With all of the test prep that is available today, it is possible for almost anybody to get a 36. Granted, you may have to study hard, but it still holds true.
I really don’t think that the ACT is a good indicator of your placement in the educational system. I think that far too many people get 36’s (yes, there are a lot of smart people out there, but still). The test prep involved learning certain concepts and these concepts have remained fluid throughout the years on the ACT. Essentially everyone knows what will be on the test, concept-wise, if they use ACT prep books.
Had people not had these resources, or if the test was changed up more often, I believe that the ACT average would be much much lower. Not nearly as many people would be getting 36’s. Now, I’m not saying that people who got 36’s didn’t deserve it, they probably studied hard (or didn’t, I guess). I’m just saying that studying hard and memorizing concepts does not give a true indication of where you place in the grand scheme of things, just as it wouldn’t on any other test. If you spend hours memorizing math formulas when you should have been learning the actual content, and then your teacher sort of switches up the questions, are you going to do that well? Probably not. Whereas, if you did the same studying, and your teacher put very similar concepts on the test, you would be able to (for lack of a better word) regurgitate the information and get a decent grade.
I have really come to believe that the ACT has become something more to make money for colleges, publishers, etc. The test costs money to take, and most people end up retaking it. ACT prep costs money, ACT tutors cost money.
What do you guys think about this?
**I should correct myself. I more so meant that many people are getting extremely high scores, not specifically 36’s.
That number is vastly inflated by the mandatory testing policies and state contracts. Tens of thousands of students take the ACT for school who aren’t college-bound at all.
my daughter got a 36…she studied and did practice tests, but is also very smart. I think it is hard to get a perfect score, and not just because she got one!
@marvin100 , I like your optimism! It’s a really good quality to have in an educator.
But I’m a realist. I know plenty of people, even if you give them 10 years, will never, ever get even C25. Yes, I agree, anyone can learn, for example, Math. But how much is the key. Algebra might as well be a foreign language to some people.
I’m more of an SAT guy, tbh, @mmk2015 , but I definitely think it’s doable. Doesn’t take that long to learn algebra under the right conditions. The hardest part to gain ground in is reading–which is my specialty–and I believe that in 10 years anyone who doesn’t suffer from cognitive disabilities can master SAT/ACT reading. Heck, I think anyone over the age of 16 can do so in 3-4 years. Most don’t have that long, though, and I don’t think starting early is a good strategy.