SD-ACT to Replace Current Junior State Assessment in South Dakota
Beginning in Spring 2026, South Dakota public schools will use the ACT as the state assessment for juniors. This change is designed to provide more meaningful testing for students and families while supporting college and career planning.
This means that:
• All South Dakota public school juniors will take the SD-ACT online during
the school day at no cost.
This will typically occur in March and include all testing subjects: English, Reading, Math, Science, and Writing.
The results will be used to measure student performance on district and high school Accountability Report Cards.
Students can retake the ACT at their own expense should they wish to attempt to improve their scores.
ACT PREP
Magoosh is a subscription ACT® Prep Program. However, the provided link has many free video lessons indicated in blue. Here are a few recommended videos:
English: Commas, Apostrophes, Verb Tenses, Redundant Meanings, Concision and Wordiness
Math: Working with Percents, Ratios and Rates, Writing Equations, Working with Formulas
Reading: Question Types, Basic Strategies
Science: Pacing on the Science Test, Finding Clues in the Answer Choices