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Wesley Smith

Prof. Hellmers

English 1201

9 April 2022

The ACT And Its Flawed Design

“Stop. Put your pencil down. Close your test booklet.” (Tierney). During my

freshman and sophomore year of high school, one of the biggest things everyone

dreaded was the upcoming ACT that we would have to take our junior year. Everyone

made it seem, so nerve-racking and our school even had a training class for this test.

Fast forward to the end of our junior year when all of us had to come into school just to

take the ACT and leave. I walked into my assigned classroom with people that were

close to me in the alphabet by last name. Our proctor told us we can’t have any phones

or smartwatches on, so we had to shut them all off and put them underneath our desks.

Once everyone had their pencils and was ready to being, we started the first section of

the test, English. It seemed easy and I was done before most people. We then did the

science, math, and finally, reading. Once we were done, we turned in our test booklets

and left the classroom to go home. Later that year we received our scores online. I was

shocked to see that I only got an 18 out of 36, I was very dissatisfied with myself. Many

people believe that the ACT is unfair because it does not accurately judge the student

on their academic abilities but rather on their test-taking skills.

My mom encouraged me to take it again and I prepared for it and later took it

again over the summer at a different school. As I was taking the test, I noticed
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something. Everything was easier. The reading section, being my typical weakness,

was much easier to comprehend. The charts in the science section were easier to

understand. And the math was easier to complete. Later, after taking the test, I got a

much better score. But after thinking about it, why was the second test so much easier

than the first one? This led me to believe that the ACT is not fair since the tests I took

were not made the same. I believed that the ACT did not show my academic abilities,

but rather depicted my test-taking skills. To add more context, the ACT is a

standardized test that most students take at some point during their high school years.

The test features science, math, reading, English, and writing sections. The ACT is

scored on from 1 to 36. A 36 is considered the best possible score. As mentioned

before, many people believe that the ACT is unfair because it does not accurately judge

the student on their academic abilities but rather on their test-taking skills.

The American College Test (referred to as ACT) dates back to 1959 when it was

first developed. Before that time, we only had the SAT, a different form of standardized

test. But, for this paper, we will be focusing on the ACT. The test was developed as a

way for colleges to increase their enrollment numbers. The test featured 4 sections.

English, Reading, Math, and Science. In 2005, the writing section was added. 59% of

the 2016 high school graduating class took the ACT. (Study Point). The ACT is scored

based on a composite of 0 to 36 with the average score being 21. The test typically

costs around USD 50 without the writing section and USD 60 with the writing section.

(Princeton Review). Many of us have taken the ACT at some point in our life. Sitting in

the same seat in the same room for 3 hours staring at a test that can essentially

determine your future. So what exactly invalidates this test?

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First, let’s look at an experiment on the ACT that was conducted in 1977. The

experiment was to analyze the correlation of students’ ACT scores and their class

grades. According to Edwin J. Nolan’s document resume on the experiment. Analyzed

correlations showed coefficients of such a low expanse as to summarize that there is no

significance between academic performance and ACT scores at SWVCC (Southern

West Virginia Community College). (Nolan).

An experiment was conducted using the scores of 241 students. The following

scores were used in the final representation: All sections of English Composition 1, all

sections of College Math 1, all sections of Physical Science 1, Biology 1, Chemistry 1,

and all sections of Western Civilization 1. (Nolan). Table 1 shows the ACT Sub-test

scores and grades for corresponding academic grades. The table shows that there is no

corresponding ratio between the student’s test scores and their academic grades.

(Nolan).

It was concluded by the experiment that since the ACT is not a valid predictor of

the student’s actual grades earned, the ACT be discontinued. The need for an

assessment tool of some sort remains. Some alternative tests can be used like the CQT

(College Qualifying Test) or the CGP (Comparative Guidance and Placement Test).

Both tests are developed for testing students’ academic abilities. (Nolan).

In the spring and fall of 2017, a survey was conducted on almost 100,000

students by ACT. The surveyed students had either tested for the first time in late

summer or late fall of 2016 and registered for the test in the spring of 2017 or tested for

the first time in spring of 2017 and had registered to take it again in the fall of 2017.

