1-on-1 ACT Tutoring · Grades 10–12 · Taipei

ACT, from preparation to pacing.

ACT preparation for Grades 10–12 international school students applying to US universities. The program is calibrated to each student's diagnostic gaps and target test date, with all four ACT sections, English, Math, Reading, and Science, blended into each lesson and weighted toward the sections where the student needs the most work. Lessons are 1 to 2 hours, calibrated to how much support each student needs and the time before their test.

Audience
Grades 10–12, high school students preparing for the ACT
Format
1-on-1, 1 to 2 hours per lesson
Duration
Typically 6 to 7 months at standard cadence
Begin
Complimentary consultation & assessment class

What Students Learn

ACT preparation at the level the ACT rewards.

Parents come to ACT preparation at Harland looking for a program that calibrates to their child's diagnostic gaps and target composite. They want a program that takes seriously the pacing fluency, content depth, and analytical reasoning the ACT rewards, and that does the work in a structured 1-on-1 setting where each lesson sits where the student is. The work covers what the ACT requires. Reading and analyzing four passage types within strict time. Working through grammar, rhetoric, and sentence-structure questions where speed matters as much as accuracy. Solving algebra, geometry, and trigonometry problems across the Math section's content range. Interpreting data tables, research summaries, and conflicting-viewpoint passages in the Science section, where reasoning under time pressure is the actual skill being tested. Pacing through all four sections without losing accuracy in the back half. These are the skills behind every ACT composite that lands well, because the ACT rewards students who can finish, and most students can't.

ACT preparation comes in two common shapes in the Taipei market. Group classes at test-preparation centers, where instruction is standardized regardless of a student's specific gaps. Individual tutoring without a structured curriculum behind the sessions, where quality depends on whichever tutor a family draws and where the work doesn't accumulate from lesson to lesson. Harland's program occupies a third position. The curriculum is structured: typically 4 units of 11 lessons calibrated to the student's timeline, with content sequenced section by section and assessments built into the program. The format is 1-on-1: lessons calibrated to the student's diagnostic gaps and target composite, not to a class average.

Lessons follow Harland's ACT curriculum, calibrated by diagnostic to where each student is starting and what their target composite requires. The program typically runs 4 units of 11 lessons. Each lesson blends all four ACT sections, with weighting toward the sections where the student needs the most work. Earlier units build foundation across the content. Later units shift the weighting toward test-condition practice and timed simulation. The eleventh lesson of each unit runs as an in-house formative assessment, followed by an at-home summative mock measured against the diagnostic. Section weighting recalibrates after each unit based on what the assessments show. Harland's curriculum decides what gets taught. The ACT is where the work gets tested.

Progress shows up in places parents can see. Section scores climbing from the diagnostic baseline. Pacing improving across timed modules. Confidence about finishing every section, not anxiety about the back half. The full ACT taken on test day with the work behind it.

How We Teach It

ACT preparation through the actual content of the test.

Harland's Test Preparation pedagogy is content-based learning. The skills the ACT rewards develop through the actual content of the test, not through isolated test-taking tips or formula memorization detached from the questions students will face. Lessons work directly with the ACT's section content. The English section addresses grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and rhetorical effectiveness. Math runs from pre-algebra and intermediate algebra through plane and coordinate geometry to trigonometry. Reading covers four passage types: literary narrative, social science, humanities, and natural science, with passage-analysis depth and pacing strategy. Science focuses on data representation, research summaries, and conflicting viewpoints. Mixed practice and full timed modules sit alongside the content lessons, so students experience the test's pacing pressure as they build the skills.

Across the program, the weighting calibrates to where each student is starting. A student whose diagnostic shows English and Reading scores well above Math and Science gets heavier Math and Science weighting in early lessons, with English and Reading covered through mixed-practice maintenance. A student whose diagnostic shows the opposite pattern gets heavier English and Reading weighting, with Math and Science scaffolded through content-fill alongside the curriculum. A student whose diagnostic shows balanced section performance but consistent pacing failure gets balanced section coverage with progressively heavier test-condition weighting across units.

