As a student preparing for the ACT, you may probably have heard of Khan Academy – a free video library that covers math, science, and other subjects in short videos.
In 2015, Khan Academy partnered with the College Board — the creators of SAT — in developing SAT prep materials that students can access for free. While the ACT and SAT are different, Khan Academy is still a great general resource for high school math and science concepts. Let’s take a deeper dive into what Khan Academy is and how it can help you ace the ACT.
Founded in 2006, Khan Academy is a non-profit educational platform which offers numerous free videos that cover general education topics such as mathematics, reading, and chemistry; and focused-area subjects such as computer engineering, economics, and humanities (even life skills!).
A part of Khan Academy’s mission is to give underprivileged students a chance to quality education, and bridge the gap between learners and specific skill sets. As for teachers, Khan Academy aims to provide them with the materials necessary for creating a more holistic learning environment for students.
Learners, teachers, and parents may create free accounts, even those students looking to prepare for admissions exams such as the SAT.
Since its inception in 2006, Khan Academy has since helped many students and educators reach their learning targets. Here are some notable achievements Khan Academy has had so far:
In general, learners spoke mainly about the crucial role Khan Academy played in improving retention and mastery of the concepts studied. The platform also helped them build confidence in their ability to understand complex numerical processes and exceed score expectations.
But for first time users of Khan Academy, particularly students preparing for the ACT, will the tool be of great help?
As mentioned earlier, Khan Academy has an existing partnership with the College Board in creating official SAT resources that learners can use for free. These tools include various practice materials, video tutorials, quizzes, and a personalized study guide.
However, if you’re a student preparing specifically for the ACT, Khan Academy’s prep course might not be the best tool for you. This is because Khan Academy only offers SAT-specific content, but not ACT-specific ones.
To give you a clearer picture of why this matters, below are direct comparisons of the 2 admission exams in terms of content.
Both ACT and SAT…
A brief overview of their differences based on content:
| ACT | SAT |
| Contains a full section on Science (makes up one-fourth of your total score) | Tests some scientific concepts in the reading section, but does not devote a full section to Science |
| Focuses on geometry and trigonometric functions (comprises 30-45% of your ACT Math score) | Geometry makes up less than 10% of SAT Math questions; trigonometry only covers 5%) |
| Diagram of Math formulas (geometry formulas and laws) is not provided | Diagram of Math formulas is provided |
| You can use a calculator for the entire Math section | 20 questions with NO CALCULATOR and 38 Questions with a calculator |
| Tests Math concepts like trigonometric functions, logarithms, and matrices | Does not test certain Math concepts like trigonometric functions, logarithms, and matrices |
| Laungauge of the Reading passages are all modern and easily understood by High School students | Some reading passages or more than 150 years old, and having more advanced or unfamiliar vocabulary |
If you’ll notice, the differences between ACT and SAT mainly revolve around their Math content. On the ACT, Math makes up one-fourth of your total score, while on the SAT, Math makes up half of your total score. In other words, if you consider Math as one of your challenging areas, you’d have better chances in the ACT.
While Khan Academy isn’t your best bet for a good ACT prep course, there may be other test prep tools that can help you meet your learning goals. One of these is Achievable’s ACT prep course.
The app provides students with a 21st century way of learning — a more personalized path towards your goals. Combining full-length practice exams, review quizzes, personalized study guide, and an easy-to-read online textbook, Achievable ensures that every tool and module is tailored to students’ learning needs and capabilities.
Finally, with Achievable’s built-in study planner, learners like you won’t have to worry about losing focus while going through the courses. The course maps out and reminds you exactly what you need to study. Our advanced personalization algorithm automatically targets areas that you need to focus on to improve your score. Pair this with the study plan you’ve created, and watch your performance improve!
