<p>Long story short, I am doing a project on the ACT and would love to hear some opinions. My "focus" questions are "How do we know the ACT question creation process accurately assesses our knowledge?" and "How do we know the scores are truely representative of our success in college?"</p>
<p>For students (and/or parents):</p>
<p>What was your ACT experience?
Did you find that the ACT score correlated with your GPA?
Do your think the ACT accurately assesses your knowledge?</p>
<p>For teachers:</p>
<p>Do you think the ACT covers information necessary for college admission?</p>
<p>Anyone:</p>
<p>Did it test your knowledge, or was it testing your ACT testing abilities (a.k.a. how well you know the test)?</p>
<p>Anyone who knows anything specific about the ACT's question creation process or how they create the "curve" I would love to know!</p>
<p>P.S. For those of you in IB - this is a ToK project, please help!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>My experience has been pretty good, I studied and got a very respectable score but the only complaint I have is with the reading section and the limited time but otherwise I think the test is straight forward and fair.</p></li>
<li><p>To an extent yes and to an extent no. GPA really has nothing to do with how intelligent one is, its more less a measure of how hard you are willing to apply yourself. The ACT also requires you to apply yourself (studying) but some people are natural test takers and can go in and come out with a 30+ without even looking at a sample test (and those people tend to have lower GPAs because they don’t do homework)</p></li>
<li><p>I think the only area that the ACT assess knowledge is in the math section because you are actually doing real math problems, otherwise the remaining sections are just learning the curve balls the ACT throws at you. </p></li>
<li><p>Same as Number 3, with exception for math just tested your ACT testing abilities.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>As far as I know the curve is predetermined</p>
<p>son’s experience last year, but he took the test cold: no review, no prep.</p>
<ol>
<li> Poor – his ACT was significantly below his SAT.</li>
<li> Not even close.</li>
<li> Negative. The ACT (and SAT) assess your ability to take tests. SAT Subject Tests test actual knowledge of a HS curriculum.</li>
</ol>
<p>btw: It’s not really a curve per se, but a scaled score based on a reprensentative sample of respondents.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Son took 3-4 practice exams before the ACT. His actual score was at the top of what he had scored on the practice tests. </p></li>
<li><p>His test score was somewhat higher than his GPA would indicate (a bit of a slacker).</p></li>
<li><p>Probably more so on the ACT than the SAT, but science section really isn’t about science knowledge but the ability to read and interpret scientific passages and graphs.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Two anecdotes: two kids I know of, both strong students, one a Val, scored extremely low in the science section. With a little practice, that score alone increased 9 points (new composite = 35), and 7 points. If that ain’t testing how you can take a test…</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Experience: Good. ACT seems to be a fairer test than the SAT.</p></li>
<li><p>Score/GPA Correlation: The answer will probably vary depending on the student and the school he/she attends - grade inflation at the school, naturally smart but a slacker, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>The English and math sections assess student’s knowledge. The reading and science sections test the ability to analyze/interpret information quickly.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Like any other tests, you can definitely “learn” the test by practicing. I do believe, though, that the ACT accurately assesses the ability to handle college curriculum. At the competitive college level, it’s all about how well (and quickly) you can absorb new information.</p>
<ol>
<li>Excellent - the ACT has given me a real chance at elite universities.</li>
<li>Score vs. GPA: 4.0 unweighted GPA, 36 ACT = definite correlation</li>
<li>More than the SAT, I think the ACT tests your actual knowledge.</li>
<li>I hate TOK.</li>
</ol>
<p>D took ACT for first time in April. I think she looked at a few practice questions on the ACT site just to give her an idea how the test was set up as she was only familiar with SAT. She scored much higher than the SAT (1440 vs 35). </p>
<p>Did you find that the ACT score correlated with your GPA?</p>
<p>Yes, she has a 4.0 u.w./GPA.</p>
<p>Do your think the ACT accurately assesses your knowledge?</p>
<p>For her, yes … but she’s a rare bird, someone who scores very well on standardized tests and is very disciplined and studies hard for her grades, doing all the homework, etc. even though she tends to feel as though a lot of it is busy work. Her bro scored high on the ACT, too, … just as intelligent but tended not to complete homework assignments. </p>
<p>Did it test your knowledge, or was it testing your ACT testing abilities (a.k.a. how well you know the test)?</p>
<p>Seeing as she knew very little about the test (did no prep books), I think it tests her knowledge. She also scores very high on AP exams, of which she’s taken several classes, and I predict she’ll do well on the SAT subject tests in June. </p>
<p>She loved the fact that the ACT didn’t have vocabulary words; she’s such a math person.</p>
<p>My son got a 36 on the ACT, no prep, no studying. GPA 4.2 weighted, 4.0 unweighted. Science and reading are to determine your critical thinking abilities. It is my understanding that ACT is a “show what you know” and the SAT is “how will you do in college”. How it determines that, I don’t know!!
