Prep company Achievable has been around for a while, mainly providing prep courses for the GRE and USMLE exams. Recently, however, they released their new ACT prep program. Now, people want to know whether this new school prep course is worth it. After having used this prep program for a few weeks now, I answer just that question and more below.
While it may not have the same level of brand recognition as industry giants like Kaplan or Princeton Review, I found Achievable to be a surprisingly good prep option.
This course isn’t nearly as immersive or in-depth as those mega prep providers, but it is very good for what it is: a budget-friendly and modern approach to ACT prep. Let’s take a quick look at what this course is all about.
At its core, Achievable seems to pride itself on being the smartest, most efficient path to achieving your target ACT score. It uses adaptive algorithms to tailor study material based on your individual strengths and weaknesses, builds in principles of learning science to maximize gains, and offers one of the sleekest programs I’ve seen. In short, Achievable is the opposite of dinosaurs like Kaplan.
Specifically, here’s what you get. For $129, Achievable provides a comprehensive digital textbook and 1,400+ practice problems spanning ACT Math, English, Reading, and Science.
One of the coolest features of this course is its infinite pool of math practice problems. Basically, Achievable has taken the foundational templates of all math problems tested on the ACT and uses software to input random variables. This ensures that you get a fresh set of questions each time, offering a dynamic and engaging study experience.
While Achievable may not offer the same variety of content delivery methods as its competitors (i.e. there are no on-demand video lessons or live classes), its pricing and value proposition are unparalleled in my eyes.
What sets Achievable apart is its approach to content delivery. The coursework is broken down into bite-sized chapters, each taking approximately 10 minutes to read. Let me explain how the learning modules work.
Unlike traditional textbooks that often come across as dense and boring, the content in Achievable’s digital text is presented in a conversational tone, making it very easy to understand.
Then following each chapter, you’ll tackle a review session to solidify your understanding of the material you’ve just covered (while also revisiting earlier concepts for spaced repetition).
This learning structure allows you to complete an entire lesson in under 30 minutes, making it a perfect fit for students with busy schedules. And with just 78 total lessons in the program, it is a very manageable course load.
Obviously, this program structure makes the Achievable course highly streamlined (that’s Latin for it has less study material than other courses). However, Achievable’s curriculum isn’t just about delivering content; it’s about leveraging smart technology to enhance your learning experience. That is very clear.
The course’s adaptive algorithm constantly monitors your progress, pinpointing areas where you need improvement and customizing your study plan accordingly. You can literally see your study plan change. This personalized approach ensures that you’re focusing your efforts where they’ll yield the greatest returns.
Furthermore, Achievable uses spaced reviews, a concept rooted in memory science. Instead of covering a topic once and moving on, Achievable periodically reintroduces old material into your review quizzes, keeping your knowledge fresh and ensuring long-term retention. I really liked that aspect of the course.
The final noteworthy aspect of the Achievable ACT course is its practice work. I found their practice problems to be very realistic of real exam questions.
They’ve clearly analyzed past problems to reverse engineer question patterns and structures, and used this info to design realistic problems. I was a big fan.
If there is one big downside of this ACT prep program, as I alluded to above, it’s simply how thin it is. There are no live ACT classes, on demand video lessons, office hour sessions, printed workbooks, or anything like that. It’s literally just their digital text and practice question bank, with some smart tech wrapped around it all.
This is a very lean course and curriculum. Whether this is going to be an issue for you simply depends on your situation.
Achievable’s efficiency, personalized study plan, and use of technology make it a great choice for ACT prep. That, and their high-quality textbook and practice problem bank. While it may not have the same level of name recognition as some of its competitors, its modern approach and affordable pricing make it a good option for students looking to save a few bucks on their prep and do it the old self-paced way.
In my view, after using this program for a few weeks now, I would say yes, the Achievable ACT prep course is worth it. I think there are a couple upgrades they could make, but I’ve been really happy with the course and think it’s a good prep program.
Full access to the Achievable ACT prep program costs $129. This is one of the more affordable ACT prep courses we have purchased and reviewed.