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Mary Ayres

Professor Porter

English 1201

27 March 2022

Accuracy of the ACT and Use in College Admittance

Every year across the country, about 1 million students find themselves taking the ACT

to try and boost their chances of getting into the college they have dreamed of since they were

little kids. Colleges then look at the scores you get and based on the results, they decide whether

or not they will accept you into their university. Recently, this has changed a little due to the

covid pandemic. Colleges started looking away from scores and more towards the students’

overall performance during their high school career. Since the pandemic has slowed down,

should colleges start looking at ACT scores again? Do the scores even represent the true ability

of each student? In 1959 the American College Testing Program was created. The ACT consists

of “four different sections: English, Reading, Math, and Science” (ACT Incorporated). The ACT

is a test that “is required for juniors in high school to take in 13 states” (Heimbach). This number

has increased over the years. Traditionally most colleges have required students to submit ACT

scores when applying to their university. Even though the ACT is widely used in the college

admissions process, it is not an accurate representation of the whole student or in showing a

student's true abilities because of the types of questions it asks along with all the external and
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internal factors that can have a negative effect on the results, therefore colleges should not use

the scores from the ACT when determining student admittance.

When the pandemic arose, students were forced to stay home and they did not receive the

same education that they would have had in a normal year. It was also harder for students to take

the ACT because everything around them was shutting down. Colleges noticed that these

students were not being given the same opportunities and education over this period. “Colleges

understand that due to the pandemic there are limited opportunities for students to take a college

entrance exam” (Strauss). According to the Washington Post, they believed that colleges should

start to, “rethink their use of standardized test scores as a factor of admissions during and after

the coronavirus pandemic” (Strauss). Due to the pandemic, colleges during this time started

becoming test-optional. Colleges started looking at other student factors for college admittance.

Some of the things that colleges started looking at instead of testing scores were the students'

overall GPA, high school courses taken, and involvement in the school community throughout

their whole high school career. Now that the COVID pandemic is coming to an end, rather than

adding the ACT scores back into the college admissions process, colleges should continue to

focus on student GPAs, the high school course loads, and student involvement in the school and

the local community. A student’s GPA would give colleges a better idea of how students will

perform over time since the GPA is a reflection of student effort and hard work as well as ability,

and not just data from one test. A student who has good work habits in high school will be able
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to continue to use those habits to be successful in college as well. A study from 2020 found that

“students’ high-school grade point averages are five times stronger than their ACT scores at

predicting college graduation” (Allensworth and Clark). This proves that using students’ high

school GPAs instead of ACT scores would be beneficial to colleges when making admission

decisions. While looking at the GPAs of students, colleges should also keep in mind the courses

that students are taking. Students who are taking courses such as Advanced classes, International

Baccalaureate classes, or College Credit Plus classes will have a much more rigorous curriculum

and therefore, will have to work even harder than students who are in general or remedial

classes. If students can do well in the harder classes, then that is also a good indicator that they

would continue to do well in a college setting. Students who are taking easier courses but are not

challenging themselves would need to be given thoughtful consideration during the admissions

process because when they get to college they might not have developed the work habits to help

them with the more difficult college courses. According to one researcher, “It seems likely that

the kinds of habits high school grades capture are more relevant for success in college than a

score from a single test” (Chingos). This would require extra time on the part of college

admissions to weigh the various classes, but if done well, could be a much better predictor of

college success. Finally, college admissions should also look at student involvement in the

school and local community, rather than the ACT score. By looking at what outside activities

students participate in, colleges can get a better idea of the whole student. When a college is

admitting students it wants to create a diverse student body. If colleges only look at ACT scores,
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then they are only seeing if students are smart on one given day in one particular situation.

They would have no idea what interests the students have. Colleges should look at the clubs,

organizations, sports, services, and employment of future students. This will give them a better

idea of who they are admitting and it will also show them who would most likely contribute to

the overall campus environment if they were to be admitted. Several colleges started doing this,

and many of them realized that this was way more important to them when admitting them than

just one test they took. They realized this helped them be able to see more into the student’s

overall ability. Recently Ivy league schools decided to continue to forgo the ACT as a measure

of college acceptance because they have realized that looking at the whole student can provide

more insight into whether or not the student would be a good fit for their institution. The schools

decided to remain test-optional for another round of admissions (Nietzel). Since most students

who apply to Ivy League schools earn a 35 or 36 on the ACT, the score was not really a good

factor in determining which student would be a good fit over another student. They needed to

start looking at the whole student to learn more about them and how they were applying

themselves instead of just looking at that one score they got on a single test.

