If you searched for AI ACT prep, this page is about the ACT college entrance exam, not the European Union’s AI law. The ACT changed in 2025. It is shorter, the math questions have four answer choices, and Science is now optional and left out of the Composite score. The prep companies here all say they have updated for this Enhanced ACT, and many of the “best ACT prep” pages that rank are written by those same companies. Acely’s guide puts Acely first and PrepScholar’s guide puts PrepScholar first.
Since every banner says “updated”, the banner tells you very little. The vendors’ own pages tell you more. One says Science is not part of its ACT prep while its course page says it is. One ACT homepage promises a gain of 100 points on a test scored from 1 to 36. One ACT page still advertises SAT questions. This guide compares six tools against ACT’s free material on what the AI does, whether the product matches the current test, what happens with Science, and what the guarantee really covers.
How we put this together. We have not used these tools ourselves; this is a research-based comparison. Every price, rating and feature below comes from the vendor’s own website, act.org, or the app’s US App Store and Google Play listing, read on 5 November 2026, and each source is linked. All prices were shown in US dollars. Score claims are the vendors’ own, and we make no claim about any tool’s effect on scores. None of these companies paid to appear on this page.
What the Enhanced ACT looks like now
ACT writes the test, so its own pages are the reference for everything else here. Use this table to check any product before you pay for it.
| Section | Questions | Minutes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 50 | 35 | Required, counts toward Composite |
| Math | 45 | 50 | Required, counts toward Composite |
| Reading | 36 | 40 | Required, counts toward Composite |
| Science | 40 | 40 | Optional, $5 add-on, separate score |
| Writing | 1 prompt | 40 | Optional, $25 add-on, separate score |
Section figures come from ACT’s test overview, which says “The science and writing sections are optional and do not affect your Composite score.” Adding up the table gives 125 minutes and 131 questions for the core test, or 165 minutes and 171 questions with Science. ACT’s own posts describe the cut differently: its counselor blog says 75 minutes shorter and its higher education post says 70, both with 44 fewer questions. Trust the section table, because that is what you will sit.
When the change happened
ACT’s K-12 FAQ gives the rollout. The enhanced test reached national online testing in April 2025 and national paper testing in September 2025, and all ACT tests have used the three-section Composite since September 2025. State and district testing followed in spring 2026. So anything still teaching five-choice math, or counting Science in your Composite, is out of date for every test date you can now book.
Science: the decision no app can make for you
On a Saturday test you choose. The fee page lists the ACT at $70, Science at $5 and Writing at $25, and either add-on “Can be added or removed through the late deadline.” ACT’s post for colleges says “Colleges will determine whether the science or writing sections are mandated based on their program requirements”, so check your college list first, especially for STEM programs. On a school-day test you may not get the choice, because ACT’s FAQ says what is administered stays “at the contract level”, meaning your state or district decides.
This matters when you buy prep. If you will sit Science, confirm the product teaches it. If you will not, a product that lets you skip those lessons saves you time.
Paper or computer, and test dates
You can choose paper or computer on a national test date. ACT’s online testing page says the online version is not a remote exam and must be taken at a test center, so you cannot sit it at home. Paper testers cannot use scratch paper, and online testers can. Practise in the format you will actually sit.
ACT’s test dates page lists 12 December 2026 next, with registration until 9 November, late registration until 29 November and first scores on 22 December. After that come 27 February, 10 April, 12 June and 10 July 2027. Late registration costs $42 extra.
What ACT gives you for free
ACT’s free prep page offers four official full-length practice tests, digital (timed or untimed) or as paper booklets with scoring keys, plus a fifth paper booklet, section samples, QuizMe quizzes and a daily question through a free MyACT account. The Practice Test 2 booklet we read follows the enhanced format, with 45 math questions and a Composite averaged from three sections. There is no AI in any of this, and the online version erases your answers if you close the page, so finish a section in one sitting.
ACT’s paid partner is Kaplan. The Self-Paced course costs $179 for six months, with 35 lessons, “3 official practice tests from the makers of the ACT exam (more coming soon!)” and “2,000+ official ACT questions”. The Live Online class costs $649, and ACT’s Kaplan page lists tutoring at $849. We found no AI tutor on the Kaplan course pages we read. One useful detail: ACT’s prep page says students who register with a fee waiver “automatically receive free access” to the self-paced course, so ask your counselor before you buy anything.
