ACT Preparation
A managed ACT program built around the student's strengths, timing, and testing plan.
Ascension combines current-score analysis, one-on-one specialist instruction, pacing strategy, targeted practice, and written progress reporting into one coordinated ACT plan, delivered online, wherever your family is based. This is a private, managed program with limited enrollment, not isolated hourly tutoring.
The Test
The current ACT, in plain terms.
The ACT recently changed. Science is now optional, and the Composite score is built from three sections. These changes were introduced by ACT, the organization that administers the exam, which publishes official dates and rules at act.org. Here is how it works today.
35 minutes, 50 questions. Grammar, usage, and rhetorical skills.
50 minutes, 45 questions, now with four answer choices per question.
40 minutes, 36 questions. Close reading across passage types.
Optional
Science40 minutes, 40 questions. Data, experiments, and reasoning. Optional under the current ACT.
The Composite score is the average of English, Math, and Reading, rounded to the nearest whole number. Science is optional and is not part of the Composite; when taken, it is reported on its own and, with Math, forms a STEM score.
The core sections take about 125 minutes; adding Science brings the test to about 165 minutes. Sections and the Composite are reported on the 1 to 36 scale. An optional Writing essay is also available and does not affect the Composite.
Leadership
Section-specific specialists, coordinated under one plan.
Ascension's ACT preparation is led by two named specialists. Matt Murillo earned perfect scores on both the SAT and the ACT and sets the mathematics curriculum every Ascension instructor follows. Depending on the student's needs, a student may work primarily with one senior instructor or with a coordinated specialist team that shares a single plan.
Matt Murillo
ACT Math · Optional ACT SciencePauline Bordonaro
ACT English · ACT ReadingIn either model, the program runs on one roadmap, one progress record, targeted assignments, and consistent parent communication.
Outcomes
Measured results, reported honestly.
Average gain is measured across 86 ACT students who completed twelve or more hours of preparation, against a target defined at intake. Parent rating reflects 897+ verified client reviews. Outcomes are updated annually.
Gains depend on the starting point. A student beginning in the teens has more room than one already near 30, so here is what students typically see by starting tier.
| Starting Composite | Average gain | Reached target |
|---|---|---|
| Below 22 | +6.2 pts | 93% |
| 22 to 28 | +4.5 pts | 90% |
| 29 and above | +2.8 pts | 86% |
Starting Point
We start from reliable data about where the student stands.
The starting point may come from any of the following, chosen to fit the student's timeline:
- A recent official ACT
- A PreACT
- A full-length diagnostic
- Reliable section-level data
- A diagnostic completed early when immediate instruction needs to begin
No student is required to finish a full diagnostic before any instruction begins. The goal is an accurate starting point in the way that best fits the student.
The Program
How the ACT program works.
- Consultation and score-history review.Goals, timeline, and any past ACT or PreACT results.
- Diagnostic or current-score analysis.A diagnostic, or a read of recent results.
- Section-level and pacing analysis.Where points are won or lost, and where time runs short.
- Individual roadmap.A written plan with focus areas, sequence, and timeline.
- Consistent instruction.Specialist instruction on a steady schedule.
- Targeted assignments.Practice matched to current focus areas.
- Timed practice.Work under real timing to build pacing and stamina.
- Practice-test review.Full-length practice, reviewed by section.
- Parent communication.Written recaps and regular updates.
- Readiness and test-plan review.A clear read on readiness and the testing plan.
Curriculum
What preparation actually covers.
Section content
English grammar and rhetoric, Math reasoning across the tested topics, Reading across passage types, and, for students who take it, the data and experimental reasoning of the optional Science section.
Working under time
Pacing, stamina across a long test, strategic guessing, timing decisions within each section, and, where useful, section sequencing and test-day preparation.
On the ACT, how a student manages time often matters as much as what they know. Both are part of the plan.
Optional Science
The optional Science decision, made deliberately.
Science is optional under the current ACT. For some students it is worth preparing for; for others it is not. We make that call on purpose, not by default.
- Science is optional and is not part of the Composite score.
- It can be useful for students with STEM-leaning goals or where a STEM score helps.
- Ascension evaluates whether preparing for Science supports the student's specific goals.
- Because requirements vary, we help families check what a given program expects rather than assume it.
The Managed Model
How a managed program differs from traditional hourly tutoring.
Inside the Program
What families see along the way.
A written read of current scores or diagnostic results, by section.
The student's plan: focus areas, pacing goals, sequence, and timeline.
Short written notes covering what was worked on and what is next.
A section-by-section approach to timing and question order.
Specific practice between sessions, matched to current focus areas.
A review of full-length practice, by section and by timing.
A periodic summary of how section scores are trending.
Regular communication so families know where things stand.
Fit
Who the ACT program is built for.
- Students whose strengths fit the ACT
- Students who need pacing support
- Students with existing ACT or PreACT scores
- Students deciding between the SAT and ACT
- Students considering optional Science
- Students working toward a specific testing window
FAQ
ACT preparation questions, answered.
Is ACT Science required?
Does Science affect the Composite?
Can we begin with an existing ACT or PreACT score?
How do you decide between the SAT and ACT?
How often do students meet?
Is homework assigned?
How are parents updated?
Do students work with one or multiple instructors?
How long does ACT preparation take?
Build the right ACT plan.
We will review the student's current scores, section strengths, pacing, timeline, and testing goals, then recommend the most useful next step.