ACT preparation in this format also responds to how each student handles test pressure. Some students freeze at the Science section's conflicting-viewpoints questions. Some lose pacing on Reading passages and run out of time before the last passage. Some misjudge time on Math questions and leave easy points behind. The 1-on-1 format lets teachers respond to these patterns concretely. A student who runs out of time on Reading passages doesn't get the same scheduled review the curriculum had planned. The next lessons get redesigned around pacing strategy and passage prioritization. A student who freezes on conflicting-viewpoint Science gets focused practice on that specific question type before the general curriculum continues. Group classes can't make these moves. Private tutors without curriculum can make them but lose track of the broader program arc. Skill and composure develop together. Neither moves far in isolation.

The format also lets teachers calibrate to each student's section-by-section gap pattern. A student strong in the verbal sections but losing points to Math abstraction works on the algebra and trigonometry moves the harder problems assume. A student strong in Math but losing pacing to Reading works on passage prioritization and timing fluency. Each lesson plan sits where the student's specific gap pattern is.

Curriculum and Test Format

A structured curriculum across all four ACT sections.

ACT preparation at Harland follows a structured curriculum keyed to the ACT's section content and the student's diagnostic-determined gaps. A student who completes the program has demonstrated meaningful progress against their target composite on ACT-format unit assessments and on a full ACT practiced under exam conditions. The program is 4 units of 11 lessons.

The curriculum follows the ACT's current format. ACT format has been evolving through 2024 to 2026, with online testing expanding and section structure updating across recent sittings. Harland's curriculum tracks the live format and updates as the test changes, so students prepare for the test they will sit, not an older format. Within each unit, lessons progress from content work and guided practice through mixed practice under real-test conditions toward a closing block of strategy work, a full timed module under exam conditions, and a comprehensive assessment across all four sections. Across the four units, the work shifts from foundation-building toward test-condition practice, with each unit's assessment recalibrating the section weighting for the unit ahead. Students whose schools are running their own ACT preparation alongside Harland use the program for targeted reinforcement, with the Student Coordinator translating school priorities into specific lesson goals so the work doesn't duplicate.

Standards
Current ACT specifications, including section content weighting, timing structure, and composite scoring across English, Math, Reading, and Science
Materials
ACT-format practice questions, full-length practice ACTs under exam conditions, and unit assessments calibrated to each student's target composite
Assessment
Eleventh lesson of each unit runs as a formative in-house assessment, followed by an at-home summative mock measured against the diagnostic. Section-score progression tracked against the student's target composite across both assessments.
Reporting
Per-lesson written record of content covered, practice performance, and homework. Unit-level progress reports tracking section-score progression against the student's target.

Prerequisites and What Comes Next

Where ACT preparation fits in your child's learning.

Before starting

Most students arrive ready for ACT preparation with their school-curriculum English and math at the level the program assumes. Some students benefit from foundational support running alongside or before ACT work. Students whose English fluency limits their performance on the English and Reading sections often benefit from Academic English (Grades 3–12) alongside ACT preparation. Students whose passage-analysis depth needs reinforcement sometimes benefit from Analytical Reading (Grades 6–12) as a parallel program.

Students with specific math content gaps from coordinate geometry or trigonometry sometimes benefit from targeted Algebra II or Geometry reinforcement alongside the ACT Math unit. ACT Science is primarily a reasoning section, where underlying-content reinforcement from Bio, Chem, or Physics is rarely the bottleneck. Where it is, the consultation surfaces which subject and at what cadence.

What comes after

The program typically takes 6 to 7 months at standard cadence. Students complete the program when their assessments meet their target composite, and take the ACT with the program behind them.

After ACT, many students continue into College Application Essays for the application portfolio that the test score sits within. International school students preparing for both standardized tests and AP or IB exams continue work in the AP Program or IB Program alongside ACT preparation. Students preparing for university-level work continue Analytical Writing or Academic English as their academic English needs evolve.

The longer-term aim of ACT preparation is to make itself unnecessary. The program brings students to the point where they have taken the ACT with the preparation behind them, with a composite that reflects the work they have put in. After that, the work is done. What they have learned about reading under pressure, working quantitative problems against the clock, and pacing across timed modules stays with them through university entrance exams and beyond. A parent who is no longer worried about how their child will perform on the ACT is the point of all of it.

