Prepare for the new ACT® with IXL

In the Classroom

The first ACT® testing dates of the year are coming up, and the ACT® has recently undergone important updates test takers should know about. The new “enhanced ACT®” covers largely the same content, but offers a more streamlined experience, including a shorter testing time, more time per question, and a now-optional science section.

Changes to such a big test can be stressful, but IXL already has everything learners need to prepare with confidence. When high schoolers study with IXL, they’re in good hands. Research studies show that students using IXL perform as much as 17 percentile points higher on standardized tests compared to students using other study methods.

Here’s how IXL helps learners get ready for the enhanced ACT®.

Targeted practice

IXL’s high school curriculum comprehensively covers the same topics that test takers will encounter on the ACT®. Learners can easily find relevant practice using IXL’s ACT® plans, which are organized like the ACT® College and Career Readiness Standards.

A list of standards for the ACT math section. It shows the topic "Number and Quantity" with standards listed according to the score range they fall into.

ACT® Mathematics College and Career Readiness Standards

IXL

IXL skill plan for ACT® Math

IXL is great for reviewing material test takers have already covered, and it’s just as effective for working through new material to increase scores to the next level. IXL’s practice skills are scaffolded to ease students into high difficulty levels, preparing them for the rigorous nature of ACT® questions. If students submit a wrong answer on IXL, they always receive immediate feedback to learn from their mistakes and build a stronger understanding of the material.

Short passages for reading

The enhanced ACT® features shorter reading passages paired with complex questions that measure comprehension and analysis. IXL’s reading ACT® plan includes a multitude of practice skills that ask students to analyze short passages. For example, in the IXL skill Analyze short stories, students closely read and dissect literary passages, answering questions related to character analysis, the author’s craft, and more.

A question for the IXL skill "Analyze short stories." It shows a section of a short story for students to read, then asks how a specific character is feeling based on the first, second, and third paragraphs.

IXL has reading analysis skills for fiction, informational texts, argumentative texts, historic texts, and more, so students can practice close reading a variety of different passages.

Personalized ACT® study plans

What if every student had a study compass that pointed them to the exact practice they need to improve their scores the most? With IXL’s StudyWise tool, they do.

StudyWise turns scores from a previous test or practice test into a custom study plan, and they’ve been refreshed to ensure suggested skills are tailored to the new ACT®. With these study plans, students know exactly what they should focus on and their milestones for improvement, so they can take bigger, faster strides toward their ACT® score goals.

One of IXL

Students can create and even update their plans with new scores on their own, so they can guide their own learning independently.

More ACT® resources

For learners striving for a high ACT® score and the opportunities it can unlock, IXL is the ideal companion. Explore more ACT® prep resources from IXL and its family of brands.

ACT® is a trademark owned by ACT Education Corp, and its use here is for identification purposes only. No claim of affiliation or endorsement is made.