Appendix A.5. ACT

ACT assessment

The ACT assessment is designed to measure educational development in the areas of English, mathematics, social studies, and natural sciences. The assessment is taken by college-bound high school students. The test results are used to predict how well students might perform in college.

Prior to the 1984–85 school year, national norms were based on a 10 percent sample of the students taking the test. Since then, national norms have been based on the test scores of all students taking the test. Beginning with 1984–85, these norms have been based on the most recent ACT scores available from students scheduled to graduate in the spring of the year. Duplicate test records are no longer used to produce national figures.

Separate ACT standard scores are computed for English, mathematics, science reasoning, and reading. ACT standard scores are reported for each subject area on a scale from 1 to 36. In 2022, the national composite score (the simple average of the four ACT standard scores) was 19.8, with a standard deviation of 5.9. The tests emphasize reasoning, analysis, problem solving, and the integration of learning from various sources, as well as the application of these proficiencies to the kinds of tasks college students are expected to perform.

Further information on the ACT may be obtained from

ACT
500 ACT Drive
Iowa City, IA 52243
https://www.act.org/