AI ACT prep tools compared
| Tool | What the AI does | Price (5 November 2026) | Official ACT questions | Science | Free way in | Score guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT free prep and Kaplan (benchmark) | No AI on the pages we read | Free, or Kaplan $179 for 6 months | Yes | Yes in ACT’s tests | Four official tests | ACT none; Kaplan mentions a Higher Score Guarantee, check its terms |
| Magoosh | Chat tutor, performance coaching, essay grader | $129 for 12 months | Yes, under license | Yes | 7-day trial | 4 points, must have tested before |
| Acely | Chat tutor with hints and explanations | $149 a month, $297 a quarter, $588 a year | Yes, plus its own | Yes | Free account, no card; 3-day trial with card | 5 points, start at 26 or below |
| Achievable | Chat tutor | $99 once, 1 year | No, its own | Yes | First lessons, no card | 4 to 6 points by starting score |
| PrepScholar | Question-led assistant, on the dearer plan | $397 without AI, $495 with AI | 4 official tests in a mailed book | Yes, can opt out | 5-day trial with card | 4 points, or 34 from 31 and above |
| Crimsora | Live voice tutor | $29 a month founding rate, $49 regular | No, its own | Yes | First unit, 15 minutes live | None listed |
| UWorld | No AI tutor found; says no AI-written questions | Question bank from $99, course from $299 | No, its own | Its pages disagree | 7-day trial, no card | None found |
Prices are single payments before promo codes, read on 5 November 2026. “Official ACT questions” reflects each vendor’s own statement.
How we chose and ordered these
A tool had to describe a real AI feature for ACT prep in its own words, show a price, and say it covers the current test. We ordered them by how much AI help you get for the money, whether official ACT questions are included, and how plainly the vendor states its terms. UWorld is the exception: it is here as the comparison for readers who want no AI-written content. Products that did not hold up are listed further down with the reason.
The six AI ACT prep tools
1. Magoosh: an AI tutor and official questions for $129
Price: $129 for 12 months, or four payments of $32.25 (plans). Free way in: 7-day free trial.
What the AI does. Magoosh lists three AI features: “Chat with an AI expert trained on lessons and content”, an AI tutor that “analyzes your performance and provides personalized recommendations”, and an essay grader, in its words, that “grades your essay like a real ACT rater”. The grader is useful only if you are taking Writing, and that comparison to a real rater is the vendor’s claim.
What else you get. Magoosh says it features official ACT questions “created by ACT and used under license”, more than 6,600 of them, plus 250 video lessons. The plan is self-paced and includes Science. The plans page lists “33 full-length, official practice tests”, while the iPhone listing says “up to 11” and “2,000+ official ACT questions”, so ask how many you will actually get. The app had 4.7 stars from 2,869 ratings and was updated on 20 August 2026.
Enhanced ACT check. Magoosh’s Enhanced ACT page says lessons, questions and tests “have already been updated”, and its section table matches ACT’s. But the same page is still headed “The Enhanced ACT is coming to a test-center near you!”, and the homepage says “by 100 points or your money back”, which cannot be an ACT score. That looks like leftover copy, and it is a reason to read the guarantee page rather than the banner.
Guarantee and terms. The score guarantee is a 4-point increase “if you originally scored a 30 or below”. You must have taken the exam before and send your earlier score report when you sign up, so first-time test takers do not qualify. Plans “do not renew or auto-renew”, and there is a 7-day money-back period. A 20% code, FLANNEL, was showing until Monday 9 November.
Choose it if you want an AI tutor and official questions at a low one-off price. Skip it if you need the guarantee on your first ACT.
2. Acely: an AI tutor plus official questions, at a subscription price
Price: $149 a month, $297 a quarter or $588 a year (pricing). Free way in: a free account with no card includes one full ACT test and 10 practice questions; the 3-day trial needs a card.
What the AI does. Acely offers an “AI tutor with hints & explanations” alongside a study plan that updates as you practise. Its blog says the tutor is trained on Acely’s own ACT question bank and restricted to ACT topics.
