As this year's junior class begins preparing for the fast-approaching ACT, they are doing many things to make sure they are as ready as they can be. The ACT is a standardized test taken throughout the country as a way of measuring the skills that will be important for those planning on attending college. The exam scores are an optional component to the current college applications, but will not be for the class of 2026. Due to COVID-19 the standardized test in Wisconsin became optional, but will be returning to normal in 2025.
The ACT is a very daunting test for many. This test measures to be just over 4 hours, with breaks, making it the longest test most high schoolers will face. In order to prepare for it, the juniors take a required ACT preparatory class. One of the teachers leading the class, Mrs. Cohen, said she has seen the comfort levels of the students grow throughout the class. She explained that the class is designed less to increase knowledge of content, and more to increase the levels of comfortability with the style of test questions.
The students are also required to take a Pre-ACT test. This test was held in our school gym where students were administered the 4-hour test in the fall. Junior Nova White commented that although the test went well, she felt that there were factors that were unhelpful such as the temperature. This factor is something that can play a surprising role in scores and needs to be remembered by students. It is recommended that students do whatever is necessary to ensure that they are comfortable in order to score as high as possible.
While the majority of students understand the test's importance, they do not always enjoy it. Junior Laura Bartles stated she felt the test was somewhat “insignificant in the big picture.” She felt irritated by the fact that the test only measures a person on paper and not who they really are outside of the classroom. Although she doesn’t always agree with the standard, she still plans on submitting her results for college applications and is working to do her best.
While the test may not be the most fun thing to prepare for and go through, it proves to be very valuable to colleges in making their acceptance decisions. It is very important to score well on the ACT if you plan on submitting results to college committees for review. The test proves to be an important evaluation tool for all who take it. The teachers in the district use these scores to help determine whether students are where they need to be in several subject areas. Teachers then take the reports and use that information to build their curriculum decisions. The scores are also factored into district report cards from the state to let the school know how they are doing as educators.