Excited about going to college?

We’re excited to help get you there! City Test Prep provides live online ACT tutoring to students worldwide and in person with local tutors in select cities.

  • In-person or Online Conferencing/ Live 1-to-1. We have a successful track record helping students score into the top percentile even after working with other test prep companies.

  • Our academic tutoring, standardized test prep, or help passing the medical boards is provided by top tutors who identify your needs, teach you what you need to know, and inspire you to perform your best to earn the scores you need to succeed.

  • City Test Prep is the umbrella company of Test Prep New York and Test Prep San Francisco.

Maximize Your Score, Minimize Your Stress

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Fill out the form or call us at 646-290-7440

We will connect you with the very best tutors for your admissions test or board exam.

Our tutors nationwide are ready to help you!

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Prepare for the ACT with City Test Prep

Attending college opens doors to learning about yourself, others, and the world we share. It also is a time of networking and exploring career opportunities; plus, for many, it the most fun, rewarding, and formative/transformative time you will have in your young life!
Excited much?!?

A prerequisite of acceptance to a top undergraduate college or university is taking, and excelling, on the ACT or SAT. While the SAT remains the most commonly accepted standardized test for admission to undergraduate studies at universities and colleges in the United States, the ACT has gainined significant popularity. Having a high SAT or ACT test score gives you a distinct advantage and helps you gain admittance to the schools you’ve chosen.

At City Test Prep, we provide individualized comprehensive ACT test prep in person in select cities and remotely, live and one-to-one, via online conferencing. Our tutors have excellent ACT scores in the top percentile, and are experienced in teaching. Your tutor will ensure that you comprehend subject material, master essential test-taking skills, and are prepared to do your best on your ACT exam. In addition, we will help you build your confidence, develop an optimal mindset, and gain the inner tools to help you excel when it counts the most.

What is the ACT?

The ACT is a multiple-choice standardized test, administered by ACT, Inc. and used for admission to colleges and universities in the United States. The ACT is considered a viable alternative to the SAT (link to page) and it has gained popularity in recent years since the SAT has undergone changes (to be ‘more’ like the ACT, actually). It’s typically thought to be less ‘tricky’ than the SAT.

The ACT is based on knowledge gained in high school. The ACT and SAT measure the test taker’s readiness for college, and provide colleges with one common data point that can be used to compare all applicants. It differs from the SAT in testing science (which is not actually ‘real’ science, but more about being able to work with data), in addition to testing things a little differently in the English and math sections.

A high ACT or SAT test score will give you a distinct advantage and can help you gain admittance to your chosen schools. At City Test Prep, we assist you in your ACT test prep through comprehensive, one-to-one tutoring that is tailored to your specific needs, including your score goals, study habits, stress levels, reading speed, and schedule.

I got into UCLA, UC Irvine, Fordham, IESE Barcelona, but drumroll… I decided not to go to those schools but the school I will be attending this fall… London Business School!!! I am super excited at this big change. I couldn’t have done it without your help. Went from borderline applicant to strong applicant right away and it was worth all the effort. You will always hold a deep spot in my heart for helping me get calmed down for that silly exam and being a key step in my future steps at business school! WOO-HOO!

Christian, London Business School

Taking an admissions test is a nerve-wracking experience. Bara, an experienced tutor and coach, creates a comfortable learning environment, and a comprehensive package of books, worksheets, and practice exams. With such attention and attentiveness to detail, my stress was soon gone. For me, the math part was the scariest — Bara clearly explained the problems in ways I wish my high school math teacher had! I definitely recommend her as a tutor!

Esther
Teachers College

I highly recommend the test prep approach of CTP. I had heard from other parents that the large, commercial test-prep classes often weren’t that effective or relevant. The CTP tutor that worked with our daughter was a perfect fit – smart, funny, relaxed, and able to put the whole testing “game” and question formats into perspective.  The one-on-one sessions focused on her specific needs and the homework reinforced content areas she needed to practice. Our daughter was prepared for the test day, knew what to expect, and her scores took a big jump up from her PSATs. When she retook the SATs in her senior year, her scores went up even more, so I know she continued to apply the lessons she learned from CTP.

Parent of Hunter College High School student

When it was time to prepare for college entrance exams, we wanted to give our son an edge and knew that he would not benefit from an “off the shelf” test course solution. He is very bright, played on two varsity teams, and would not be interested in preparing for months on end for the SATs and subject tests. City Test Prep was the perfect choice for us. Their hand-picked wonderful tutor was the perfect match for Jon. Scott motivated my son to really get into the work for a concentrated eight-week period. Scott just honed in on the areas that Jon needed to strengthen and his performance went up dramatically. He did not waste any time preparing Jon in areas that he already knew. In fact, Jon was so inspired that we saw positive results in his course work as well. The story has a thrilling ending; Jon got into the college of his dreams: The University of Wisconsin at Madison. His top test scores also resulted in unsolicited scholarship and honors program invitations from two other top schools. Bara and her team were the perfect collaboration partner to help our child achieve his full potential and feel confident about himself through a stressful time. They were also so thoughtful and professional, which gave me peace of mind. I recommended them to several other parents who also had positive experiences with their children.

Lisa, Parent of Heschel High School student

The City Test Prep program helped me take the test while in a relaxed and comfortable state of mind. I knew I was capable of scoring high based on past practice exams but was pleasantly surprised on how well she prepared me for the real thing. This program is the only one in the test prep industry that not only teaches one how to master the material, but also how to prepare your body and mind for the actual stress of test day. I would recommend CTP to anyone looking to master the test. They will show you the way!”

