McKinley High School recently just had mandatory ACT testing and preparation based on grade levels. Teachers helped supervise the tests while underclassmen students were separated into their different grade levels. Freshman and sophomores basically learned how the ACT worked while juniors had to take the actual test with actual test scores recorded. Being only notified about a month prior, some students were surprised at this forced standardized test while others, such as Michelle (Gi Young) Back (11), was not. She said, “I did not know until it was announced a couple of weeks before, [but] I wasn’t that surprised probably because the school already makes HSA mandatory so it is kind of similar.”

Normally in order to take the ACT college admission test, students would be required to undergo an online registration process, pay a fee or obtain a fee waiver, and make time on a weekend to attend where the testing would take place. With the mandatory testing, students such as Alexander Duong (11) noticed registration was very simple since it was “forced.” He said, “The forms did not need to be signed by any adults since we were required to take it.” Some students were glad they could take this ACT. These students include Wai Kit Ho (11), who said, “having compulsory ACT testing has several benefits: it is free, it saves time, it is convenient, and you can skip a day of classes.” Back thought it was good because “several students don’t take the initiative to actually take the ACT or SAT so it gives them the opportunity to experience it and a benefit is the opportunity for a student to see what level they are at and seek for improvement.” She also pointed out a negative aspect of this mandatory testing, as “several students would not take it seriously since they don’t have the motivation to take the test.”

In the United States, the two most standard types of college admission tests are the SAT and ACT. SAT which, as the official CollegeBoard website states, “is the most widely used college admissions exam”. Ho said “[students] should have the student pick which test they want to take; either the ACT or SAT.”