College & Career ASSESSMENTS

The ACT is a college entrance exam that is accepted at 99% of American colleges & universities.  It is scored on a scale from 0 to 36 and consists of four assessments in Reading, English, Science, and Mathematics. 

All students who are considering going to college after high school should take the ACT.  In addition, when making admissions and scholarship decisions, colleges and universities use the students’ best score and in some cases their “superscore.”  Superscores are calculated by averaging a student’s highest subscores from each time the student took the ACT.  For this reason, we strongly encourage that students take the ACT multiple times.

Strategies to Improve an ACT Score

• Take the ACT multiple times between 10th grade and the 1st semester of 12th grade

• Take the most rigorous courses available to you

• Take, at minimum, the following course sequence:

  • Math: 9th grade Algebra I, 10th grade Geometry, 11th grade Algebra II

  • English: 9th grade English I, 10th grade English II, 11th grade English III

  • Science: 9th grade Physical Science, 10th grade Biology, 11th grade Chemistry

  • Social Studies: 9th grade US History, 10th grade World History, 11th grade Government

• Take the FHSD ACT Prep class 

• Participate in private ACT tutoring

• Complete exercises in an ACT prep workbook published by Wiley, Princeton Review, or Kaplan

• Participate in the free Edmentum ACT Prep Course

  • All juniors are enrolled.  Students from other grades may enroll by contacting their school’s associate principal

  • How to Access the Free ACT Prep Course on Edmentum

• When registering for classes, take as many courses in the “Better” categories of the ACT Prep Course Sequence identified below.

The ACT WorkKeys assessment is published by ACT and identifies students’ workplace skills and interests.  Students are assessed in Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents.  Students’ scores are reported at one of four levels based on their performance: platinum, gold, silver, or bronze.  Students have the opportunity to earn certificates for workplace readiness, including the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), a valuable employment credential for students entering the workforce after high school.  11th grade students may choose to take the ACT WorkKeys instead of the ACT.  

The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is a timed aptitude test that is given at Military Entrance Processing Stations throughout the United States.  Developed by the Department of Defense, the ASVAB determines qualification for enlistment in the United States Armed Forces.  It measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military.  11th grade students may choose to take the ASVAB instead of the ACT.