What else you get. Acely calls itself “a preferred test prep provider of the ACT”, and its footer says the two “have partnered to bring official ACT content into Acely.” It lists 20 full-length ACT practice tests and 6,000 ACT questions, mixing official questions with its own. Every plan also covers the SAT, so it suits students who have not chosen a test yet. Parents get a portal showing activity and billing.
Enhanced ACT check. Acely’s Enhanced ACT page says its tests are “updated to the 2026 enhanced format” and let you take optional Science. One line is off: it lists a “Completely digital version” as a change, while its own FAQ and ACT both say you can choose paper. If you are sitting the test on paper, add a paper practice test from ACT.
Guarantee and terms. The guarantee is a refund if you do not gain 5 points, and the conditions are long. You need an official score of 26 or lower from the last three months, submitted within your first week, plus 90 days of continuous paid subscription, 500 ACT questions, 10 full-length Acely tests, every mistake corrected, and an official retest within 60 days of your subscription ending. There are no pro-rated refunds if you cancel, and Acely asks you to cancel at least one business day before the next bill.
Choose it if you want plenty of practice with official questions, and may also try the SAT. Skip it if you are prepping for one test date, since three months costs more than double Magoosh’s full year.
3. Achievable: a low one-off price and a simple guarantee
Price: $99 once for a full year (ACT course). Free way in: first lessons free, no card.
What the AI does. “Ask Achievable” is an AI tutor that, in Achievable’s words, “replies immediately with clear explanations and additional examples” and is “fine-tuned to the exam’s structure, content, terminology, and common pitfalls”. The company also says all its content “clears expert pedagogical review”. Its math practice is generated from more than 150 question templates rather than a fixed bank, which gives you far more repetitions but is not the same as official questions.
What else you get. Three full-length practice tests and 1,400+ practice questions with explanations, an adaptive study plan and a mobile-friendly site. It is a smaller library than Magoosh or Acely. Achievable says “ACT is not involved with or affiliated with Achievable”, so these are its own questions.
Enhanced ACT check. Its tests are described as having “the real test’s English, Math, Reading and Science sections, question counts and time limits”, and the page lists the correct fees ($70, plus $25 for Writing and $5 for Science). Science is covered as an optional section.
Guarantee and terms. The promise is 6 points for starting scores below 20, 5 points from 20 to 25, and 4 points from 25 to 30, “or your money back”. The page adds “No study time requirements or study progress thresholds are needed to qualify”, which is simpler than any other guarantee here. We could not find full written terms for it, so ask for them before relying on it, and note that the page gives no promise for scores above 30.
Choose it if you want an AI tutor for a low one-off price, with fewer strings attached. Skip it if you want official ACT questions or more than three full tests.
4. PrepScholar: the AI is a $98 upgrade
Price: $397 without AI, $495 with AI, one year of access (ACT prep). Free way in: a 5-day money-back trial, with a pending charge on your card.
What the AI does. The AI Learning Assistant “guides you step-by-step using a question-based teaching approach” and is meant to offer “guidance without giving away the solution”. PrepScholar says it is “trained specifically for ACT”. It sits only on the $495 plan and above, and the $397 plan does not list it, so check which one you are buying. The $895 live class package includes it.
What else you get. A 60-question diagnostic, a weekly plan, 54 skill lessons, 3,000+ practice questions and progress emails. It uses four official practice tests from a book it mails to you, and it advises against taking them in the publisher’s online portal, because they do not mimic the real test. If you are testing on a computer, read its note on that first.
Enhanced ACT check. PrepScholar gives more detail on the change than most vendors here. It describes “54 refreshed skill lessons”, “3,000+ brand-new practice questions” and math “fully rewritten for the 4-choice format”. You can also opt out of Science lessons if you are skipping that section.
Guarantee and terms. If you start under 31, you need a 4-point gain. If you start at 31 or higher, you need to reach 34. You must complete every assigned lesson and practice test, have an official ACT or PreACT score from the previous four years, take an official ACT within 60 days of finishing, and ask within 360 days of purchase. ACT must send your score report directly. It is limited to one refund per household, and scores are compared on the same sections, so Science cannot skew the comparison.
Choose it if you want a fully guided plan and a detailed Enhanced ACT rebuild, and the price is fine. Skip it if the AI is the main thing you want, since Magoosh and Achievable include one for far less.
