand, are usually conducted online. In some cases, it is possible to book an in-person session (at custom rates). The downside of Prep Expert’s private tutoring service? Since the sessions are purely one-on-one, it is pretty expensive compared to the regular courses.
Course Pricing Options
Speaking of prices, Prep Expert ACT review courses range from $499-$999 (or from $16-$25/hr), depending on which course you choose. Sometimes, you can get them for much cheaper if you chance upon one of their promos. Most times, however, expect to pay a premium.
If you want to book a private ACT tutoring session, expect to pay even more. Depending on the type of package and the number of hours, prices can range from $699-$9,999.
Is it worth the high price tag though? If paying premium is not an issue, then Prep Expert’s value proposition is pretty hard to beat. Plus, they have a pretty good track record (as you will see later on).
Platform’s Ease of Use
One of Prep Expert’s strengths definitely lies in its platform’s simplicity. The virtual classroom, in particular, is user-friendly and highly-conducive to learning. A virtual whiteboard takes prominence, while the instructor’s video feed sits right next to it. Attendees can also chat with one another, or ask the instructor questions using the chatbox.
It is clear that the learning platform was designed with simple functionality in mind. There is virtually no clutter or distractions, so you can focus on each lesson at hand.
Is Prep Expert a Reputable Online ACT Prep Course? (Not a Scam)
Prep Expert is rated A- by the Better Business Bureau (2), and it attracts more than 10,000 students per year. Plus, as mentioned earlier, it is also backed by popular billionaire and investor Mark Cuban.
If you are still not convinced, then keep reading to see what actual customers have to say about Prep Expert.
Reviews and Real Unbiased Text and Video Testimonials:
Source: Prep Expert
Prep Expert’s students have been accepted into Yale, Duke, Princeton, Berkeley, and other prestigious universities. A lot of them have nothing but good things to say about their experience with this test prep program.
There are a few students who were not satisfied with their instructor’s teaching style though. Still, the number of satisfied students far outweigh those who are unhappy about the course.
Take a look at some unbiased testimonials from real students below.
Final Verdict & Recommendation
I rate Prep Expert 4.1 out of 5.
If you are looking to improve your ACT score, look no further than the Prep Expert review program. It is user-friendly, flexible, and has a pretty high satisfaction rating among students.
There’s only on In-person classroom location at the moment, but the online classes are just as good. After all, each lesson is taught by instructors who have aced the ACT themselves. In other words, you can be sure that you are getting your money’s worth.
Frequently Asked Questions
References
- https://www.businessinsider.com/shaan-patel-shark-tank-mark-cuban-2016-12
- https://www.bbb.org/us/nv/las-vegas/profile/sat-prep-courses/prep-expert-1086-90061528
