Frequently Asked Questions

When it comes to your student's education we understand you will have lots questions when choosing the best SAT or ACT Prep Course.  

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1. What Is The Structure Of Your SAT & ACT Classes?

   Our classes are 10 hours a week for 6 weeks, for a total of 60 hours. Classes meet twice a week for 3 hours of instruction from one of our expert instructors. In addition, students take a full-length proctored SAT or ACT exam on the weekend. These 4-hour exams are intended to simulate test-day conditions in order to help students build the stamina they need for the actual exam. In total, the class consists of 36 hours of instruction and 24 hours of proctored official examinations – for a total of 60 classroom hours of prep over 6 weeks. In addition, homework is assigned throughout the course for students to complete at home between classes.

2. How Much Are Your Courses?

   Our flagship 6-week in-person course start at $1399 for 60 classroom hours, which works out to about $23 per hour and our flagship 6-week online course start at $999 for 60 hours, which works out to about $16 per hour. Note that we do have dynamic prices, and they may rise due to demand and start date; therefore, we recommend enrolling as early as possible to get the lowest price!

3. What If My Child Misses Class?

   We understand that students occasionally miss a couple of classes or tests during our 6-week course, or even start the course a week late. There is no reason to worry because we hold makeup and review sessions at the end of the course that cover any material your student would have missed. You can also makeup exams. In addition, students in our online courses can view recordings of the classes they missed.

4. When Should My Child Take An SAT/ACT Course?

   The answer to this question is as soon as possible. We find that students who take our classes as freshmen or sophomores typically get the highest SAT/ACT scores, go to the best colleges, and win the most scholarships. It’s also beneficial to take an SAT course before October of your child’s junior year so that they score high on the PSAT in order to become a National Merit Finalist (equivalent to $100,000+ in college scholarships). In addition, our courses not only teach students how to become better at the SAT/ACT, but also how to become better standardized test-takers in general. The strategies students learn in our courses will help them on the SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP Exams, SAT Subject Exams, State High School Standardized Exams, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, LSAT, etc.

5. Who Are Your Instructors?

   Shaan Patel, the perfect SAT score founder of Prep Expert, can only teach a handful of classes given his current MD/MBA program schedule at USC and Yale. Therefore, he has hand-selected a small group of highly qualified instructors who have all been trained by Shaan to teach his methods. First, with the exception of select in-person instructors and substitute teachers, all instructors must score in the 99th percentile on SAT or ACT, whichever they are selected to teach. Second, they need to have significant previous teaching experience and be very gifted teachers. We “audition” them by asking them to teach a lesson, so that we can verify their talent in communicating difficult material. Accolades of our instructor group include having degrees from Harvard, Yale, and MIT, achieving perfect SAT scores, and having advanced graduate degrees (PhDs, MDs, MBAs, etc.). Our instructors have been doing this for a long time and generate incredible results for students resulting in us being able to provide score improvement guarantees of 200 and 4 points on the SAT and ACT, respectively.

6. Where Are Your Locations?

   We conduct SAT & ACT prep courses both online and across 8 locations in the United States. Click the “View Schedules & Locations” button at the top to view all of our locations.

7. Should my child take the SAT or ACT?

   Traditionally, students better at problem-solving and critical thinking should take the SAT and students better at learning content should take the ACT. However, with the redesign of the SAT in March of 2016, both the SAT and ACT are more similar than ever. Therefore, it does not matter which exam your student takes. Colleges and universities do not prefer one exam over the other. One advantage to preparing for the SAT is that it will also prepare students for the PSAT that is administered in October of their junior year, which can qualify them for National Merit scholarships!

8. What Kind Of Guarantee Do You Offer?

   We offer the best score guarantee in the industry. If your child’s SAT score does not go up by at least 200 points after completing a 6-week SAT course, then we will refund 100% of your money! If your child’s ACT score does not go up by at least 4 points after completing a 6-week ACT course, then we will refund 100% of your money! Please see our terms for full details.

9. How Do Online Classes Work?

   Our online classes are taught in a virtual classroom program that is live over the internet. The instructor and a whiteboard are visible. The students will view a lesson that is identical to a regular classroom with a teacher at the front of the room drawing on the board. Students can use the chat box to interact with the instructor and other students. In addition, the entire class is recorded and for future viewing if students cannot attend a session or need additional review. See a sample video of the online virtual classroom here.

10. How Does Private Tutoring Work?

    Our tutors are the instructors who teach our classes, so you are in good hands. They have been doing this a long time. Each tutoring session is 2-hours long. Our tutors will come to you on a schedule that is convenient. They can meet you at your home, a local library, or do online sessions. Our tutors will focus on specific weak areas of your student during each session. Students will also be asked to take practice tests on their own at home – which is absolutely essential for large score improvements.