Difference Between Act Rapid Review and Act Online Prep
Since this is a long, detailed review, above detect a helpful leap-to table of contents for like shooting fish in a barrel navigation.
Kaplan Human action Prep
- On Demand
- Alive Online
- On Demand
- Live Online
Pros
- Highly digestible video lessons with awesome visuals concord your attention
- Tried and tested coursework structure with track record of success
Cons
- No money back score increase guarantee is a bit of a letdown
- Conversational approach to ACT instruction may not be for everyone
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Kaplan Act Prep Pricing
Kaplan offers three divide prep packages, each catering to students seeking a unlike type of course format. Your prep options are equally follows:
- Self-Paced
- Alive Online
- Online Tutoring
The Self-Paced form is Kaplan's most basic package, and is by far their to the lowest degree expensive. At merely nether $100, this prep parcel offers everything the DIY pupil should demand to prep. This includes 30 or so on demand video lessons, two,000+ exercise questions and 5 practice tests. While this offering doesn't take quite the aforementioned level of guidance or support as Kaplan's upper finish courses, for strong and contained students, this may be all they need. In add-on, this course competes directly with the pricing of Magoosh's high-value cocky-directed grade that gets much acclaim.
At the side by side level up, Kaplan offers its flagship Alive Online course. This course gives students all of the same materials as the Self-Paced grade, but adds in the all-important live teaching element and an e-book. These class components are discussed in more detail beneath, but they add meaning value. For these actress resource, the price is increased to around $400, which is still a good value as compared to other full-service courses with a grade component.
Finally, Kaplan offers its Online Tutoring packageastward for those students needing pregnant attending and/or seeking high-cease scores. This class includes the basic online course materials buts adds in either 10, 20, xxx or xl hours of private i-on-ane tutoring. Basically, if yous're trying to become into a top 25 university or know that y'all need some very specialized attention, this package is for y'all. That said, it doesn't come up cheap. This bundle starts at around $1,400.
Class options and pricing electric current as of date of publication
Evaluation of Kaplan Act Online Prep Coursework
The about unique and valuable aspect of the Kaplan Act prep course is that they have partnered with ACT directly to bring their students an exclusive learning feel. In partnership with the makers of the exam, Kaplan's grade offers students access to existent, previously used Human action questions and full-length practice tests. In fact, the two organizations are so closely intertwined in their prep that you actually are re-directed to purchase the course through Human action's website, and the actual online materials say information technology is an Deed prep course "powered by Kaplan." So substantially the prep course is from the makers of the Act, with expertise from Kaplan.
In my opinion, the value of this partnership cannot be overstated. No other grade gives students this level of realistic practise. Other courses like Princeton Review come very close and do a fine job in their question blueprint, but this is the existent deal and the main reason why our squad jolted Kaplan to the meridian tier of our best ACT prep courses list.
Every bit for the actual written report plan, you lot follow Kaplan's "Learning Path" throughout your studies. This Learning Path guides yous through the on demand video lessons, required exercise questions, and short readings. This is the ground of the coursework for Cocky-Paced students. And for those students taking the Live Online course, this online platform works in conjunction with your live classes, which are discussed in greater item below.
The Learning Path generally consists of v written report units, with five practice tests mixed in between units. The practice exams are generally back end loaded, then that you have a ameliorate grasp of the material before diving into testing under exam-like conditions. Inside each written report unit there are generally 16 to 20 activities, which in total take about 2.v to 4 hours to complete. So you can look to study for about fifteen to 20 hours across the v study units.
The activities within each of the v written report units are video lessons, practice problems, and occasionally, short PDF readings. The video lessons class the basis of your instructional work. Kaplan keeps the video lectures brief and each i is just 7 to 12 minutes in length. I retrieve this is a fantastic call on Kaplan'due south part. They recognize that loftier schoolers don't always have the longest attention bridge, and then a 2-hr prerecorded lecture won't do it.
Instead, Kaplan produces these bite-sized, engaging videos that encompass both content review and provide test strategies. Each video takes the grade of your instructor sitting behind a desk on camera, and as they speak, digital effects, key points and graphics announced effectually them. Oftentimes, the video will cut from your teacher to a digital whiteboard, where they will explicate a critical concept or work a practice trouble. In addition, the videos frequently pause to have you work a practice question that you lot then immediately review.
This varied approach to didactics is securely engaging, and my attention never wavered during these quick hitting videos. I honey how the lecture is constantly cutting from ane chemical element to the adjacent. One minute y'all're getting a verbal lesson, then working a practice problem, and then getting an in-depth review. They do all of this quickly and efficiently, but without being jumpy. It is a actually nice balance.
Not to mention, the product value of these videos is off the charts. The digital furnishings are incredibly well-washed and the audiovisuals are super high-quality. I honestly could not find one thing to knock with respect to the videos. They are an all-round dwelling run by Kaplan.