Colleges should also look away from using the ACTs as a factor in admitting students

because there are many negative factors that can affect a student’s score. One of these factors

being that the ACT does not test real-life skills that are very important for students in college and

for the rest of their lives after college. One article researched this and dug deeper into
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standardized testing. The researchers wanted to find out whether or not standardized tests

measure general cognitive abilities. After they conducted one of their tests, they found, “test

items covered few general cognitive skills” (Marzano). General cognitive skills, which are skills

that students are required to use across several disciplines such as summarizing, are not assessed

on standardized tests, yet are some of the crucial skills that students need to have in order to be

successful. Researchers are concerned that if general cognitive skills are not being assessed, then

teachers will not feel those skills are important, and then they will not be taught. According to

Marzano, general cognitive skills are the skills that are more useful to people in the real world

and so those are the skills that need to be assessed, to ensure that they are being taught, which is

not what standardized tests are currently assessing. According to one of Fairmont High School’s

counselors, Spencer Brown, standardized testing, “does not measure all strengths, weaknesses,

and abilities of students” (Brown).

Along with not testing real-life skills, the ACT also creates a huge amount of stress on

students. This is why stress is another huge negative effect of the ACT. In an article written by

Lucas Polucha, he says that “For many college-bound students, the ACT or SAT tests present the

largest hurdle in high school” (Polucha). Since many high school students see the ACT as one of

the largest hurdles, this can be a really stressful test to take. Leading up to the test, all the

students do is worry about how they are gonna do, how hard it is gonna be, and if they will be

able to get into college with the score they receive. Going into the test with all of this stress can
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have a severe negative impact on the result of your test. Not only is stress itself a negative factor,

but it can lead to a bunch of other things that can also have an impact on students. Some of those

things are “mental blocks, fatigue, headaches, lack of sleep, chest pain, high blood pressure, an

upset stomach, lack of motivation and focus, irritability and feeling overwhelmed” (Learning

Center). If students are experiencing any of these things during testing, it can lead to students not

performing their best. If students are unable to perform their best, it can lead to bad results on the

test and is very unfair to the student. They may be a really smart student, but due to the stress of

taking a test with such high stakes, they may not be able to show what they truly can do by not

performing to their full potential. Lucus Polucha believes that “Colleges should find less

stressful and more balanced ways to determine a student’s eligibility for admission or

scholarships than standardized tests” (Polucha). By having more than one test measure, it would

place less stress on just the one test and students may be more likely to get better results in the

end.

Oftentimes stress will also lead to anxiety. Anxiety is a person's reaction to stress which

can present itself as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent

event or something with an uncertain outcome” (“Anxiety.” Oxford Languages). The pressure of

the high-stakes test and the fear of failure can lead to symptoms of “panic attacks, difficulty

concentrating, mind going blank, racing thoughts, and shortness of breath” (Learning Center).

When someone is experiencing these things, they are going to lose their thoughts and not be able
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to focus on the test in front of them. This in turn can result in students doing very poorly on the

ACT. If students are unable to focus and do their best during the test, then once again, they are

not going to be able to truly show what they are able to do and show their true potential. To

alleviate test anxiety, colleges should not put as much emphasis on admitting students based off

of their results on the ACT. Instead, they should use more factors when determining student

admittance into college. This way students will not feel as much pressure to do well, because

they will at least know it is not the only thing determining their admittance and there are other

things they can do to boost their chances of getting accepted.