It bothers me that there are complaints about the length of time given. Either you know it or you don’t. Test taking skills? C’mon…its just like any other skill one needs to master in order to be good at it. Another thing to remember is that standardized tests tell colleges how good your high school curriculum was. If you are Val, GPA 4.0, does that mean you got the same education as another Val, GPA 4.0 from another school? This varies widely all over the country. Look at the state cutoff scores for SAT…all different.</p>
<p>What was your ACT experience?
It was fine, that was my first real standardized test (I hadn’t taken an ACT or SAT before)</p>
<p>Did you find that the ACT score correlated with your GPA?
Um, I smoke and drink too much, so my GPA is low, but I think it is relatively close
3.5 UW 3.8 W VS. 31 C</p>
<p>Do your think the ACT accurately assesses your knowledge?
Um, I’m not sure what you mean, but it did ask a lot of questions I knew, and some I didn’t (those last 5 math questions were brutal)</p>
<p>Anyone:</p>
<p>Did it test your knowledge, or was it testing your ACT testing abilities (a.k.a. how well did you know the test)?</p>
<p>I bought two ACT books and I read them two weeks before, and I suppose I knew the test a little, but my knowledge was up to par?</p>
<p>Thanks so much Firefly, bbU, curious, ephemeral, zebes, spaced and megared! I am getting just what I need…but I would love more…I am hoping for 20 opinions so please keep em coming!</p>
<p>S took ACT for first time in April. He took a practice test at school and scored a 35, took the April 12th test, his first, and scored a 35. He took it again as part of the PSAE (An IL thing) but hasn’t received those scores yet.</p>
<p>Did you find that the ACT score correlated with your GPA?</p>
<p>Yes, he has a 4.0 unweighted GPA, 4th in his class out of almost 1000.</p>
<p>Do your think the ACT accurately assesses your knowledge? Did it test your knowledge, or was it testing your ACT testing abilities (a.k.a. how well you know the test)?</p>
<p>I believe it accurately tested his knowledge, but I guess how can you know. He scored highest in the areas he is strongest in, does that matter? He is obviously a smart kid and good test taker and I don’t think you can separate one from the other, at least in his case.</p>
<p>What was your ACT experience?
I begged my parents to let me take it as a freshman, ended up scoring well. my school finally acknowledged my “gifted and talented” abilities and let me skip some introductory classes. the second time around, as a sophomore, ended up a perfect scorer!!! </p>
<p>Did you find that the ACT score correlated with your GPA? yes, I have a 4.0 uw. but most kids at my school with >3.7 usually can’t break a 24.</p>
<p>Do your think the ACT accurately assesses your knowledge?
reading and science, no. they are too rushed to really say how good at reading comprehension or science someone really is. math and english, yes. the ACT tested the same concepts that I had been tested on in my classes.</p>
<p>What was your ACT experience?
I’ve taken both the ACT and the SAT, and I definitely prefer the ACT. I did have trouble with the time on the math and science, but I still did much better on the ACT.</p>
<p>Did you find that the ACT score correlated with your GPA?
Umm…somewhat, but not completely. I have about a 3.9 GPA (my school doesn’t officially calculate them), but I got a 29 composite score…a 35 would’ve correlated more, right? :)</p>
<p>Do your think the ACT accurately assesses your knowledge?
Like all standardized tests, the ACT does not accurately assess anyone’s knowledge. However, I do feel that it is more accurate (in that it’s more parallel to the high school curriculum) than the SAT.</p>
<p>Just a minor note: Make sure you understand who it is you’re asking these questions to. A vast majority of CC users are probably in the 4.0 GPA range, so correlations derived from it from data about a bunch of 4.0 students seems questionable (since that is an “extreme” of the grading spectrum) in my mind. Maybe it doesn’t matter for what you are doing though.</p>
<p>My ACT was 30 composite (29 on all parts except math which was a 33, 9 on the essay)</p>
<p>What was your ACT experience?
I took it maybe 2 or 3 years ago, but from what I remember it was a bit of an endurance/speed test. The science portion was a bit ridiculous and I don’t think you had to really know any science before going in, just had to know how to interpret data.</p>
<p>Did you find that the ACT score correlated with your GPA?
Not really I guess. I had a 3.5 weighted GPA and a 30ACT. It seems that 30 goes with GPA’s of 3.7 or so.</p>
<p>Do your think the ACT accurately assesses your knowledge?
No, not really. My knowledge went well beyond what they tested. They use math from middle school and for the rest it’s just a game to race against the clock. I still think it’s a valid gauge of potential, leaning towards better than GPA alone (GPA considering course load/choice is a different matter), but maybe it’s just a test of how well you take tests.</p>
<p>Did it test your knowledge, or was it testing your ACT testing abilities (a.k.a. how well you know the test)?
I really didn’t like the idea of studying for these tests for some reason… I’ll study for the GRE, but I couldn’t imagine stressing out over the SAT/ACT enough to study. I guess I don’t have the Ivy ambition. I kind of wish they made tests for college entrance that you couldn’t study for (by some miracle), I just don’t really like the trend. That said, the ACT tests your ability to test, which I think is some mark of how well you will do in college since a lot more is placed on examinations than there was in high school (at least for me). The pressure, the time limit, it’s all important to be able to handle.</p>