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Later each video lesson, yous are directed to work on some guided practise, then independent practice. The guided practice is usually just 3 or 4 quick problems that cover the verbal fabric you only learned. These guided do questions have a more in-depth solution and explanation. So later you're done with these problems (unremarkably less than 10 minutes), you watch a video caption of each. Your instructor walks you lot stride-by-footstep through how yous should have attacked the question. These video reviews have a ton of value and are about more valuable than the practise itself.
You then move into the independent practice section and work a number of other questions on the same topic. These questions are mostly from the same grouping, just don't have a video solution to each – but a text explanation. You lot piece of work these 10 to 15 problems, review the answers for each, and move on.
And that is about it for each study unit. Y'all move from ane sequence of video lesson + practice questions to the adjacent until you've completed the unit. Alternatively, Kaplan as well allows you lot to tackle activities 1 at a time through the activities library (essentially an archive of all the different activities in one place), but I wouldn't recommend this. The Learning Path is quite elementary and straightforward, and you lot can end a unit in 2.five to 4 hours. Once you become rolling, it all goes pretty fast. As such, I often institute myself looking for boosted exercise material.
To scratch that practice itch, Kaplan offers a question bank with over 2,000 exercise bug. Once again, these problems (as well every bit the problems referenced above in the study units) are official, previously used Deed questions. The value of this cannot exist overstated. Yous can't come any closer to realistic practice than existent questions.
Y'all access these practice questions from Kaplan'southward Question Bank function. This tool is very useful and allows y'all to create customized practise session sets. You can utilise advanced filters to create a practice fix past topic, question type, timing, and more. This allows y'all to narrowly target your weaknesses and hammer problems from those categories. At the end of the mean solar day, that is the only real manner to improve and make significant gains, so this feature comes in handy.
However, it is with these practise questions in the Question Bank that I may have my one major gripe with the Kaplan grade. None of these practice questions have a written solution or trouble explanation. They will tell you lot which respond pick is correct, but that is it. There is no detailed reasoning or thoughtful analysis provided. And this is a real disappointment given that the guided and independent practice questions in the study units offer this. Often there is no better fashion to learn than from your mistakes, so this was a bit of letdown.
All things considered, I was thoroughly impressed with the Kaplan course curriculum and study materials. The quality of the practice work is across reproach and the video lessons are merely as adept. The videos are masterfully produced from a commitment perspective and contain simply the right content. Apart from the complaint about text explanations of some of the practice problems, this is a v-star course plan.
Kaplan Live ACT Classes
For many students, the Alive Online course may be a powerful prep choice. This is especially true for students who need commitment and to be held accountable. With on need, cocky-paced studying it is easy to procrastinate and slack off, but you can't do that with alive courses. The reason for this is you meet at regularly scheduled times with an instructor and you need to go along up with the work.
Kaplan's Live Online grade offers just this. This is the course format that I took and establish it to exist very valuable. Over a calendar month or and then, you meet for 16 hours of live class time. At a certain time each week you log in to a virtual classroom and engage in a lesson.
By and large, I adopt in-person classes and am not crazy about virtual learning sessions or Zoom-mode meetings, but I actually liked this Kaplan Alive Online class. The chief reason for this is that while ane instructor teaches the course, another teacher works the chat line and answers questions. This results in goose egg pause of the lesson, which is greatly appreciated by the students who aren't request the questions.
The Kaplan Live Online class sessions generally cover the same textile that is contained in the on demand videos in the Self-Paced program. Thus, if you miss a session, yous can always spotter a prerecorded lesson to catch upward. That said, the 2 are not exactly aligned. There is patently way more than content included in the live classes, and while in that location is lots of overlap, the in-course sessions are definitely freer flowing and have a less structured approach.
I really like this about the alive classes compared to video lessons. The videos are great for efficient, quick hitting studying, but the alive classes offer deeper understanding and more than cloth. In addition, the Kaplan instructor teaching my Live Online form was fantastic. She was very smart and a great communicator. She was really good at taking a tedious topic and making it (at least somewhat) interesting.
Kaplan ACT Practise Tests
Similar to their exercise questions, Kaplan offers practice exams congenital on official ACT materials. In total, you become admission to five full-length practice tests. Again, there is no better means of studying than under exam-similar conditions. And it doesn't go any more than exam-similar than existent, past exams. Every bit such, these are virtually the best practise tests effectually in ACT prep.
But it is not merely the quality of the practice tests that is noteworthy. Another huge benefit of the Kaplan course is that these practice tests are delivered through a testing interface that mirrors the real ACT. This should prevent whatsoever surprises on test day and adds on another layer of practicing nether real test-similar conditions.
