Best ACT Prep Apps

Candidates who are interested in clearing the ACT exam will be required to prepare extensively in order to crack the test. While most students will opt for learning from prep books, students who have been familiarized with online classes and using social media apps might find it more convenient to prep from ACT apps. These apps can be considered to be good substitutes for prep books as long as the student will stick to the app and its content without getting distracted.

Even if candidates are preparing for the test using the best prep books, installing ACT prep apps will be beneficial in letting them carry the test materials wherever they go. Students will be able to learn for the exam in an interactive manner that can seem less stressful than cramming from heavy books.

Why Choose an ACT Prep App?

ACT prep apps are an alternative that is gaining popularity among test takers who want an interactive way to prep for the test. The main reason why test-takers choose prep apps is due to the lack of heavy prep books they have to lug around until they clear the exam. While a prep book will help the student remain focused and provide lesser chances for distraction, a prep app can be both enjoyable and easily portable irrespective of where the candidate is at. They will be able to prep for the examination wherever they are as long as they have their phone or tablet.

Most of the ACT prep apps provide features like-

• realistic practice questions
• interactive explanations
• detailed content instruction
• detailed test format

Top 7 ACT Prep Apps

A few of the best ACT prep apps include-

ACT Online Prep

This mobile app is provided by the official non-profit organization that conducts the exam. Students who download this app will be able to access the entirety of the program through their mobile app and use it in a flexible manner that suits their chosen learning path. Most of the content for the exam is taught through engaging games that students will be able to play with other students. These games will help them understand where they stand with respect to other test takers.

The features included with the prep app are-

• Students will be able to access 2 full-length tests to familiarize themselves with the ACT format
• Students will be able to access additional practice questions
• Students will be able to take diagnostic tests
• There are gaming features that allow students to compete with friends
• They will be able to track their learning progress at both individual and aggregate levels
• Students will be able to track the time they have spent on the app
• The app contains a classroom within which teachers can assign work for students to enhance their learning
• The teachers will also be able to recognize the areas in which the class needs help

Students will be able to purchase this online prep for $40. It is considered to be equal to two prep books and has the added benefit of being the official app that one can invest in.

Magoosh ACT Flashcards

This app by Magoosh offers flashcards that candidates can learn from for the different sections of the test. The only section that does not have flashcards dedicated to it is the Reading section. Students will be able to access the flashcards through an iPhone, Android, or through the web from anywhere, they are and learn on the go rather than make flashcards themselves. The three stages that every card has in the app are Learning, Reviewing, and Mastered which indicates where the candidate stands in their knowledge for the exam.

The size of the app is 9.2 MB and the current rating for it is 4.6. The features offered include-

• There are 216 flashcards for the subjects of English, Mathematics, and Science that students can access free of cost.
• Upon paying a nominal fee, they will be able to access the premium version of the program and access 700 flashcards.
• Students will also be able to make use of the video lessons and articles regarding study tips that can be of immense help.
• Students will be able to sync their learning progress across devices making it more convenient for them.

Ready4 ACT

Students will be able to download and access this ACT prep app for free. They will be able to access the app through Android, iPad, and iPhone as long as they are above the age of 18. The skills that are mainly developed through the app include critical thinking and thinking & reasoning. Though the app is free, students will not have to put up with in-app purchases or in-app advertising.

A few of the features include-

• Provides over 1,500 questions for practice with detailed answers
• Contains hundreds of flashcards
• Also provides a score analysis in detail for no charge
• The app will track the candidate’s performance over time and provide reviews of the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses
• The subjects that are covered include Reading Comprehension, English, Science, and Mathematics.

Varsity Tutors’ ACT App

This app is a comprehensive package of what a student required for ACT prep. The app provides online learning tools and even flashcards from which students will be able to comfortably learn. It focuses on making students understand the content and format of the test along with the test-taking strategies that can benefit the student.

The features provided in the app include-

• The app contains different full-length practice tests.
• Students will be able to choose from the separate sections provided for English, Reading, Mathematics, and Sciences.
• The questions provided have the exact format chosen by the official test.
• Students will be able to access flashcards through the app for subjects like reading, writing, Earth Science, Physics, etc.
• The flashcards that are provided can be in the form of audio, video, or text-based on what the student is comfortable with.
• Students will be able to customize the flashcards according to their wishes.
• The app contains diagnostic tests for every section.

ACT: Practice, Prep, Flashcards

This app is also provided by the Varsity Tutors and has a rating of 4.8. The size of the app is just 17 MB and the subjects that are covered in the app include English, Mathematics, Science, Reading, and Writing. The features in the app include-

• There are full-length practice tests included in the app.
• Students will be able to access the flashcards for every individual subject.
• The flashcards are provided according to subjects like chemistry, trigonometry, biology, grammatical errors, etc.
• There is a Learn by Concept feature that students can use to take practice questions for every individual concept separately

ACT Prep for Dummies

This app is free and focuses on one’s weak areas so they can improve their scores. It covers all subject areas like English, Mathematics, Science, and Reading Comprehension. Along with content and format knowledge, students will also be able to learn about test-taking strategies for the examination which is not so common among prep apps. The size of the app is 97 MB and it is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. It contains in-app purchases.

A few of the features include-

• Students can access over 950 practice questions
• Provides full-length practice tests
• Provides details for test-taking strategies that students can learn from.

The cost of the app is $4.99 if candidates are buying from Google Play and it is free for candidates using Apple Store in the beginning. Students will have to purchase the premium content they offer eventually which will depend on the feature they are requesting for.

The Grading Game

This app is more of a language learning game app than it is an ACT prep app. But using the app will be of immense help to students who are struggling with the Reading Comprehension and English sections of the test. The size of the app is 36.5 MB and it can be accessed with an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or a Mac. The price of using the app is $0.99.

The features include-

• Students will have to play a game where they have to identify as many run-ons, wrong words, and spelling/grammar errors within a set time limit.
• There are over 100 topics that the sentences will be based on.
• It contains a practice mode where students can focus on a particular kind of language error until they learn it
• The first 12 levels of the game are free after which they will have to pay a fee to unlock more levels and learn more.

Are ACT Prep Apps Enough?

While ACT prep apps are gaining popularity among new students, the apps cannot entirely be considered to be at the peak of their performance. The idea of creating an app for test prep is still at the beginning stages of execution and hence has a few drawbacks that test takers must consider before relying entirely on the app for preparing.

Most of the best ACT apps lack enough practice questions. This does not imply that the apps do not provide practice questions. Students will often have to incessantly practice as part of their prep routine to get the score they desire and the apps might not be the best place to find materials for the same. The apps are also not set to meet the skill levels of the candidate and provide customized learning for the candidate. This can be a setback for candidates who wish to focus on certain aspects of their prep more than others.