ACT Enhancements

The ACT has made major structural changes to the exam that will be implemented in the coming months. The ACT will now have 44 fewer questions and students will receive more time to answer each question. The length of the test in total will be reduced to 125 minutes rather than 195 minutes as in previous years. Students will also have the option to opt out of the science section unlike previous years.

Math and English portions of the exam will be adjusted slightly. For math questions, the ACT will be eliminating a response option from each question. Options that are rarely chosen or of poor quality will be removed from the exam, leaving four potential answers rather than five. Additionally, when questions contain a graphic, answer options that can be easily eliminated by looking at the image will be removed from the test. This is designed to match the format of other assessments and improve the test-taking experience for students.

During the English section, students will be provided with clear instructions for each question. Previously, portions of text would be underlined or numbered to denote which phrases pertain to each grammar and language question. However, no instructions were given for each individual question, so students needed to reference the instructions at the beginning of the section. This will no longer be the case, as the ACT will provide instructions for each question such as “which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?” followed by the answer choices. Additionally, the “No Change” options will be bolded so they are easier to see. These changes are being introduced to promote clarity for all students.

ACT enhancements will begin going into effect starting in April of 2025 for students taking the exam online. By September of 2025, all students taking the exam on paper or online will receive these benefits as well. The adjustments will be reflected in all schools and districts by spring of 2026.

Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator
kayley@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

ACT Test Scores at a 30-Year Low

The ACT college admissions test scores for high school students in the United States have declined to their lowest levels in over thirty years, indicating a concerning lack of preparedness for college-level coursework. This decline has been ongoing for six consecutive years, with the trend intensifying during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The nonprofit organization responsible for administering the test, ACT, highlights the urgent need to better equip graduates for postsecondary success in both college and career paths.

The average composite score for U.S. students on the ACT in 2023 dropped to 19.5 out of 36, down from 19.8 the previous year. Scores in reading, science, and math all fell below the benchmarks deemed necessary for success in first-year college courses, emphasizing the concerning trend in student preparedness. Despite criticism of standardized testing for favoring wealthier students and disadvantaging low-income ones, ACT CEO Janet Godwin argues that these scores remain crucial for placing students in appropriate college courses and aiding academic advisors in providing adequate support.

While many universities have made standardized testing optional for admissions, with some, like the University of California system, not considering ACT or SAT scores even if submitted, the debate over the relevance and usefulness of such tests continues. Student perspectives vary; however, the decline in ACT participation suggests a significant shift in the landscape of college admissions, with potential long-term implications for assessing student readiness and academic success.

Anna Jordan, Tutoring Coordinator

anna@testprepchicago.com

312-848-1266

Illinois Potentially Switching from SAT to ACT

Within the next year, Illinois may be switching from the SAT to ACT as it’s mandated state test. In the state of Illinois, all public high school students are required to pass a standardized college entrance exam to graduate. The Board of Education’s current contract with College Board requires 11th grade students to take the SAT and 9th and 10th grade students to take the PSAT. As this contract expires in June, it is likely the Board of Education will make the switch to the ACT for the 2024-2025 school year.

The state has begun negotiating a deal with ACT Inc. that will award the company a $53 million contract over the course of three years. If this deal is successful, it will be the first time the ACT is mandated for Illinois public school students since 2016. While the state is developing these contracts, the Chicago Board of Education recently renewed its contract with College Board for another two years. Therefore, Chicago public school students can expect to continue taking the SAT until 2026.

Some are dismayed by these potential changes, claiming the ACT does not align with current Illinois educational standards. Matthew Raimondi, a district employee, stated “that high school assessment is ultimately going to guide how teachers teach. Teachers are going to teach to the test you select. I urge you as board members to make sure you make the best decision to move to Illinois forward and not back to a test from the last century.” The state superintendent responded to this by assuring educators that whatever test is selected will align with the requisite learning standards.

Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator

kayley@testprepchicago.com

312-848-1266

Standardized Testing Requirements at Yale

Following Dartmouth’s lead, Yale is the most recent Ivy League school to reinstate standardized test scores as a requirement for new students. This means that Yale applicants will need to submit either SAT, ACT, or advanced placement scores in order to be considered for admission. This adjustment will go into effect for students applying for the fall class of 2025.