Common Questions

Common questions about ACT preparation at Harland.

Who is ACT preparation at Harland for? +
ACT preparation is for Grades 10–12 students at international schools who are working toward the ACT as part of US university applications. Most of our students fall into one of three patterns. Some have decided the ACT fits their strengths better than the SAT and want to commit fully to ACT preparation. Some have taken practice tests for both the ACT and the SAT and are working out which one to focus on. Some have a specific section weakness, often Science or pacing, where their composite is being held back by one underperforming area.
My child has taken a practice ACT and the composite isn't where they need it to be. How does Harland approach this? +
The first step is a diagnostic that establishes a baseline across the ACT's four sections, so the work focuses on the gaps that move the composite rather than on areas the student already handles. From there, lessons are calibrated to the student's specific gap pattern and target composite. A student whose Science score is bounded by conflicting-viewpoint sections gets focused practice on that specific question type. A student with strong English and Reading but weak Math gets heavier Math weighting, with the verbal sections covered through mixed-practice maintenance. Score progression is tracked against the target composite on every unit assessment, so families see whether the work is moving the composite and where the next gains are coming from.
Can my child begin ACT preparation over the summer? +
Yes. Summer is a productive window for ACT preparation, particularly for students preparing for fall test sittings. Many of our ACT students use 6 to 8 weeks over summer to build the diagnostic-driven foundation that the school year then refines through ongoing practice. Your Student Coordinator helps map preparation to your target test date, whether that is autumn, winter, or spring. See Summer Enrollment for full details.
What does the ACT program cover? +
The program typically runs 4 units of 11 lessons. Each lesson blends all four ACT sections: English (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and rhetorical effectiveness), Math (pre-algebra and intermediate algebra, plane and coordinate geometry, and trigonometry), Reading (literary narrative, social science, humanities, and natural science passages), and Science (data representation, research summaries, and conflicting viewpoints, where reasoning under time pressure is the actual skill being tested). The weighting between sections shifts toward whichever sections the student needs most, recalibrated after each unit's assessment. Earlier units emphasize content foundation. Later units shift toward test-condition practice. The optional Writing section is available on request for students whose university or scholarship targets require it, with focused preparation alongside the main program.
How long is each lesson and how often does my child attend? +
Lessons are 1-on-1 sessions of 1 to 2 hours, in person at our head office in Da'an or online. Lesson length is calibrated to how much support the student needs and the time available before their test date. Two-hour lessons typically cover one section in depth or move across two sections in a single session. Shorter lessons focus on a specific section or run at higher cadence in the weeks before a test. The program is 4 units of 11 lessons. At two lessons per week, the program typically takes 6 to 7 months. Higher cadence compresses the timeline. The Student Coordinator helps you choose the cadence and lesson length that fit.
How are lessons scheduled, and what if we need to reschedule? +
Lessons happen on a fixed weekly slot reserved with your child's primary teacher. This protects the teacher's time and keeps a consistent rhythm for your child. If you need to reschedule, give us at least 24 hours of notice and we'll find another time when your teacher is available. Many families add classes during summer or winter vacation, either to accelerate progress or to make up for a slower term. Once a unit has started, it should be completed within a defined window. For a typical 11-lesson unit, that means finishing within 15 weeks of the start date. The Student Coordinator walks through the details when you enroll.
How do you measure progress? +
Progress is measured against each student's target composite. The pre-course diagnostic establishes the baseline across the ACT's four sections. The eleventh lesson of each unit runs as a unit assessment in ACT format, with section-score progression tracked against the target. At the close of the program, a full ACT is completed under exam conditions. Parents receive a written record after every lesson covering what was taught and the homework set, plus unit-level progress reports. This means score progression is visible throughout the program, not only at test day. Families see whether the work is moving the composite at every unit boundary, with enough lead time to adjust cadence or focus before the test date arrives. Where helpful, the Student Coordinator translates this into the rhythm of your child's specific test calendar.
How do we begin? +
Every Harland relationship begins with a consultation, followed by a 1-on-1 assessment class. The consultation is about your goals and your child's situation. The assessment class is about how your child works in the subject. Together they tell us where to start and what kind of teacher will fit best.

Related at Harland

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