Students were surveyed within a few hours after all national ACTs had ended. The
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survey came out with an 18% response rate. Although all the students in the survey had

said they were going to take the ACT again, a small number of the students who

responded to the survey had not retaken the ACT and their data was therefore omitted.

Students were asked in the survey about their behaviors that might have affected their

performance on the test such as using a calculator or experiencing anxiety or stress.

(Schiel).

(Schiel).

Although having breakfast the morning before the second ACT and getting a

normal amount of sleep the night before. It was shown that both had an impact on the

student’s ACT composite score. This study was done on only students who had taken

the ACT twice. The first part of the study shows the difference between students who

had a snack break during the test and those who did not. The students who did not

have a snack break showed an average of a 1-point increase from their previous score.

Whereas students who did have a snack showed an average of 1.08 point increased

composite score from their previous one. Students who had noticeable stress had an

average 0.97 point increase. Whereas students with little to no stress had an average
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1.11 point increase. Students who did not use a calculator showed an average of 0.90

point increase, and those who used a calculator had an average of 1.17. Lastly, the

biggest factor is preparation. Students who did not prepare for their second test showed

an average 0.85 point increase whereas students who did prepare for the second test

had a 1.22 point increase. This composition shows that tools, health, training, and

stress are all major factors that affect students’ ACT scores. Because of this, the ACT is

not a good way of displaying a student’s academic abilities.

Sarah Sheffer, a writer for PBS News Hour, wrote an article about a study saying

that standardized tests like the ACT and the SAT shouldn’t matter. Her opening

statement… Teenagers all over the United States wait for their scores to arrive in the

mail. The envelope that contains the fate of their academic lives. (Sheffer). This opening

alone should already explain enough how scary the ACT is for students.

A study was conducted that sparked the usage of optional testing in over 30

public and private colleges. There are now over 850 and the trend is growing. (Sheffer).

The study was performed by William Hiss of Bates College. He stated the evidence

conducted by the study shows that high school GPA matters. Four years of hard work

and effort put into boosting that GPA; that’s what matters the most. Evidence that

someone has brought one of their hobbies to a higher skill level should be what matters.

We need to see evidence that the student can bring something to a high level of skill.”

(Hiss). Being successful in college does not always come from good test scores. Based

on this data, students that tested with average scores but had good grades in school did

better in college than those who had the opposite. (Sheffer).

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The article written by Sheffer clearly states that there is no need for standardized

tests like the ACT to be used by colleges. Instead, colleges should look at GPA and

grades. This ‘test-optional’ policy would open many doors for students and increase

college enrollment. Optional testing is a great way for colleges to increase their

enrollment. It would bring in more students who would normally not be admitted. (Hiss).

The ACT is also biased. Race, class, and gender biases give White, male test-

takers an unfair advantage. How? From fairtest.org, students with wealthier parents

typically receive better scores because they can afford to take the test multiple times.

Families with not as much money may not be able to afford to take the test right away.

ACT scores should not be determined by social class. Based on research on the ACT

White students receive an overall better score than other races despite grades, family

income, and classwork. If the ACT was not biased towards white students, Asian-

American students would receive a much higher score since they typically on average

take more courses than any other race. Male students also typically score higher than

Female students on the ACT as well.

Now you may be wondering. How is the ACT biased? Studies show that a fast-

paced test with multiple questions is typically easier for males. Males are more likely to

guess on multiple-choice questions than females. Guessing is often rewarded since the

ACT is multiple choice. Because of this, the ACT goes against the female thinking style.

Terms like these may not be familiar to a lot of people taking the ACT, especially those

who do not have English as their primary language. The ACT also features biased

language such as terms like “ball and chain” which means a married partner. Terms like
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these may not be familiar to a lot of people taking the ACT, especially those who do not

have English as their primary language. (fairtest.org).

