ACE PACE Accelerated Christian Education
by A.C.E. School of Tomorrow (website )
A self-paced, workbook-based Christian curriculum focused on mastery learning, character building, and high student independence for grades K-12.
Best Fit For
Families needing a highly independent, self-paced curriculum that requires minimal parent preparation; students who thrive on small, achievable goals; families seeking a curriculum with strong, fundamentalist Christian values.
Not Recommended For
Gifted or advanced learners who need intellectual challenge; secular families; students who struggle with repetitive workbook tasks; parents who want to foster deep analytical or discussion-based learning.
What Reviewers Say
Reviewers consistently highlight the self-paced, independent nature of the ACE PACE curriculum. Mother4Jesus and The Curriculum Choice recommend the program as a significant time saver for parents due to its structured, open-and-go format. The Homeschool Mom notes that the material successfully integrates godly character-building lessons and focuses on a mastery learning approach. However, several sources raise concerns regarding academic depth. Cathy Duffy Reviews and Well-Trained Mind Forums observe that the workbooks rely heavily on rote memorization and keyword skimming rather than fostering critical thinking. Homeschool Start Guide suggests the curriculum suits self-motivated students in religious households but cautions it may not provide the rigor required for mainstream university admission. Additionally, Patheos critiques the lack of teacher interaction and the self-scoring system, arguing that the environment can lead to student cheating and learning gaps.
How It Works
A student typically works through several small workbooks called PACEs across different subjects each day, completing about 3 to 5 pages per subject. The parent starts the day by helping the child set daily goals on a 'goal card,' and then the student works independently at their own desk or the kitchen table. When a student finishes a section, they take their work to a 'scoring station' to check their own answers using a score key, while the parent monitors progress and administers the final test at the end of each PACE. A typical school day takes 3 to 5 hours depending on the grade level, with the only materials required being the PACE workbooks and the corresponding score keys for the parent.
Switching to This?
ACE offers free diagnostic tests on their website that are essential for placement because the curriculum's levels are based on mastery rather than strict grade numbers. The community rule of thumb is to place the child exactly where the diagnostic test indicates, even if the level seems lower than their current public school grade, to ensure there are no foundational gaps in Math or English. It is very easy to start mid-year because the curriculum is broken into twelve bite-sized workbooks per grade level, allowing a student to pick up a new unit at any time. If switching from a teacher-led program, parents should be prepared for a shift where the child becomes responsible for reading the instructions and teaching themselves through the text.
Curriculum Details
- Price
- $118 - $518.40
- Grades
- K - 12
- Available As
- Print Workbook Digital Video
- Coverage
- Comprehensive: Bible, History/Social Studies, Math, Reading/Language Arts, Science, Writing
- Pacing
- Flexible
- Parent Time
- 15-30 min/day
- Student Independence
- Fully independent
- Academic Level
- Below grade level
- Worldview
- Christian
- Engaging for Reluctant Learners
- Yes
A.C.E. sells approximate per-level prices, excluding sales tax and shipping: a complete level (PACEs, Score Keys and Resource Books) costs $223.50 (Level 12) to $518.40 (Level 2), and PACEs only cost $152.40 to $295.20. Kindergarten costs $363.20 for the complete set or $118.00 for PACEs only; ABCs/Level 1 costs $390.00 or $222.06. Individual printed PACEs cost $3.00 to $3.50. The Home Educator's Basic Quick Start Set is $9.95. Online ePACEs cost $3.50 each and require aceconnect Premium Access at $99 per year, which covers any number of students.
Reviews We Consulted
Emphasizes the curriculum's focus on mastery learning and the consistent integration of godly character-building lessons across academic subjects.
"PACEs integrate Godly character-building lessons into the academic content, and self-instructional activities are carefully designed to develop thinking skills and create mastery learning."
Recommends the "open-and-go" nature of the PACEs for busy families, noting it successfully fostered independence and reading skills in her child.
"For a homeschooling mom, the easier the curriculum is to implement, the more likely you are to be faithful with it. While the other curriculums *seemed* to be a better fit, in the end, A.C.E. was what we needed."
Appreciates the program's self-instructional format and ease for parents but warns that the heavy reliance on rote memorization discourages critical thinking.
"A.C.E. biggest weakness is that the material relies heavily upon simple recall rather than deeper thinking. Students can scan for the correct answer without having to really think about the material."
Highlights the curriculum as a "huge time saver" for parents facing burnout, praising the clear structure and student independence.
"The work is all set out for you, you simply move from one work-book to another, progressing to the next work-book once a test has been passed. This is a huge time saver for me personally."
Critiques the methodology as tedious "busy work" that allows students to pass by skimming for keywords rather than truly understanding the concepts.
"I truly learned nothing those years, except how to skim through the Paces as fast as possible. The questions in the booklets are directly, verbatim, from the text the child just read, but with blanks inserted."
Provides a harsh critique of the self-scoring system and lack of teacher interaction, arguing that the environment leads to cheating and significant learning gaps.
"In ACE, there are no 'teachers', per se, but there are supervisors. Students work individually and in silence through their workbooks in cubicles... the mark-it-yourself scheme was always going to result in student cheating."
Notes the program is a good fit for self-motivated students in religious households but cautions it may not provide the academic rigor required for university admission.
"ACE suits highly self-motivated students in families with strong religious alignment to its worldview. It should not be chosen as a sole qualification pathway if mainstream university entry is the goal."
Updated: May 2026
How This Compares
Compared to Alpha Omega’s Lifepac, which also uses a workbook-based system, ACE is more strictly focused on rote memorization and character-building cartoons, whereas Lifepac often includes more varied activity types. When weighed against BJU Press, ACE is significantly more independent for the student, meaning parents spend much less time lecturing, though students miss out on the deep, teacher-led discussions found in BJU. Parents choosing between ACE and Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool will find that while both are budget-friendly and allow for independence, ACE is built around printed workbooks, with online ePACEs available for some courses, whereas Easy Peasy relies heavily on external online links and digital resources.
Getting Started
Find Your Level
An official online portal to test a student's current level in Math, English, Reading, and Spelling to ensure they start at the correct PACE level.
Get Support
Describes the online ePACE platform and enrichment programs, pricing, device requirements and the courses available as ePACEs.
Purchase
The official starter set containing the essential Home Educator’s Manual, student progress charts, and goal cards required to run the program.
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