CHS students to take ACT on February 28th

The Class of 2024 will be taking the state-administered ACT at school on Tuesday, February 28th, 2023. Each year, Ohio high school juniors are required to take the American College Testing exam, most commonly known as the ACT, in the spring.

“The ACT is the test that is taken in high school to help grant entrance into college," said Jami Massie, CHS French and ACT Prep teacher, "and it’s also used to off-set the cost of tuition because you can actually win money for the scores you achieve.”

Massie said that the ideal score depends on which college a student would like to attend.

“If you are looking at ivy leagues, then you definitely want to be in the upper-30s because the range goes from a 1 to a 36…,” said Massie. “Most average state schools, you’re looking at mid-20s to high-20s/low-30s, and if you want to go to community college, some schools don’t even have an ACT requirement, so it just depends but it is school specific.”

The ACT contains English, math, reading, and science sections.

“The English section will be 45 minutes with 75 questions, then you go math with 60 questions in 60 minutes, there’s a 10-minute break, reading is 40 questions in 35 minutes, and science is 40 questions in 35 minutes," Massie said.

Students will not take the optional writing portion in the state-mandated, school administered ACT.

Massie’s best pre-test advice is to get a good night’s sleep before the test and eat breakfast the morning of the test. She said that this is not a test that students can cram for.

“When you get into the sections, you’re going to use what you know, and you need to have guessing strategies if you’re not sure what to do," Massie said.

She said that the ACT is administered 7 times a year in case a student wants to retake it. She recommends talking with her and enrolling in her ACT Prep course at CHS.

“I’ll help you get a score that will be better,” said Massie.

Contributions from Evie Vitatoe, Asley Centeno Lopez, and Mason Siberell.