Prepare for the ACT® at James Madison University. Learn strategies to improve your score through our intense ACT preparation program.
All of our ACT Prep Class options include expert instruction, a proven format, all required course materials, access to diagnostic exams, and online support resources in one convenient, affordable package.
ACT Prep Classes Offer:
- Expert Instructors: Our test prep instructors are highly trained professionals. Our experienced instructors know the ACT and care about helping you achieve your goal.
- Proven Strategies: The ACT curriculum was developed by test-prep experts, who have years of experience writing test questions and preparing students for success.
- Online Support: Our online support package for both in-person and live-online ACT courses includes access to recordings of all class modules, an instructor-monitored question forum, and online office hours. Access to the student portal which contains these online resources continues through 120 days after your last scheduled day of class, so you will still have support for your independent practice after your course is over.
- Convenient Schedule Options: Live-Online classes provide alternative schedules and the added benefit of taking the class from anywhere in the world. In-person Test Prep courses are conveniently held on JMU's campus of in Harrisonburg, VA.
- Value: The course fee includes all student course materials, access to online resources, and instruction from a trained professional who cares about your success.
Choose the Format that Works for You!
ACT Blitz
Let JMU's ACT test-preparation program help you prepare for this important test! ACT Blitz classes, offered during the academic year, are strategically scheduled for the weeks leading up to the most popular ACT test dates. Classes are scheduled to allow time to practice new skills between sessions. Our multi-week course format allows abundant opportunities for learning and for interacting with our expert instructors. Classes include 16 hours of instruction, the official preparation guide with practice tests from ACT, a course workbook, and access to our online resources—class recordings, pre-recorded class modules, an instructor-monitored question forum, and online office hours. The ACT Blitz classes are currently offered live-online.
ACT Live-Online Summer Institutes
JMU's Test Prep’s Summer Institutes offer comprehensive preparation for the ACT. Our Summer Institutes are intensive test-preparation programs that provide the tools you need to prepare for and succeed on the ACT. They include 20 hours of instruction in a condensed format, convenient for students seeking to develop essential test-taking tools during the summer, when many students have more time available for practice. Courses include in-depth review of the test content, strategies for improving their scores, and a comprehensive study plan. You will receive 20 hours of expert instruction, the official preparation guide which includes practice tests from ACT, a course workbook, and access to our online resources—class recordings, pre-recorded class modules, an instructor-monitored question forum, and online office hours. Our live-online Summer Institutes provide the convenience of attending class from anywhere and a variety of summer schedules to fit your life.
The JMU ACT Blitz includes:
The ACT Prep Course includes:
- Expert classroom instruction
- Experienced, dedicated instructors
- Official preparation guide which includes practice tests from ACT
- Course workbook
- Thorough presentations and explanations
- Review of frequently tested topics
- Access to online support resources
Online Review Tools to Help You Stay at Your Peak!
ACT Prep courses are offered on campus in Harrisonburg and also live-online, giving you the option to choose the format that works best for you. Our on-campus classroom programs combine the familiar experience of an in-person classroom with convenient online support resources. Live-online courses offer the same great program as the in-person ACT Prep Courses with the added flexibility of attending class from any location. Our virtual classroom provides you with the opportunity to interact in real time with our expert instructors and to re-watch the recordings of your classes at your convenience through 120 days after your last scheduled class session.
Live-Online Office Hours
Weekly live-online office hours provide a convenient way for students to get individualized help with specific questions or concerns. The live-online office hours are free-form meetings open to all participants from both the on-campus and live-online ACT Prep Courses. The sessions are “drop-in” and student-directed, so there will not be a planned presentation for each session. Instead, our instructors will answer questions and work through problems in the order that they are received.
System Requirements:
ACT Live-Online Prep Courses and Live-Online Office Hours require Adobe Connect, a free application. All you need to participate in live-online courses or office hours are a high-speed internet connection and speakers or headphones.
Both The ACT Blitz and Summer Institute Cover:
Test Taking Strategies
- Use the process of elimination
- Master time-management skills
- Minimize test anxiety
- Identify common distractors
Quantitative Topics
- Practice solution techniques for problems containing variables
- Learn efficient approaches to complicated multi-step problems
- Discover tactics for translating difficult word problems into equations
Verbal Topics
- Identify correct idiomatic speech in sentence correction problems
- Understand the basic concepts of rhetorical construction
- Learn which grammar errors are most frequently tested
- Understand which part of the passage to read for reading comprehension questions
- Recognize the difference between global and local test items
- Identify passages written from the journalistic and engaged perspectives
Science Reasoning Topics
- Identify parameters for test items involving graphs and charts
- Interpolate or extrapolate answers from data given in tables
- Recognize the point of an experiment in research summary items
About Our Program:
James Madison University's Test Prep program is partnered with Educational Testing Consultants, a leader in higher education test preparation. Each year, Educational Testing Consultants helps thousands of students prepare for the important pre-college standardized tests at major colleges and universities across the United States. Educational Testing Consultants provides a proven program with a record of success and highly trained, top-quality instructors.
Request a Custom ACT Prep Course or Presentation
JMU Test Prep also offers customized ACT Prep programs for schools, nonprofit organizations, and community groups. If you are a high school principal, guidance counselor, admissions department, or community leader and would like details about our custom programs or would like to request a presentation, please email our professional staff at testprep@jmu.edu.
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