Changes to the ACT Will Make Test More Accessible

By,

McKenzie Osborne

The ACT test has made some major revisions that will impact RAHS juniors when they take the test this March.

The revised test itself is shorter, eliminating 44 total questions while giving students more time to think for each one. There are shorter reading passages and four multiple choice answers instead of five in the math portion, all while still providing comprehensive ACT scores. 

To help ease the stress regarding the ACT test, there are some specific classes that help students prepare for what they may encounter. 

“To prepare for the math portion of the ACT, we take 7 practice tests throughout the semester. We also review past math topics, preview math topics students may not have seen, and work on standardized test taking strategies,” said Mr. John Brandt, who teaches an ACT math preparation class. 

In order to bypass the Junior spring English final, you need a score of 18, which requires getting slightly more than half of the questions correct. To skip the math final? A score of 22, or roughly 52-58 percent, is needed. The changes to the test are believed to have made the test slightly more accessible to students who feel that achieving a high score isn’t possible. 

“I really like that they've started asking 4-5 questions about a passage as opposed to always asking 10. Mixing up the passages and asking fewer questions about each should help the kids,” said Mr. Philip Turner, a teacher who builds ACT prep into his junior English classes at least once per week.. “I just want the kids at RAHS to believe in themselves when they take the ACT.”

No matter if you will be on the testing block this year or not, the ACT is here to stay, and all staff and peers can be around to cheer for your successes. 

“I’m one of those students who take longer on tests, and now I’ll have more time,” said Olivia Schafer ‘27 when asked about her opinion on the ACT changes. “I’m pretty happy about it.”