ACT Study Guide

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Most colleges and universities utilize the American College Test (ACT) as their entrance exam to evaluate and make admission decisions. The ACT is designed to assess a high school student’s preparation for college and give universities a single piece of comparable data to evaluate all candidates. Standardized test results will be compared to students’ high school GPA, courses they took, letters of recommendation from teachers or mentors, extracurricular activities, admissions interviews, and personal essays by college admissions officers. It varies from school to school how significant ACT scores are in the college admission process.

Why should I take
the ACT?

To get into American colleges, students must take a standardized test recognized by them. The ACT offers a college admissions test score, college course placement, and a career planning component for a reasonable price, making it of good value. And by taking the ACT, you students make themselves known to colleges and scholarship organizations all around the nation.

Who can take
the ACT?

Almost all students are permitted to take the ACT. Students commonly take the ACT in their junior year; however, it can be taken at any grade level from sixth to twelfth. Graduates of high school are also eligible to take the exam. But to take the test, students must register online on the ACT site and pay the required fees.

Registering for
the ACT

The ACT registration process can be completed most easily online; making a student account online is the first step. The benefits of online registration include the ability to print the admittance ticket and verify that there is a spot available at the test location of choice.

The applicant’s name, residence, and high school information are required for the simple online registration process. Students can choose and change their test dates once they have a student account. They can also pay for their registration with a credit card, examine their test results, choose which colleges they want to receive their score reports from, and enter or amend their high school grades. Only those under the age of 13 or those unable to pay with a credit card must register by mail.

When to take
the ACT

At least a few months before the deadline for college or scholarship applications, one should take the ACT. Students often have access to their test results in less than two weeks. Schools receive them after this, but the precise timing depends on a few variables. The last test date students can take can be found by contacting the school. This is usually the exam in December. Most high schoolers who plan to attend college decide to take their exam in their junior year.

Effect of COVID-19
on ACT

Harvard will extend a policy introduced during the coronavirus pandemic and support the drive to permanently abolish the requirement for standardized test results for admission to even the most selective schools in the country by not requiring them for the next four years.

The pandemic, which has made it difficult for students to attend testing venues, was blamed by Harvard for the decision. However, the choice has symbolic significance because it suggests that Harvard is confident in its ability to sift through hundreds of applications and admit candidates without using standardized test scores. Additionally, it shows that the university, and potentially the country, is getting closer to eliminating test scores from the admissions process.

ACT Overview

Tips to Prepare for
the ACT

Best Practices for Taking the
Practice ACT

ACT Test Day
Prep

FAQs on the
ACT

Are ACT scores important?

How to register for the ACT Test?

Which test to take ACT or SAT?

Can students add or modify college choices or correct high school code post registration?

Who can take the ACT Test?

ACT Resources