ACT, Inc. and Kaplan Test Prep Partner to Make High-Quality Live Online Teaching Accessible for All Students

SAN DIEGO, CA (April 18, 2016) -- ACT, Inc., maker of the ACT® test, the nation’s most popular college readiness test, and Kaplan Test Prep, the world leader in test preparation, today announced a collaboration to create the only online ACT preparation program offering live, content-based instruction from teachers. The program will be available at no cost to low-income students and to all students at a significantly lower cost than traditional prep programs. Kaplan will become the exclusive, official partner for live, online prep for the ACT test.

The new program, ACT® Kaplan Online Prep Live, will give students access to live, online, content-based courses taught by master teachers who can answer student questions and provide interactive instructional help in real time. The platform also will include recorded sessions that students can access on demand on any device.

The program will combine ACT’s extensive research and experience in measuring college and career readiness with Kaplan’s unparalleled expertise in test preparation, learning science, digital learning and live instruction. It will focus on developing students’ academic skills and knowledge.

The program will cost less than $200 and will be provided for free to low-income students who register for the ACT with a fee waiver. It will be available in the fall.

All four-year colleges and universities across the country accept the ACT test, which is taken by more than three million students annually, making it the most widely taken college admissions exam in the U.S.  For the 2014-2015 academic year, ACT provided ACT test fee waivers valued at $34.4 million to more than 700,000 low-income students.

“We know that great teaching helps to improve student outcomes in school and beyond, and we want to make sure that all students have access to quality learning opportunities,” said Marten Roorda, ACT, chief executive officer. “This ground-breaking program will help students perform their best not only on test day, but also in the classroom. We saw the need for a high-quality, engaging, live teaching experience that connects students with expert instructors through virtual classroom technology. Kaplan is the only organization with the instructional experience and digital expertise to deliver such a quality program with both synchronous and asynchronous learning options, deliverable on any device.”

“With more students now taking the ACT, we wanted to make the best preparation available at the lowest cost possible,” said Lee Weiss, vice president of college admissions programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “Our programs are based on extensive research that shows what works with high school students. We know that many learn best when they have two-way interactions with teachers and peers.  Students not only need engaging instruction, but also the ability to ask questions and interact with a caring, motivating, and dynamic expert teacher.” 

Informed by feedback and results from multiple student pilots, ACT® Kaplan Online Prep Live will be the only program to combine:

●      Official study resources and assessments from ACT that help students focus on the academic skills that are important for success in college and career

●      Access to Kaplan Test Prep’s top expert instructors, available for questions and help

●      Real questions from a full-length ACT test

●      Live sessions and on demand videos available on any device students choose, from desktop to laptop to mobile

●      A social community of teachers and peers to offer answers, support and encouragement outside of classroom hours

Free live streaming teaching events will also be available to students. The first event, “Understanding Your ACT Scores and What to Do Next,” will be held on Saturday April 30, 2016, 2:00-3:00 pm EDT and will focus on helping students understand their ACT score reports.

ACT and Kaplan Test Prep will be hosting a live online press conference today at www.act.org/news/announcement at 12:30 pm EDT
/ 10:30 am CDT / 9:30  am PDT.

®ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc.

About ACT, Inc.

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa, ACT is the nation’s leader in college and career readiness, providing high-quality achievement assessments grounded in more than 50 years of research and experience. ACT offers a uniquely integrated set of solutions that empower individuals with insights to succeed from elementary school through career. To learn more about ACT, go to www.act.org.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses.  Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services. Additionally, Kaplan offers new economy skills training (NEST) programs and resources designed to provide training in skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and prepare participants for hire.