Yale claims their previous choice to forego standardized test scores became a hindrance to applicants from low socioeconomic backgrounds. According to the Ivy League, admissions committees had less student information to work with therefore putting more emphasis on GPAs and extracurricular activities when assessing applications. Thus, students who suffered in these areas were not given an opportunity to reinforce their scholastic strengths via test scores.

Administrators at Yale assert that requiring standardized testing scores helps them get a fully rounded view of each individual as a student. They claim having access to these scores will “highlight an applicant’s areas of academic strength.” However, they wish to emphasize that test scores alone can not predict student achievement and will only be used as a piece of a larger puzzle when reviewing student qualifications.

Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator

kayley@testprepchicago.com

607-848-1266

Test Score Requirements at Dartmouth

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020, most universities including Ivy League schools opted to make SAT and ACT scores optional rather than required upon application. This measure was taken to ensure a more equitable application process for students. However, in 2024, Dartmouth will be the first Ivy League school to reverse this decision by once again requiring students to submit either their SAT or ACT scores for its newest class of students. While many are outraged by this decision, Dartmouth claims its ultimate goal is to increase diversity.

A study conducted by Dartmouth suggests that making test scores optional has actually harmed their goal of inclusion. Students from disadvantaged families and low socioeconomic backgrounds submitted test scores less frequently than advantaged students. However, disadvantaged and/or marginalized students who did submit their test scores frequently achieved higher scores than students without these disadvantages. Thus, if SAT or ACT scores had been required, it is believed that more diverse students would have been admitted.

In addition, Dartmouth administrators believe that reinstating their test score requirement is necessary to predict student performance. Test scores considered in conjunction with high school grades are the best indicator of a student’s success according to research conducted at the college. This study also claims that test score requirements tend to attract students from schools that do not frequently send students to Dartmouth. Thus, if proven correct, the mandate would lead to a more inclusive student body. Still, it remains to be seen if other colleges and universities will follow in Dartmouth’s wake and once again require SAT and ACT scores.

Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator

kayley@testprepchicago.com

312-848-1266

College Enrollment Still Down from Pre-Pandemic Levels

Rates of college enrollment, which decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Across the country, the rate of undergraduate enrollment dropped 8 percent between 2019 and 2022, marking the steepest decline on record, and while admissions rates are increasing slightly, they have yet to return to 2018 levels.

Despite predictions that the decline was only temporary, it appears that many of those who opted out of college at the beginning of the pandemic have decided not to return to school. While those who don’t attend college typically have a lower average earning potential, many are questioning the benefits of attending colleges and universities when tuition prices continue to rise and rates of student debt are at an all-time high.

Fewer graduates from college could lead to shortages in certain fields, such as healthcare and engineering, while the market for computer science skills has steadily increased. Additionally, many young people are pursuing education outside of the traditional four-year degree; trade schools and apprenticeship programs, for example, are on the rise. The pandemic, which threw a wrench in the plans of many, may have caused a lasting shift in the way young people consider their future.

Anna Jordan, Tutoring Coordinator
anna@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

The Classical Learning Test Replacing SAT/ACT in Florida?

The SAT and ACT may soon be replaced by the Classical Learning Test in the state of Florida. Primarily used by home-school and private-school students, the CLT is a standardized test steeped in “traditional” education values. School board officials from the state claim the new test contains more challenging material than the SAT and is fitter to uphold the democratic principles of America. As Governor Ron DeSantis searches for alternatives to the College Board’s standardized tests, individuals from the Department of Education are pushing for the implementation of the CLT.

Created in 2015 as a way to disengage from modern education standards, the CLT diverges from the SAT and ACT in ideology. While the College Board recognizes critical race theory as a foundational tenet of education, the CLT takes a conservative approach to this topic with regard to religious values. Chad Pecknold, a member of the CLT’s establishing board stated that it is “an alternative to the College Board that orients people to the perennial truths of the great classical and Christian tradition.” Other Florida Education officials claim that the SAT has “censored” ideals of the Christian faith and thus claim that an alternative test must be implemented.