Kaplan Human action Prep Books
Whether you go a prep book, and if so in what format, depends on your course selection. If you opt for Kaplan'south basic Cocky-Paced course, you will not go a prep book with your course. This is unfortunate as Kaplan's standalone ACT prep volume is quite expert, though it's understandable at this cost point.
Even so, if yous ante up for the Live Online course, yous will get access to Kaplan's book in digital course. This e-volume has incredible value every bit it covers test strategies, content review and practise problems. The one downside, however, is that if yous don't similar reading books on your computer (like myself), you nevertheless may be stuck buying the book in paperback form separately every bit a supplement.
Finally, y'all practise get a difficult copy version of the volume when you lot pay up for the Online Tutoring bundle. While this may be something to celebrate, when yous consider the price tag of this package, it shouldn't even be a question that the volume is included.
Interface and User Experience
The Kaplan user interface is absolutely start-rate. The digital platform is sleek, mod and very easy to navigate. There are just three tabs containing your report resource, making things very simple. And even within the largest section – the Learning Path – you tin easily find your tasks by drilling downward. And so the usability of this portal is fantastic.
The expect and feel are also peak notch. As expected with test prep behemoth Kaplan, everything is smooth and sleek. The platform is very visually appealing and there was zip effect with load speeds or lag times.
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No Real Supplemental Resource
Another small-scale weakness of this course is that there are no real supplemental resources. While other courses provide some cool study aids and side tools, similar flashcards and mobile apps, Kaplan just doesn't offer anything of existent value here. You lot do get an e-book with the Alive Online course, but other than that, there's just not much. I suppose I would similar to see Kaplan offer some extra resources here, similar flashcards or true/false drills perchance.
Kaplan ACT Tutoring
While I didn't personally apply whatever private tutoring from Kaplan, the option is definitely bachelor. Every bit referenced higher up, you can buy private tutoring packages in blocks of 10, 20, 30 or 40 hours. That said, these packages are not cheap. Starting at roughly $2,000, the tutoring packages are for the well-nigh serious students that need an elite score. On the point of pricing though, I would just note that no Human activity tutoring is going to be cheap. Most every tutor worth their table salt (and who is intimately knowledgeable almost your prep course resources) is going to charge an arm and a leg. Just brand sure you lot exercise all the math before getting scared off past the Kaplan toll tag (and factor in that the Kaplan price includes access to the prep course).
All of that said, I would look the Kaplan tutors to exist superb. If they are anything like the teacher I had for my Alive Online grade, they will near assuredly be Human activity masters and very approachable. My teacher was smart, open and very expert at explaining concepts. Again though, this is just my estimation based on my interaction with my instructor through the form. If you want a surefire 1:1 tutoring experience, I can personally recommend Testive, whose tutoring services I have used and found to exist phenomenal.
Content Access Periods
No affair which Kaplan grade choice you choose, you lot will get 6 months of admission to your materials. For most students, this should be enough of time, even if you programme to take the exam ii-3 times. 6 months may non sound like much, but even with but 30 minutes of studying per twenty-four hour period, you'll hands get through all of the material.
Does Kaplan Have a Mobile App?
Unfortunately, Kaplan doesn't offer a mobile app, despite that many other prep companies exercise. This is a piffling disappointing too, because when you search for Kaplan in the app store, they have apps for tons of other courses like the MCAT and bar exam. I am not sure why they don't likewise offer an ACT app, but this is a little disappointing.
Does Kaplan Accept a Higher Score Guarantee?
Similar to the mobile app issue, Kaplan does not offering a higher score guarantee, despite that competitors like Magoosh and Princeton Review offer one with their courses. Not but that, Kaplan offers a college score guarantee with a number of their other courses, so not sure why they don't offer i hither.
Kaplan Refund Policy
Although they practice not have a higher score guarantee, Kaplan does have a dainty refund policy if y'all change your listen within a couple days after purchasing their course. If circumstances change and you lot need to abolish your prep course, you tin do then within 3 days of signing up for a 100% refund.
Verdict: Kaplan Act Prep Course Review
The Kaplan ACT prep course is almost equally close to perfect as information technology comes with ACT prep. The form is highlighted by Kaplan'south direct partnership with Act, the makers of the exam. This exclusive do good gives Kaplan students access to real, previously used Deed questions and full-length exercise tests. This is where a meaning portion of Kaplan'due south Act value is derived. Only it doesn't end with all-time-in-class practice cloth.
Kaplan also offers some superb bite-sized video lessons, covering testing strategies and content review. These video lectures are short, engaging and incredibly informative. My i major complaint most the Kaplan grade is the lack of solutions/problem explanations around their do questions in the question bank. This somewhat hinders the review process after working do sets. But autonomously from this i flaw, it was very difficult to discover much to complain virtually with this grade. All in all, Kaplan hits an accented home run with their ACT prep packet and we rate this course very loftier.
Source: https://testprepinsight.com/reviews/kaplan-act-prep-review/
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