5. Crimsora: a tutor you talk to
Price: $29 a month founding rate, $49 regular (pricing). Free way in: first unit of every course and 15 minutes of live tutoring.
What the AI does. Crimsora describes “a voice-first AI tutor” that teaches the ACT “one concept at a time”, working live rather than through typed chat. Its tutoring is called unlimited, with a published fair-use limit of 30 hours of live voice sessions a month.
What else you get. The ACT course covers English, Math, Reading and Science, and one subscription also unlocks its AP, SAT and school courses. The footer says “Original instructional content; not affiliated with or endorsed by the College Board or ACT, Inc.”, so its questions are its own. As with its SAT course, the tutors are AI personas with names and stated experience, which families should understand.
Enhanced ACT check. Its practice tests page says its mocks match the enhanced ACT and notes that Science is now optional.
Guarantee and terms. No score guarantee listed. The $29 rate stays “locked in while you stay subscribed”, and you can cancel at any time from your billing page, keeping access until the end of the paid period.
Choose it if the real problem is understanding concepts and you learn better by talking them through. Skip it if you need official questions or a guarantee. Timing practice still belongs on full official tests.
6. UWorld: the comparison with no AI-written questions
Price: question bank $99 for 30 days, $149 for 90, $199 for 180, $249 for 360; course $299, $349, $399 and $449 for the same lengths. Free way in: 7-day free trial, no card.
What the AI does. We found no AI tutor on its ACT pages, and it rules out AI-written questions: “UWorld does not use AI-generated questions or unreviewed third-party content.” We list it because some families will want exactly that. It sells detailed visual explanations, with questions it says are written by experienced educators.
What else you get. 2,500+ ACT-style questions with detailed explanations, an analytics dashboard, flashcards, and videos and study guides on the course. The question bank has no full-length mock exam; the course has one, with a one-time reset on 180 and 360 day plans. The iPhone app had 4.3 stars from 79 ratings, and the Android app had 4.2 stars from 284 reviews.
Enhanced ACT check. UWorld’s main ACT page says “100% Aligned with the Enhanced ACT”, but its pages disagree on Science. An FAQ there says “ACT Science is optional, not scored in the composite, and not currently part of UWorld’s ACT prep resources.” Its course and question bank pages say practice runs “across English, Math, Reading, and optional Science”. If you are sitting Science, check this in the free week.
Guarantee and terms. We found no score guarantee. Refunds are “evaluated on a case-by-case basis”, with a processing fee of 10% (minimum $10), and purchases made inside the app go through Apple.
Choose it if you learn from thorough written explanations and do not want AI involved. Skip it if you want a tutor to chat with, or need one full-length mock from the question bank alone.
What we left out, and why
Smartschool’s ACT Prep 2026 looks like an AI ACT app. Its iPhone listing, released in May 2026 with 106 ratings, offers AI tutors called Mark and Ivy, with in-app plans from $49.99 for one month to $119.99 for six, and claims “an average increase of 6+ points within 6 weeks”. But its ACT web page still lists “5000+ SAT Questions”, a “200+ Score Guarantee” and “2026 Bluebook Format Aligned”, all SAT terms. We could not reconcile that with the app listing, so we left it out.
The Princeton Review sells an ACT Self-Paced course at $299 with five Enhanced ACT practice tests and a 14-day free trial, under a better scores guarantee, but its ACT pages describe no AI. Its AI essay feedback at $19.99 is for homework essays. Khan Academy is the free SAT default, but we found no ACT course. A community forum post asked for one, and the staff reply in January 2025 only promised to pass the feedback along. AlphaTest counts its questions across SAT and ACT together, with no ACT figure, and its listing made no Enhanced ACT statement. OnePrep has ACT in its title, but its listing describes only the SAT. Store apps with a handful of ratings were too thin to verify.
What three months of prep costs
Yearly prices flatter tools you will stop using after the test, so this table compares the cheapest way to cover a three-month study window.
| Tool | Cheapest way to cover 3 months | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| ACT free prep | Free | $0 |
| Crimsora | 3 months at the founding rate | $87 |
| Achievable | One-year purchase | $99 |
| Magoosh | 12-month plan | $129 |
| UWorld question bank | 90-day plan | $149 |
| Kaplan Self-Paced | 6-month course | $179 |
| Acely | Quarterly plan | $297 |
| UWorld course | 90-day plan | $349 |
| PrepScholar with AI | One-year program | $495 |
From published prices on 5 November 2026, before promotions. Acely’s yearly plan is $588, and its quarterly plan renews until you cancel.
