<p>First, we should pay homage to many colleges for accepting the ACT as a replacement for the SAT.
It is widely accepted by professionals--psychologists, that is, not admissions officers--that the SAT
fails in its attempt to measure something that cannot be measured (aptitude). </p>
<p>However, despite being based on a sound principle, I must admonish the ACT for a few topics of concern:</p>
<p>(1) Speed, efficiency, and usability. The ACT introduced online score reports this year and, to say the least,
the process needs improvement. Students should not need to pay for their score reports. More importantly,
online score reporting should not be restricted to Americans. Many students do not receive their scores until
six weeks after the test, which can be a lifetime in college application season. My last qualm is that ACT website
is not nearly as user friendly as the College Board website. </p>
<p>(2) Security/Standardization. I have recently found a loophole in the ACT system that could allow students
to write the exact same test up to six times. Due to a lack of test-takers, many test-centers only order one
type of test booklet for the entire year. The most compelling evidence of this was an invoice my school received
from the ACT, which had only one type of test booklet listed on it. My school isn't the only test-center like this I
have found. It appears that all of the smaller test-centers do this. What does this mean? It means that every
student writes the exact same test throughout the entire year. You know what's even more interesting?
It isn't cheating. I checked with ACT representatives and they maintained that as long as the tests were
taken at least one month apart, it's perfectly legit. </p>
<p>Personally, I believe the ACT is a much better test, and therefore fully support it. Its unfortunate
downfalls may hinder its growth and acceptance though. If the ACT wants to seriously compete
with the SAT, these problems need to be solved.</p>