Not only is the ACT faulty. It is also heavily misused. From fairtest.org “In the

state of Mississippi, colleges and universities have long used the ACT as a means of

segregation. Mississippi’s education board required an ACT score that was 8 points

higher than the average African American student’s score. Students in Louisiana that

score a 20 or above can have their full tuition paid for.” The ACT ruins diversity. Many

colleges now are always looking to increase the diversity of their campuses. If colleges

stop looking at ACT scores, their diversity will increase. Some colleges have moved to

only evaluating GPA.

When you prepare for the ACT, you are not studying for it. Instead, you are

training for it. The ACT is like practicing for a sport. You spend countless hours doing

the same thing over and over again until you get better at it. This is the same case with

the ACT. You spend hours doing practices, learning how to answer questions quickly.

The ACT does not measure how smart you are. It measures how well trained you are.

The Test & The Art of Thinking is a documentary by Michael Arlen Davis. There

are many instances within the film about how the ACT and SAT are misused within our

education system. “The reading on any of these standardized tests has nothing to do

with school. In school you read a novel and discuss the motivations of the character.”

(Arak). The ACT’s goal is to trick you. Not only do they speed the test but many of the

multiple-choice answers are partly true, the ACT is designed for you to pick the answer

that is the truest. Under stress and a constrained environment. The ACT is trying to trick

you. (Carnevale).
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“I don’t think it’s an accurate representation at all. I have a 4.0 GPA. I work hard

every day studying for tests, doing homework, and learning how to be a humble person

in this crazy world.” (Donley). The first negative of standardized tests like the ACT and

SAT is that there are only a few that take place every year. This gives little time for

students to take these tests, let alone prepare for them. Although the ACT and SAT are

very similar, there are multiple differences between the two tests. The tests, being 4 to 5

hours long, cause huge amounts of stress. And what happens when students are under

stress? Their score plummets. One of the major ways the ACT and SAT are not

accurate is because they both teach different things. In 1988, the national curriculum

was very consistent. However today, many schools teach things that are different from

other schools. Not all content on standardized tests is covered in the high school

curriculum. This alone causes multiple disadvantages because students in different

places learn different things. (Tierney).

Most people who were interviewed about the ACT agreed that the ACT and the

SAT are not good ways of representing students’ academic skills. They are used for

broad judgment to compare different schools and universities. These standardized tests

were originally designed to see if students reached a certain performance level and if

they attained the proper knowledge from school. Today, colleges consider students

based on their test scores, and students are now evaluated for all the wrong reasons.

Throughout the nation, several students believe they are more than just a test score and

want to be given a fair chance for their future. Students do not want to be considered

based on their ACT or SAT scores. (Tierney). “I want to be given a fair chance for my
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future. I don’t want colleges to consider me just based off on my standardized test

score. I am more than just my test score.” (Schmidt).

An article was written by Vero Lecocq. It talks about 5 reasons why you should

take the ACT. With reasons such as “Most Colleges Require Test Scores, There Are

Scholarships for High Scorers, Your State or High School Might Require It, Some Jobs

Require Test Scores, The ACT Might Suit You Better Than The SAT.” Getting a good

scholarship for a high-test score can be exciting. But this does not take away from the

fact that you may have gotten that high score unfairly. What if someone who knows just

as much as you but isn’t a good test taker, tests poorly, not for their lack of knowledge

but for their inability to take a fast-paced test under stress.

An interview with PJ Burgett was conducted by Katelyn Kauscher on November

9th, 2021. PJ Burgett is a principal at Bradford Village Schools. Kauscher asked PJ

several questions about the ACT. “Do you believe the ACT is an accurate measure of a

student’s ability?” Burgett stated, “I do not believe it is the best way to accurately

measure an individual’s ability (there are many other variables it does not take into

account), but it is an effective way to gauge one person to another.” Kauscher then

asked, “How could the college admissions process differ without the use of

standardized testing?” Burgett replied, “Universities are once again valuing GPA and

difficulty of course load to make admission decisions. Especially at your less

competitive colleges/universities. Your elite schools will continue to use standardized

testing, GPA / strength of schedule, and an interview process to make their selections.”