Not only do students have to worry about doing well on the test, but the ACT also

requires them to be able to do well quickly. The ACT is a timed test that does not give students

enough time to be able to think through the questions, reread the stories, and double-check their

work. In a classroom setting students are taught test-taking skills which they practice throughout

their schooling to help them do their best on a test. Many of these skills include pre-reading

questions, reading the stories more than once, eliminating answer choices, and double-checking

their work. On the ACT there is not enough time for students to do this. The ACT is not actually

just measuring what the students are able to do, but rather what they are able to do quickly. This

can contribute to both the stress and anxiety the students feel on test day, especially for students

who like to take their time or who take longer to process information. If colleges want to know

what a student is able to do then students should be able to take the test without a time limit.
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One video I watched goes on to talk about standardized testing and how it affects students. In the

video, they interviewed one of the student’s mothers and she said, “She is very smart. She can do

very well on this test, until you put a clock on her'' (“The Test & the Art of Thinking.” Youtube).

This goes to show that even though someone can be smart and can succeed on the test when they

are given the test and have a time limit they feel stressed, which leads to panic, and then they do

not end up doing as well as they could have on it.

Even though there are so many negative factors that can affect how students perform on

the ACT, the ACT is still an important assessment. One reason as to why the ACT is important is

because “they provide colleges with a standard way to judge students'' (Dora Seigel). When

colleges receive scores from students, it is very easy for the college to go through the scores and

determine the students who did the best on them over the students who may have struggled on it.

Since reviewing ACT scores is the easiest way for colleges to admit students, it is why so many

colleges require students to submit their ACT scores when applying to their college. Another

reason that the ACT can be a useful tool is that many scholarships are given based on the results

and that can help some students pay for college. After you take the ACT and receive your scores

back, there are options for students who get high scores to be able to receive scholarships, loans,

and other financial assistance, which is a huge deal since college is very expensive. Colleges also

review your scores and are able to determine some of your strengths, weaknesses, and readiness

for college work. Since the test is standardized this means that all students are given the same
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test, under the same conditions at the same time and therefore, the results should be considered

fair.

Despite the fact that reviewing ACT scores may be the easiest way for colleges to

compare and judge students, it is extremely unfair and biased. There is even, “extensive research

showing standardized test scores are most strongly correlated to a student’s life circumstances”

(Strauss). Therefore, depending on the backgrounds of students, there can be disadvantages.

According to a New York Times article, the University of California has decided to move away

from looking at standardized testing because “they disadvantage students who are poor”

(Doyne). One reason it is a disadvantage to the poor is because you are allowed one free test, but

if it needs to be retaken, you would have to pay for it. This is not fair to those who are not as

fortunate and do not have the money to be able to take it again to see if they would be able to

receive a better score the second time they take it. People who are fortunate enough and have the

money to be able to take it again are able to take it as many times as they want to until they get a

good score and one they are happy and complacent with. Also, if you do take it the first time and

happen to have not done well on it and are not happy with your score, there are many different

resources available like classes, books, private tutoring, and prep classes. These resources can be

very beneficial in boosting your scores when you take the ACT again. The problem is, that these

resources are not cheap. This is an unfair advantage to fortunate people because they are able to

pay for all the classes, private tutoring, books, and prep classes, which helps them raise their
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scores. The less fortunate on the other hand are not given this same opportunity, so the ACT is

very discriminatory toward the less fortunate.

Fig. 1. This image represents how standardized testing is weighted unfairly towards

people who have money, instead of people who are smart (Dashevsky).

As you can see, it is unfair for colleges to look at ACT scores and compare students to

each other because not all students are given the same opportunities in taking the test and some

people may just keep taking it until they get a good score and even if they are not the smartest,

they still may end up with a higher score than someone who is extremely smart.

In conclusion, after analyzing all the different reasons for giving the ACT and factors that

affect the ACT it is apparent that this test is not a good measure for being the sole reason for

college admittance. Due to the covid pandemic students were not given the same opportunities

and education, so colleges saw it unfair to make them have to take the ACT and decided to make

the test optional. This opened the door for colleges to explore other factors to consider when

admitting students and should continue to be the case going forward. The ACT does not test

students on real-life skills, so it is not beneficial to them. Students should be assessed on skills
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that they will need in the future, not on skills that are just pertinent to the test. The ACT can also

lead to a lot of stress for students which in turn can lead to anxiety, which can have huge

negative effects on students on the testing day which can lead to score results that are not

reflective of student ability. Since the ACT is timed, many students feel rushed and do not get to

go back and check their work, which they normally would be able to do, so the score results of

students may go down. Finally, taking the ACT and using it to determine college admittance

gives an unfair advantage to people with money who are able to pay for private tutoring and who

can pay to take the test as many times as they would like. Given all of these reasons, colleges

should look to alternatives to using the ACT for college admittance if they would like a better

overall picture of each individual student and whether or not they will be a good fit for their

school and how well they will perform once they are admitted.
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Works Cited