Currently, the SAT and ACT are the only standardized tests recognized by collegiate institutions in Florida. However, if new legislation is passed the CLT will be available to all eleventh and twelfth-grade students who wish to forgo taking a College Board exam. As of now, Governor DeSantis has not confirmed the state’s switch. Still, Florida education officials are pushing for the addition of the new test, making it likely that the CLT will be recognized as a legal college entrance exam alternative in the coming years.

Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator
kayley@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

Sources:

https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-sat-college-board-alternative-classical-christian-desantis-western-thought-2023-2
https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2023/02/19/florida-weighs-classical-and-christian-alternative-to-sat-college-entrance-exam/
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/02/17/desantis-classical-learning-test-college-board-ap-sat/

ACT vs. SAT : Do Colleges Prefer One Over the Other?

The short answer to the question above is no. As of 2023, all colleges that consider standardized test scores as part of their admissions processes will take SAT or ACT scores at an equal value. 

This myth has persisted primarily because of the fact that a lot of states mandate that their high schoolers take either the SAT or ACT during the school day. CPS students take the SAT at their schools in April. Just north in Wisconsin, the ACT is mandated, so it varies state to state. Additionally, about half of incoming college freshmen attend colleges that are within 100 miles of their hometowns. As a result, colleges tend to receive a majority of test scores from the test that their state mandates that students take in high school (i.e. the SAT for Illinois students). Not all states mandate the SAT or ACT, but each state often leans one way or the other.

All of that being said, these state mandates and local tendencies do not affect how colleges consider either test, and students should just take whichever test they feel most confident. Students may also take both tests, but should consider the extra preparation time, stress, and testing fees that would be involved.

Check out our article ‘What's the Difference Between the SAT and the ACT?’ from November, 2022 to see which test is right for you!

Nate Hall, Director of Technology & Tutoring Coordinator
nate@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

What's the Difference Between the SAT and the ACT?

When deciding whether to take the SAT or the ACT, there are a few factors to consider. It’s helpful to know that the SAT and ACT are more similar than they are different! The material they cover is almost exactly the same, as is the formatting.

While the concepts on both tests are very similar, the ACT does involve slightly more complex math, including questions on topics such as trigonometry, imaginary numbers, and logarithms. While newer versions of the SAT do touch on advanced math, the ACT requires a more in-depth knowledge of such concepts. Additionally, there is a “science” section on the ACT, which does not actually require knowledge of science topics; it instead involves deciphering charts and graphs. This section will not test your prior scientific knowledge, but rather your ability to interpret information presented in various ways.

Another key difference between these tests involves timing. The ACT is much more fast-paced than the SAT. On the ACT, students have an average of 36 seconds to answer each question (though that varies slightly between sections), while on the SAT that average is closer to 70 seconds. This means the ACT requires you to move much more quickly through each question and has more questions overall than the SAT. If you’re a strong, focused test-taker with good time-management skills, the ACT may be for you! If you get distracted or overwhelmed easily, then it may be better to stick with the SAT.

Anna Jordan, Tutoring Coordinator
anna@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

The Impacts of COVID-19 on SAT/ACT Test Scores

For the last several years, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused major issues in the field of education. In general, students have not been able to get as much time in the classroom and have had to adapt to remote learning environments to receive instruction. Illness has also been a factor in attendance, causing many students to fall behind in their coursework. For all of these reasons, students taking the SAT and the ACT have struggled, resulting in lower average test scores in 2022.

In 2021 students averaged an SAT score of 1060 out of 1600 which has since dropped to 1050 in 2022. Similarly, in 2022 ACT students averaged 19.8 out of 30 compared to an average of 20.3 the previous year. This is the lowest composite ACT score of the last thirty years. Altogether 42% of students who took the ACT met none of the benchmarks meant to indicate college success.

Though scores are down, more students than ever are taking both the SAT and ACT. According to the 2022 SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report, this year 1.7 million students took the SAT which is up 13% from the previous year. Similarly, the ACT has had an increase of 55,000 students from 2021 to 2022. Due to this increased demand, it is more important than ever that students begin preparing for these exams early, so they are left with the best possible chance of success.

Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator
kayley@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266