TestMasters ACT Prep Courses and Tutoring

TestMasters has taught prep courses since 1991. Every TestMasters ACT course carries a written 4-point composite score increase guarantee, and every course teaches the same syllabus whether you take it in a classroom, live online, on demand, or one-on-one. This page covers the enhanced ACT, the 2026-27 test dates, what each course includes and costs, and how to choose between them. We make you the master of the test, and we put that promise in writing.

The ACT in 2026: the enhanced test

The ACT changed more between 2025 and 2026 than in the previous thirty years. The enhanced ACT reached national online testing in April 2025, national paper testing in September 2025, and state and district testing in spring 2026. It is shorter, Science is optional, and students get noticeably more time per question.

Format

The core test is 131 questions in 125 minutes, and the Composite (1 to 36) is now the average of English, Mathematics and Reading only. Science, if taken, is reported separately with a STEM score. Reading passages are shorter and the Mathematics section has four answer choices instead of five. Paper and online versions both exist; online scores come back faster.

Should you take Science?

Usually yes: it costs a few dollars and forty minutes, engineering and science programs often want the STEM score, and some scholarships still ask for it. Skip it only if you have confirmed no school on your list wants it.

2026-27 test dates and score releases

Registration closes about five weeks before each date at act.org. Dates are ACT’s and can change; confirm when you register.

TestMasters ACT course options

One syllabus, one set of materials, one guarantee. Only the delivery changes.

ACT Classroom Course

Ten classes of three hours each, taught in person at our Houston-area locations by instructors who each teach the section they know best, with four months of free weekly Exam Club sessions for extra practice. See the classroom course; group discounts of up to $100 per person.

ACT Live Online Course

The same ten classes taught live over Zoom, materials shipped to your door, practice tests proctored by a live instructor. See the live online course.

ACT On-Demand Online Course

The complete course on video, to watch, pause and replay on your own schedule. The on-demand course is $699; take the SAT on-demand course as well and save $200 on the pair.

ACT Private 1-on-1 Course

The full course taught to one student, live online, at our office, or at your home in the Houston area. The private course is $2,999; a half course covering only math and science or only English, reading and writing is $1,799.

ACT Tutoring by the hour

Two-hour sessions, seven days a week, for a student losing points in one identifiable place. See ACT tutoring.

ACT Custom Group Course

Schools and groups of 15 or more can arrange a custom course on their own campus or online, on their own calendar.

What every TestMasters ACT course includes

• A 4-point composite score increase guarantee, in writing.
• More than 1,200 pages of course materials built on real, released ACT questions and rebuilt for the enhanced test.
• Full-length ACT practice exams with computer-scored feedback.
• Instructors who specialize in one section and teach it repeatedly, and who take the ACT themselves.
• Flexible make-ups for missed classroom sessions.

The TestMasters 4-point guarantee

Attend every class, do the assigned work, and your Composite rises by at least 4 points between the first day of the course and the official ACT. If it does not, the additional instruction that follows is free. On a 36-point scale, four points is the difference between a good application and a scholarship conversation.

How TestMasters teaches the enhanced ACT

English

Fifty questions in 35 minutes on grammar, punctuation and rhetoric. The course teaches the rules the ACT actually tests, which are fewer than students fear, and the reading habit that catches them at speed.

Mathematics

Forty-five questions in 50 minutes from pre-algebra through trigonometry, now with four choices each. The course rebuilds the content in the order the test weights it and teaches when to solve, when to back-solve, and when to move on.

Reading

Shorter passages, 36 questions, 40 minutes. The course teaches reading for structure and locating evidence, so that every question sends you to the right lines instead of the whole passage.

Science, if you take it

It is a data-reading test, not a science test. The course teaches how to read a graph or table quickly, how to handle conflicting-viewpoint passages, and how to protect your time.

Practice and pacing

Full-length practice exams under test conditions, scored by computer, so the real thing is a repeat of something you have already done.

When to start

Most of the ACT is 9th- and 10th-grade material. Start as soon as you have finished Algebra II, take the first ACT in the spring of junior year, and retake in the fall of senior year if you want to. Colleges superscore or take your best, so you control what they see.

ACT preparation in Houston

Classroom courses meet at our Houston-area locations, with private courses at our office or your home and hourly tutoring seven days a week. See ACT course options in Houston for current schedules, or choose your state on the map above.

Frequently asked questions

ACT or SAT?

Every college accepts both. The ACT suits students who read quickly and prefer straightforward questions; the SAT suits students who like fewer, deeper questions. Take a practice test of each and compare; TestMasters teaches both.

What is a good ACT score?

The national average is about 20. A 24 is roughly the 75th percentile, a 30 the 93rd, and 34 or above is the range selective schools report as their middle 50 percent.

Is the Writing test needed?

Most colleges no longer require it. Check each school, because it cannot be added after the fact.

More questions are answered on the ACT FAQ page.

How do I register for an ACT prep course?

Students can register for TestMasters ACT courses online or call (281) 276-7777. For private ACT courses, register online or call the same number.