Allensworth, Elaine, and Clark, Kallie. “UChicago Consortium Study Finds High-School

GPAs Outweigh ACTs for College Readiness.” UChicago News, 5 Feb. 2020,

https://news.uchicago.edu/story/test-scores-dont-stack-gpas-predicting-college-success.

Accessed 2022.

“Anxiety.” Oxford Languages, Oxford University Press 2022, definition of anxiety.

Brown, Spencer. Interview. By Mary Ayres. 6 March 2022.

Chingos, Matthew. “What Matters Most for College Completion? Academic Preparation

Is a Key of Success – Third Way.” – Third Way, 25 May 2018,

www.thirdway.org/report/what-matters-most-for-college-completion-academic-

preparation-is-a-key-of-success.
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Dashevsky, Polina. “Standardized Testing Poses Numerous Disadvantages.” The

Standard, 1 March 2021, https://standard.asl.org/17140/opinions/standardized-testing-

poses-numerous-disadvantages/# / Accessed 5 April 2022.

Doyne, Shannon. “Should Students Be Required to Take the SAT and ACT to Apply to

College?” The New York Times, 4 Dec. 2020,

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/learning/should-students-be-required-to-take-the-

sat-and-act-to-apply-to-college.html. Accessed 6 Mar. 2022.

Heimbach, Alex. “Which States Require the ACT? Full List and Advice.” Prep Scholar,

15 July 2021, https://blog.prepscholar.com/which-states-require-the-act-full-list-and-

advice Accessed 20 March 2022.

Incorporated, ACT. “The Act - Solutions for College and Career Readiness.” ACT, 1959,

https://www.act.org/. Accessed 3 March 2022.

Marzano, Robert. “Standardized Tests: Do They Measure General Cognitive Abilities?”

NASSP Bulletin, vol. 74, no. 526, May 1990, p. 93. Accessed 20 March 2022.

Nietzel, Michael T. “Yale and Princeton Will Extend Test-Optional Admissions for

Another Year.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 18 Feb. 2022,

www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2022/02/16/yale-and-princeton-will-extend-test-

optional-admissions-for-another-year/?sh=40e3814d3716.
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Polucha, Lucas. “Act Testing Adds Unneeded Stress and Provides an Unfair

Advantage.” The Pony Express, 29 Feb. 2020,

sahsponyexpress.com/88885/opinion-3/act-testing-adds-unneeded-stress-and-provides-

an-unfair-advantage/.

Seigel, Dora. “What Do Colleges Look for in Admissions? Why Are the SAT/Act

Important?” What Do Colleges Look For in Admissions? Why Are the SAT/ACT

Important?, PrepScholar , 8 June 2021, blog.prepscholar.com/what-do-colleges-look-for.

Strauss, Valerie. “Colleges Should Rethink Using Standardized Test Scores for

Admissions, Major Counselors’ Group Says.” The Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2020,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/08/19/colleges-should-rethink-using-

standardized-test-scores-admissions-major-counselors-group-says/. Accessed 6 Mar.

2022.

Strauss, Valerie. “It Looks like the Beginning of the End of America’s Obsession with

Student Standardized Tests.” The Washington Post , 21 June 2020,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/06/21/it-looks-like-beginning-end-

americas-obsession-with-student-standardized-tests/. Accessed 5 Mar. 2022.

“Test Anxiety.” Learning Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 30 Sept.

2021, learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/tackling-test-anxiety/.

“The Test & the Art of Thinking.” Youtube, uploaded by Abramorama, 8 April 2018,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YKQLzZJsy0. Accessed 6 March 2022.

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Tips & Tools. Learning Center. (2022, April 15). Retrieved April 24, 2022, from

https://learningcenter.unc.edu/Tips-and-tools/

“Tips & Tools.” Learning Center, April 15, 2022. https://learningcenter.unc.edu/Tips-and-tools/.