Juniors, Seniors Prepare for Free, Upcoming ACT Exam

The ACT exam, the standard test for most colleges, will be given to all Parkway North juniors and seniors.  Students at North are taking ACT Prep Classes to prepare them for what could be on the test.

“[I am preparing for the ACT test by using] a prep book and a grammar review for English,” said junior Oscar Vera.

Other than free classes at North, some students are also preparing by taking classes offered by Sylvan, SIUE, Princeton Review, and online prep classes.

“I’ve taken the ACT prep class at school (before I took it the first time), so I got information from that.  I also have an ACT book that I’ve read periodically,” said junior Maddie Thomas.

The ACT test is a curriculum-and-standards-based educational and career planning tool that assesses students’ academic readiness for college.  The test uses the same score scale as ACT Explore and ACT Plan, making the system an effective tool to monitor academic progress and student growth.  Most colleges look at the test scores when choosing students that will attend their college.

“I’m a little anxious [about the ACT test].  I am scared of doing poorly because it has a great possibly of what the future what might hold,” said Vera.

For most students at Parkway North, this is not the first time that have taken the test. Many students have taken the test two or three time. The average time that someone takes the test is twice; once as a junior and once as a senior.

“I’ve taken the ACT prep class at Parkway North before I took it the first time,” said Thomas.

The average test score in Missouri is 21 which many State colleges accept. For many students, the reason that they had to retake the test was due to anxiety.

“I am a little nervous. I’ve taken it once before I am taking it again to raise my score a little bit. But I’m used to the format, so I’m not too worried about it,” said Thomas.

Colleges accept the highest score received by a student.  Therefore, taking the test a few times may be beneficial.

Science teacher Will Young took the ACT test twice “to improve my score… which it did.”

Students should study diligently; get a good night of rest, and eat a healthy breakfast to help them relax and so well on the test.

Written by Brianne Lewis — Staff Writer