ACT prep
The ACT rewards speed and precision. We teach both.
The ACT is faster-paced than the SAT, entirely multiple-choice in Math, and rewards students who can move quickly through longer passages and geometry. Bell Curves prepares students for the ACT using the same KRE framework behind our SAT and SHSAT programs. We help students find the pacing and precision the ACT specifically rewards.
Two ways to prepare
A live course, or a private tutor. Pick the fit.
ACT Courses
From $875
Intensive and Edge — a structured curriculum with 10–15 students who move at the same pace.
- Best for a defined test date, weeks to months out
- Full KRE curriculum, live instructors
ACT Private Tutoring
From $85/hr
One tutor, matched to your student's specific gaps — Tutor, Senior Tutor, and Expert Tutor level, in flexible 10- or 15-hour packages.
- Best for a tight timeline or a very specific gap
- Fully flexible schedule, one-on-one attention
Our Method
KRE™: Knowledge, Recognition, Execution.
Most ACT prep programs cover content. Content is one of three things a student needs to perform. Bell Curves addresses all three. All three determine what happens in the test room.
Knowledge
Content mastery across ACT English, Math, Reading, and Science. Grammar and rhetoric. Algebra and geometry. Science reasoning and data interpretation, now optional under the current format.
Recognition
Identifying what a passage or data set is testing before the clock runs out. The ACT is fixed-form, not adaptive. Every student sees the same test, so recognizing question types fast matters more here than on an adaptive exam.
Execution
Applying knowledge and recognition against one of the tightest clocks in standardized testing. About 57 seconds per question on average, even after the recent cut to core question count. We train the pace first, then the accuracy.
ACT Test Dates
The ACT runs on its own calendar. We build the prep calendar to match.
ACT Edge and Intensive run on their own cohort schedule, separate from our SAT calendar, timed to whichever administration you're preparing for.
Instructors
Taught by real educators.
Anastasia P.
Lead Instructor
Anastasia is a physicist and educator with more than twenty years of experience teaching mathematics, physics, and standardized test preparation. She holds an MS in Experimental and Theoretical Nuclear Physics, a BA in Creative Writing, and a GradDipEd in Physics and Mathematics. She enjoys helping students develop confidence and critical thinking skills, as well as a genuine understanding of challenging concepts. Her teaching style is supportive, engaging, and tailored to each student's individual learning needs.
Jess I.
Instructor
Jess is an expert at spreading knowledge and a love of learning. Her experience ranges from early childhood education through college, spanning virtually all academic subjects and exams, including Regents and AP tests, IB Exams, Upper & Lower Level ISEE, the SHSAT, the SAT, and the HSE (formerly GED). Her approach is holistic, student-centered, and adaptable to the needs of the individual, even within a classroom environment. She has been working professionally in the education sphere for nearly 15 years. Outside of the classroom, Jess spends her time engaging in her deep passions for music, nature, and community-building.
Akil Bello
Expert Tutor
Akil co-founded Bell Curves in 2003, when instruction was entirely founder-led, and taught students directly for years across the SAT, SHSAT, and other standardized tests. He was among the originators of the Knowledge-Recognition-Execution (KRE) method that still anchors how Bell Curves teaches today. After selling the company, he went on to lead equity and access work at The Princeton Review, then spent several years at FairTest working to reduce the overuse of standardized testing. He is currently Director of College Advising and FAFSA Completion Implementation at SUNY, leading partnerships with New York City public schools to expand college access. He remains closely engaged with Bell Curves, still working directly with students as an Expert Tutor.
Not sure what a good ACT score is?
Try Score Signal — a free score-insight tool.
Common questions
What people ask before they enroll.
Ready to start ACT prep?
Find the program that fits your timeline and enroll. Or talk to an advisor if you're not sure where to start.