![]() ![]() In fact, adding the ACT to the high school record does not significantly improve predictions. Since multiple-choice items do not allow for shades of meaning they work against the most typical female thinking style.īiased language: Idiomatic terms such as "ball and chain" (to indicate a married partner) and "straight from the horse's mouth" may not be familiar to many test-takers, particularly those whose first language isn't English, causing them to choose wrong answers.ĪCT scores do not predict college performance effectivelyĮven the test-maker admits that high school grades predict first-year college grades better than ACT scores do. Guessing, a risk males are more likely to take, is rewarded. Here are a few likely candidates:īiased format: Research shows that a fast-paced, multiple-choice format favors males over females. Moreover, boys score slightly higher than girls across all races, despite boys' lower grades in high school and college when matched for identical courses.ĪCT has performed few studies of score differences in its test, making it difficult to pinpoint the sources of the score gaps. ![]() If the ACT were not biased, Asian Americans, who take more academic courses than any other group, would likely score even higher. According to ACT research, when all factors are equal, such as course work, grades and family income, Whites still outscore all other groups. But score gaps between groups on the ACT cannot be explained away solely by differences in educational opportunity linked to social class. Race, class and gender biases give White, affluent, and male test-takers an unfair edge.ĪCT scores are directly related to family income: the richer students' parents are, the higher are average scores. Because of these flaws, no test - neither the ACT nor SAT - should be required in the college admissions process. Like the SAT, the ACT has long-standing problems of bias, inaccuracy, coachability, and misuse. The ACT was developed as an alternative to the SAT, but is just a different test, not a better one. There is also an optional "writing" test. The score report for the "Enhanced ACT Assessment" includes a composite ranging from 1-36, a score for each individual test, and sub scores. The ACT consists of four individual tests: English, Math, Reading, and Science Reasoning. While the SAT predominates on the East and West Coasts, the ACT is more common in the Midwest, Southwest, and Deep South. Like the SAT, the ACT is a standardized multiple-choice test meant to predict first-year college grades. More than a million high school students take the ACT (formerly known as the American College Testing Program Assessment) each year. ![]()
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