The ACT claims “You may not realize it, but you have been preparing to take the

ACT for years. The ACT has always been about what students learn in high school.”
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However, with the evidence provided earlier, it has been since proven that this is not

true and the research proves that the material in the ACT is rarely the same as what

people experience. The ACT also states “Students frequently tell us that they feel more

comfortable taking the ACT since it is directly related to what they learn in most of their

high school courses. It is hard to find a resource talking good things about the ACT

other than the ACT company itself. This also proves to us that the ACT is only used as

a college admissions test, but it still has its flaws.

Most schools pay for students to take their first ACT, that’s at least $50 per

student. Not to mention that there are hundreds of thousands of students taking it every

year. Meaning that the ACT company is racking in millions of dollars each year just from

students taking their flawed tests.

Overall, you can see the number of studies that people have performed.

Research shows that the ACT is not a liable source for evaluating a student’s academic

abilities. The ACT is flawed in several ways. Getting a college degree is about drive and

the willingness to achieve it, not a test score. A student’s academic abilities are

determined by GPA and grades. Not a test score. If we got rid of the ACT, many more

students would be accepted into colleges. Many more students would earn

scholarships. Many college campuses would have increased diversity. The ACT is a

flawed test that should not be used to determine our future.

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Works Cited

"The ACT: Biased, Inaccurate, and Misused." The ACT: Biased, Inaccurate, and Misused,

FairTest, 20 Aug. 2007, fairtest.org/act-biased-inaccurate-and-misused#:~:text=The

%20individual%20tests%20have%20large,and%201.75%20in%20Science

%20Reasoning. Accessed 6 Mar. 2022.

"ACT History - The evolution of the ACT." Study Point, www.studypoint.com/ed/act-history/.

Accessed 26 Mar. 2022.

Burgett, P.J. Instant messenger interview. Conducted by Katelyn Kauscher, 9 Nov. 2021.

Hartocollis, Anemona. "ACT Change Will Allow Students to Retake Individual Sections." The

New York Times [New York City], 8 Oct. 2019.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/08/us/act-test-superscore.html

Lecocq, Vero. "Why Take the ACT? 5 Important Reasons." SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and

Tips, PrepScholar, 1 June 2021, blog.prepscholar.com/why-take-the-act#:~:text=

%231%3A%20Most%20Colleges%20Require%20Test%20Scores&text=In%20that

%20case%2C%20why%20should,stand%20out%20from%20the%20crowd. Accessed 7

Apr. 2022.

McEntee, Jaynell. "Why the ACT and SAT Should Be Abolished." Why the ACT and SAT

Should Be Abolished, TestPrepAdvisor.com, 3 Feb. 2020,

www.testprepadvisor.com/act/why-the-act-and-sat-should-be-abolished/. Accessed 6

Mar. 2022.

Nolan, Edwin J. The Relationship Between ACT Sub-Test Scores and Grades Earned: A

Correlational Study. Pp. 1-6. ERIC, eric.ed.gov/?id=ED131902. Accessed 6 Mar. 2022.

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The Official ACT Prep Guide: The Only Official Prep Guide from the Makers of the ACT.

Hoboken, John Wiley, and Sons, 2017.

Schiel, Jeff L. Test-Related Behaviors and Performance on the ACT. Pp. 1-10. ERIC,

files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED604111.pdf. Accessed 6 Mar. 2022.

Sheffer, Sarah. "Do ACT and SAT scores really matter? New study says they shouldn't." PBS

News Hour, PBS.org, 18 Feb. 2014, www.pbs.org/newshour/education/nail-biting-

standardized-testing-may-miss-mark-college-students. Accessed 6 Mar. 2022.

The Test and the Art of Thinking. Directed by Michael Arlen Davis, Abramorama Selects, 2019.

Tierney, Lily. "Do You Think the SAT/ACT is an Accurate Representation of Your Abilities?"

XPRESS, Do You Think the SAT/ACT is an Accurate Representation of Your Abilities?,

2 Oct. 2018, news.xcp.org/6941/opinions/do-you-think-the-sat-act-is-an-accurate-

representation-of-your-abilities/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2022.

What is the ACT? Princeton Review, www.princetonreview.com/college/act-information.

Accessed 26 Mar. 2022.