Not surprisingly, given the fiasco of the past six months, the ACT has now announced that they are implementing a new scoring system, and hence are delaying the release of the results of the mid-September administration. Seniors, many of whom have only been able to take a standardized test once, need these test results quickly in order to make decisions about where to apply for early decision. But the ACT seems unconcerned about this, and has announced that they will be releasing the test results over a period between September 28th through November 6th, rather than on September 22nd as initially promised.
Link to this announcement? Or text of a received email?
Any details on this “new scoring scheme”?
Any comments that they are “unconcerned” seems purely speculative. Evidence that they aren’t attempting to ensure correct scoring during a global pandemic and are just doing it…just because?
my kiddo took the ACT on sept 13; and we saw that notice today when we logged in, hoping to see her scores. she’s a sophomore; so not worried. Hoping the best for seniors; and that the timeline for reports is on the early side of things.
We were pleased with the ACT. she registered late for the test; was put on standby, but wasn’t charged extra; and was able to get in easily on the day of the test. There were maybe less than 40 kids who took it. I was surprised. Wishing all the best!
@parentologist I agree, that’s crazy. How hard is it to score a MC test anyway? And, yes, seniors need those scores for EA and ED. Now’s not the time to implement a new system. Ugh.
Hahahaha! Text of a received email? Oh, that’s funny! The ACT has repeatedly promised email notifications in the fiasco that they’ve run since March - but never sends them. They also never answer the phone, and never reply substantively to emails. Reportedly, the College Board (SAT) has done better in dealing with the pandemic, as opposed to the essentially complete collapse of customer service at the ACT, but unfortunately, since my kid did better on an ACT practice test than on the PSAT, he had focused on preparing for the ACT, not the SAT, so we were pretty much trapped.
We found out about the delay in test results being released, only after hundreds of people logged on to check scores, only to see that the website had deleted any evidence of the student having taken the test in September. Nasty surprise, but honestly, not unexpected after the total mess that they’ve been since March.
Eventually, after the ensuing uproar, ACT posted a banner on the site, stating that evidence of the student’s having taken the test would reappear after the test results were released, now NOT on Sept 22nd as previously promised, but now as a “rolling release”, from Sept 28th to NOVEMBER 6th, which is after the October administrations, and after the early admission deadline. A true nightmare for this year’s seniors, many of whom have been unable to take a standardized test at all until September.
I do understand we want whatever normal we can find, in the time of no normal.
But adcoms can consider the scores any time befoe their decisions are made.
I suspect, with limited test availability, this is not simply about marking MC answers right or not. Rather, the conversion of the raw score to a scaled score.
The ACT never promised scores would be released on 9/22. That would have been in line with the typical window until score release (Tues or Thur, 10-12 days after the test), but it was never published by the ACT.
We also noticed that the test date did not show up on the student account around 10 days after the test date. Given that the ACT site noted they were making changes to the scoring system, it was not a “nasty surprise.”
Furthermore, the ACT had a press release on 9/16 that detailed the score release dates and process:
https://leadershipblog.act.org/2020/09/september-scores-national.html
The first three paragraphs nicely explain all that the ACT is doing to meet the needs and ensure the safety of students during a chaotic and unpredictable time.
And scoring the ACT has little to do with it being a MC test. Once the raw scores are obtained, testing companies perform statistical analysis to ensure that the scores accurately reflect performance on a given test and across all tests.
I don’t see any lack of concern on the ACT’s part in any of its actions.
If stretching the deadline to 8 weeks, for the only test so many kids had a chance to take, is not a lack of concern (or imagination), I don’t know what is.
Thanks for the share. Are the tests now in person or online?
my daughter’s scores from sept 13 are in. This thread made me curious, and I looked a few minutes ago; nothing; and then I went back - and there they were. Parentologist - I really hope yours comes and soon - and they are good, too!
Encouraged by @bgbg4us 's comment, I tried to enter ACT web site. Surprise, surprise!
“Your estimated wait time is: more than an hour.”
How is this defensible, after 6 months of crashes?
Lol, traffic at a peak. Use this to encourage your kids not to submit their apps at the last moment.
No scores for my D’s ACT test taken on 9/12/20. Hopefully, sometimes today.
Well, at least it was wirth the wait, the scores are in, and they good!
Excellent idea, @lookingforward 
My kid’s score appeared this morning, and it’s good. Now I can cancel his October test date. But I think that families would be well-advised to vote with their feet (or #2 pencils) and avoid this utterly incompetent testing company.
Yes, they DID indicate that scores would be released in a ten day time frame, to be released on Sept 22nd. AFTER registration, and AFTER the test date, they changed the terms of their commitment, and released the information that test results would be released in a ROLLING fashion, over a 6 week period, with some scores not released until AFTER the early decision deadline, and well after the October test date. How would you have liked it if, AFTER you had taken an important test that had more bearing on your application for college, or a job, than any other test you had previously taken in your entire school career, the testing organization announced that your score would not be released in time for you to plan your application for that school or that job? You’d be livid! And this, on top of the absolute, disgraceful fiasco that their test registration and total lack of customer service has been.
Wow. The scores do not have to be in by the app deadline. And I’d hope families have already planned their apps and scrutinized what matters beyond test scores.
I’m not sure what hoops some expect these folks to go through, during covid, to make everything perfect- and immediate. They detected an issue and moved to solve it.
Id bet folks would be much more sorely ticked if scores were rushed out, then rescinded because the scaling was wrong.
NO…the ACT did not publish 9/22. Third party sites posted 9/22 as an “estimated score release date.” The ACT clearly knew pandemic challenges might impact score release.
Waiting for an hour…is defensible. It’s called peak network traffic. Kids haven’t been admitted to college while you were waiting. In fact…as pointed out…test scores are accepted well after application deadlines.
Fortunately, the complaints posted in this thread will no doubt be followed by thank you messages to the ACT.
And if the ACT is so unacceptable…talk with your own feet and submit the SAT…or nothing this year.
My son took the ACT on September 19, his scores were also posted today.
Just curious, if those who are pooh-poohing how horribly the ACT has botched everything this summer and fall, actually tried to register a kid for the test this September? If not, you have NO idea of the nightmare we’ve been dealing with.