22 and BEYOND

Whether you’re planning to go to college or not, aiming for a 22+ is important for your future success.

To understand why, first you need to understand that the skills the ACT measures are important for academic AND career success.

The ACT contains four multiple-choice tests—English, mathematics, reading, and science—and an optional writing test. These tests are designed to measure skills that are most important for success in postsecondary education and that are acquired in secondary education. The score range for each of the four multiple-choice tests is 1–36. The Composite score is the average of the four test scores rounded to the nearest whole number.

• The ACT English test puts an examinee in the position of a writer who makes decisions to revise and edit a text. Short texts and essays in different genres provide a variety of rhetorical situations. Passages are chosen for their appropriateness in assessing writing and language skills and to reflect students’ interests and experiences.

• The ACT mathematics test assesses the skills students typically acquire in courses taken through grade 11. The material covered on the test emphasizes the major content areas that are prerequisites to successful performance in entry-level courses in college mathematics. Knowledge of basic formulas and computational skills are assumed as background for the problems but recall of complex formulas and extensive computation are not required.

• The ACT reading test measures the ability to read closely, reason logically about texts using evidence, and integrate information from multiple sources. The test questions focus on the mutually supportive skills that readers must bring to bear in studying written materials across a range of subject areas. Specifically, questions will ask you to determine main ideas; locate and interpret significant details; understand sequences of events; make comparisons; comprehend cause-effect relationships; determine the meaning of context-dependent words, phrases, and statements; draw generalizations; analyze the author’s or narrator’s voice and method; analyze claims and evidence in arguments; and integrate information from multiple texts.

• The ACT science test measures the interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving skills required in the natural sciences. The test presents several authentic scientific scenarios, each followed by a number of multiple-choice test questions. The content of the test includes biology, chemistry, Earth/space sciences (e.g., geology, astronomy, and meteorology), and physics. The questions require you to recognize and understand the basic features of, and concepts related to, the provided information; to examine critically the relationship between the information provided and the conclusions drawn or hypotheses developed; and to generalize from given information to gain new information, draw conclusions, or make predictions.

From ACT.org

The ACT College Readiness Benchmarks are the minimum ACT test scores required for students to have a reasonable chance of success in first-year credit-bearing college courses at the typical college. There are Benchmarks for six ACT test scores, and each Benchmark is linked to success in a different college course or set of courses (Table 1). Students who do not meet benchmarks may be admitted to a college or university, but they will be enrolled in remedial courses in that subject area. These courses cost the same as any other course, however, students do not earn credit for these courses. In other words, not making a 22 or better on a math or reading test will cost you money.

Scoring a minimum of 22 improves your chances of admission to these regional universities. In order to have the best chance of success at a college or university, you should aim for a minimum ACT composite that is equal to or greater than the average composite of students admitted to that school. In order to compete for scholarships, you must meet the minimum ACT score requirement established by a college or university.

Adapted from ACT.org

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Students who meet all four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks are more likely to have early career success.

Academic preparation can better position individuals to make career choices that are suited to their skills and interests. Skills developed in English, mathematics, reading, and science and the skills used in occupations are one in the same. Employers look for applicants with strong communication and critical thinking skills. Meeting ACT benchmarks serves as evidence a student has these skills.

Adapted from ACT.org

Using MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) Scores to Predict Success on the ACT Test Benchmark Scores