Brian

University of Pennsylvania

“We are to students what sports psychologists and trainers are to high performing athletes.”

Bara Sapir, CEO/Founder, CTP

Our Approach at City Test Prep

Doing your best on a standardized test requires knowledge of the subject, responding to what the test expects of you, and confidence in your own ability to take the exam under time pressure at the test center. Our approach is four-fold: comprehensive mastery of the content, implementation of practical strategies to most easily answer in a way that the test rewards, improved time management, and mindful test-taking techniques to help you stay present, feel confident, focused, and confident while taking the test. Our students develop inner tools through mindful test-taking that guarantee their success.

Reduce Test Anxiety, Think Clearly, and Perform at Your Best on the ACT

Test taking often invokes anxiety and even panic in students because of the pressure to perform their best, when it counts the most. At City Test Prep, we aim to minimize your test anxiety through practical tips and training that we provide to help you concentrate, retain and recall information more easily, and to relax and think clearly and calmly during your test for optimal performance. We use specific mindful test-taking techniques, which draw from holistic and mindful modalities. These mental enhancement techniques optimize your test-taking potential. 

Our Tutors

Successful tutoring requires academic abilities, empathy, and the ability to communicate effectively. Our tutors are experienced and have earned top scores on the ACT (and all subjects they teach.) They are passionate about mentoring, patient with students, and work carefully and conscientiously to help each individual achieve his or her best.

We provide live tutoring to students worldwide through online conferencing and teach in select cities as well. Learn more about City Test Prep [link to about page]

Maximize Your Scores, Minimize Your Stress

Should I take the ACT or the SAT?

Wondering which standardized test to take? The SAT or the ACT? This is a common question among high school students before they apply to college. Choosing the standardized test that you take is very important and should be considered carefully. Bottom line: select the exam that is best suited to your strengths.

Some key differences include:
– The SAT assesses reasoning ability while the ACT primarily measures knowledge.

  • While both the SAT and ACT have a math section that requires a strong knowledge of geometry and algebra, the SAT includes “word” questions which ask you to demonstrate a creative understanding and application of geometry rules. The ACT is more knowledge-based and simpler. The ACT also includes basic trigonometry in the math section.
  • The SAT places more value on reading comprehension and vocabulary than the ACT, which looks primarily at grammar and syntax.
  • The ACT has a section on science does not look like anything you’ve seen in any science class you’ve ever taken in high school. The ACT requires understanding and interpreting science-based passages presented with graphs, charts, tables, and research summaries, and answering questions based on these. Most of the questions can be answered from the information presented in the passages or figures, but you should be prepared for 3-4 questions that require outside knowledge. You should be able to:
  • Identify data and trends
  • Make predictions
  • Synthesize information
  • There is no science section on the SAT.

A simple and effective way to decide whether you should take the ACT or the SAT is to take practice exams for both under timed conditions, and evaluate how you feel and how you perform on each one.

Once you complete both diagnostic tests, compare your percentile scores. Most schools will accept both tests, so look up the schools you are applying to, and what scores are within the range of acceptance. Ultimately, choose the standardized test that demonstrates your strengths best and in which you feel the best when taking.

More on the ACT [would be great if this clicks to open]
The ACT measures the knowledge, understanding, and skills in four areas – English, mathematics, reading, and science. The ACT is a multiple-choice exam. You can also opt to take the writing test after you have completed the four sections.

ACT Format and Timing
The ACT is 2 hours and 55 minutes long. If you choose to take the ACT with the optional essay, the test will be 3 hours and 35 minutes long.

English: 45 min
This section measures your ability to comprehend English standard conventions, writing, and language.

Mathematics: 60 min
This section measures your knowledge in math and your ability to use reasoning skills to solve practical problems.

Reading: 35 min
This section measures your reading comprehension and analysis of texts similar to what you would encounter in a first-year college course.

Science: 35 min
This section measures your skills in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving.

The ACT also includes an optional 40-minute Writing Test. Some colleges may require that you complete this.

Writing: 40 min (optional)
This section is optional and does not affect your composite score. This consists of an essay test that measures your writing skills.

ACT Registration

View ACT test dates, and download ACT test questions and a free study guide here. See Test Centers and ACT test dates and register here.

Optimize Your ACT Test-Taking Performance with City Test Prep

We can help you mentally and emotionally prepare for your ACT exam: master core content, learn test-taking strategy, and take your test relaxed and confident. We are ready to assist you in any area you need guidance, teaching, or support. Be prepared and you will perform at your best!

“I contacted City Test Prep after studying with three larger test-prep programs and taking my test three times with continued disappointing results. After only four hours of City Test Prep’s Full Potential® method, I gained confidence, learned to channel my energy and mental state into a positive zone, eliminated anxiety, and was completely relaxed and prepared on test day. Most important, my score increased by 80 points! I highly recommend City Test Prep to anyone who really wants to reach their potential and get the score they need.”

Ken S.

New York University

act test prep

Premier Tests Preparation and Private Tutoring

Each student masters content, learns best methods in test-taking strategy, eliminates anxiety, increases confidence, and scores his or her best.

We are the only education company to fuse academic and standardized test preparation with mindful mental enhancement techniques to optimize test-taking potential. We are to students what sports psychologists and trainers are to high performing athletes.

Yoga for your Mind

Does test-taking make you sweat? Does your mind wander? Is your mantra, “I was never a good test taker?” We can help. Lower your Test Stress, Improve your Focus and Enhance Performance!