How to choose an AI ACT prep tool
Start with an official test
Take a free ACT practice test under real timing, including Science if you might sit it. You get a starting score, and you can see whether your weak spot is content, timing or stamina. Those need different tools.
Run a two-minute check for stale products
Look for 45 math questions with four answer choices, a Composite from English, Math and Reading only, and Science described as optional. Then look for leftovers: SAT terms on an ACT page, a points claim that does not fit a 1 to 36 scale, or wording that says the new test is still coming. A leftover does not prove the course is out of date, but it tells you how closely the company checks its pages.
Decide what you want the AI to do
If you want to ask questions as you practise, Magoosh, Acely, Achievable and PrepScholar all have chat help, and PrepScholar’s is built to answer with questions. If you learn by talking, Crimsora’s tutor works by voice. If you are taking Writing, Magoosh’s essay grader is the ACT-specific option we found here. Only ACT writes official questions, so no AI feature here replaces them.
Know where official questions come from
Kaplan, Magoosh and Acely say they have official questions through arrangements with ACT, and PrepScholar supplies official tests in a book. Achievable, Crimsora and UWorld write their own. For concepts and drilling, that may not matter. For a final check of your readiness, use official tests, and ACT gives four away.
Read the guarantee before counting on it
Magoosh excludes first-time testers. Acely needs a recent official score of 26 or lower and a long task list. PrepScholar requires every assigned lesson and test. Achievable’s headline has the fewest conditions, but we could not find written terms. Even when one pays out, you get back the course fee, not the ACT fee or the months you spent.
Use general chatbots carefully
A general AI chatbot can explain a math concept or a grammar rule free of charge, but it may answer from the old test format or simply be wrong. Check its answers against an official explanation. For wider study help, see our guides to AI tutoring apps and AI tools for high school students.
Watch out for prep scams
ACT’s prep page warns about people misusing its name, and says “ACT does not use email, postal, or telephone campaigns to sell third party test prep resources or services”. If a call or email claims to come from ACT and offers paid prep, treat it as suspect.
Still choosing between tests? Our guide to AI SAT prep apps covers the other side, including Acely, UWorld and Crimsora at the same prices. If AP exams fall in the same year, see our AP exam prep guide.
Verdict
Start with ACT’s four free official tests, and check for a fee waiver, which brings the Kaplan course free. If you then want AI help, Magoosh gives you an AI tutor, an essay grader and official questions at $129 for a year with no auto-renewal, as long as you look past its untidy homepage. Achievable is the low-cost pick at $99 if you can live without official questions. Acely makes sense if you will really use 20 tests and may also try the SAT. PrepScholar’s page is detailed about the Enhanced ACT, though the AI costs $98 extra on an already high price. Crimsora suits students who need concepts talked through, and UWorld suits those who want explanations and no AI-written questions, once you have checked what it does with Science.
Sources
- ACT: test overview, test dates, fees, K-12 FAQ on the enhanced ACT, counselor blog, higher education post, online testing, test prep, free practice tests, Practice Test 2, ACT and Kaplan.
- Kaplan: Self-Paced, Live Online.
- Magoosh: ACT homepage, plans, score guarantee, Enhanced ACT, US App Store listing.
- Acely: ACT prep, Enhanced ACT, pricing, guarantee, best ACT prep guide.
- Achievable: ACT course. PrepScholar: ACT prep, best ACT courses guide.
- Crimsora: ACT course, pricing, practice tests.
- UWorld: ACT prep, course, question bank, US App Store listing, Google Play listing.
- Left out: Smartschool app, Smartschool ACT page, Princeton Review ACT Self-Paced, its guarantee, its AI essay feedback, AlphaTest, OnePrep, Khan Academy community post.
- All pages and store listings read 5 November 2026.
Written by
FazFaz is the founder of AIToolsBakery. Some tools here are tested hands on. Others are assessed from vendor documentation and pricing verified on the live page, and every review says which one it is. Sponsors can buy a position in a guide. They cannot buy the score, the criticism, or silence about a better option.
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