Ease of Use:  

Put the disc in the drive and you’re off. It really is just that easy. The entire program, standard or premium, is set up in an easy-to-navigate interface located along the bottom of the screen. All categories are represented by large, colorful icons, also easy to understand. When the program begins, it introduces you to three steps to success then directs you straight to the area where your personal learning style is diagnosed and translated into a customized study schedule.

Also, the eKnowledge site has an informative, if slightly defective, video tutorial outlining the content and how to make the lessons best work for you. Half of the short video segments fail to load, but you can still get a pretty good idea about the program and what it has to offer.
 

Feature Set:  

PowerPrep™ boasts an impressive set of features and resources designed in a Student Centered Learning Model™ (SCLM). A student centered model is the opposite of how teachers teach in the public school system. In schools, you will encounter the Teacher Centered Learning Model, where teachers and administrators are at the center of the process and force students to learn by adapting to how the teacher teaches. SCLM style puts the student at the center by determining how the student learns best and using that knowledge to advance learning goals.

The Resource area includes more than 350 pages of resource text, workbooks and drills for grammar, reading comprehension, sentence completion, arithmetic, Algebra and geometry. There is also a very informative area called “Top Ten Traps to Avoid.” There are three available quizzes per subject.

The Classroom button of the interface is considered to be the “heart” of the program. From the outline menu, choose from Writing, Critical Reading and Math options to be taken deeper into the actual lessons under each main heading. Then it will show each and every concept and method used.

Again, if you’re going to spend $200 on the standard package, we recommend you go ahead and spring for the premium package so you gain full access to the extra vocabulary features and everything the software has to offer. There is also the option to buy separate versions of the added vocabulary features and e-dictionary for $30.
 

Download Process:  

There doesn’t appear to be a download option for this software – at checkout you are prompted to choose from only DVD ROM or CD-ROM discs and the discs only work on a PC computer so Mac users are way out of luck. That would seem to be the biggest stumbling block to this otherwise really great-seeming program. There is also an FAQ in the support area to assist with installing PowerPrep™ to a Microsoft Vista operating system, which wasn’t previously offered.

Help/Support:  

On the purchase Web site there is a page of 11 answered questions about installing, upgrading, serial number location, expiration and re-licensing. There are also posted business hours, e-mail, phone numbers and physical address information. When we called the proffered phone number, a live, friendly human being answered the phone on the third ring – ready to take questions, though the number is not toll-free.

There is a money-back guarantee offered for instances of defective software if returned within 14 days of shipment. Also within 14 days if you’re not happy with the program for any reason, they offer to take back the software and issue a refund subject to a handling fee of $5.
 

Content Rating:  

English, math, reading, writing, verbal and vocab are all covered here, but there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of science or government sub-categories. However the program promises that if you complete every practice question and quiz you will have covered everything that might appear on the ACT or SAT.

Effectiveness:  

Online testimonials gush about doubling scores, raising scores by 30% in 4-5 months’ time, obtaining scholarships with the raised scores, and one parent reports that PowerPrep™ is "a well organized and excellent use of technology."

Though the appearance of the interface and outlines might look remedial or child-like, the information on offer appears solid and thorough. The absence of learning games or flashcards might seem like a hole when compared next to our #1 or #2 picks, but the interface itself is playful enough without being confusing and reported results indicate that whatever your student’s current level, his or her score will benefit from use of this software.