The ACT or College Assessment Exam is the principle method of measuring a student's general educational performance within the United States. All four-year colleges and universities accept the ACT as the basis for entry. This article will briefly describe the origins of the ACT test and also the structure and format of the test. The ACT exam is an important milestone in the education of a child, as it can determine the eventual level of education that they will receive and their future job prospects.
The College Assessment Exam or the American College Testing Program (also known as ACT) was first introduced in 1959 and was active nationwide the following year. It was designed by Everett F. Lindquist, a professor of Education at the University of Iowa to be a direct alternative to the established Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Lindquist believed that the SAT's focus on cognitive reasoning abilities did not demonstrate the true potential in young students. Instead he designed a test that challenged the level of practical knowledge that a student had acquired.
The ACT test is designed to test student's abilities in four key areas of education. They are English, Mathematics, Science and Reading. Since 2005 an additional option of Writing has been added to the exam. There are a total of 215 questions in the test and it takes approximately four hours to complete. If the writing test is taken then an additional thirty minutes is allowed.
Students will typically take the English test first. This comprises of seventy-five questions that aim to examine mechanical and rhetorical skills. Generally questions will focus on sentence structure and the tone of the writer. The Mathematics test comprises of sixty questions that test the student's ability in algebra, plane geometry, coordinate geometry and trigonometry.
The third section is designed to test the student's reading ability. There are forty questions on fiction, social sciences, humanities, the natural and physical sciences. There is a wide range of subjects in this section that aim to test the breadth of a person's general knowledge.
The final compulsory section is centered on science. This is designed to test a person's reasoning skills. This comprises of forty questions that aim to test their ability to problem solve, analyze data and understand a research synopsis.
The optional writing exam will test the student's ability to plan and write a short essay. Demonstrating this ability helps to analyze the student's capability to develop structure, reasoning and coherent argument. Usually the student is requested to write the essay on a social issue that is relevant to them and their school.
The maximum points that can be attained in the test is 36 (if the student takes the optional writing module). According to the most recent figures the national average for the SAT test is 21.2, this is a marginal increase from the previous year.
In most states the ACT is available to be taken five times in a year and students can take the test as many times as they wish, but only once per testing period. There are some obvious benefits to taking the test on more than one occasion. Research carried out has show that around fifty-five percent of those who retook the ACT exam were able to increase their score the second time around.
Latest Education Articles
A Few Things to Remember Before Choosing Online Spanish Courses
By: Dinah Leabeau | 15/10/2008
Fluency in Spanish extends your horizon and opportunities. Being able to speak Spanish decently gives you the chance to take advantage of more travel, employment and business relationships.
But first, you need to learn Spanish even if it is the most rudimentary kind. The most recommended type is Spanish online lessons....
A Few Things to Consider Before Choosing Online Spanish Lessons
By: Dinah Leabeau | 15/10/2008
Fluency in Spanish extends your horizon and opportunities. Being able to speak Spanish decently gives you the chance to take advantage of more travel, employment and business relationships.
But first, you need to learn Spanish even if it's the most rudimentary way. The most recommended kind is Spanish online lessons. Here...
Questions to Ask Before Learning Spanish Online
By: Dinah Leabeau | 15/10/2008
Several opportunities are opened if you're able to speak Spanish fluently. Travel, employment, friendships and professional relationships with Spanish-speaking places and peoples are within your reach; just imagine the various countries and the hundreds of millions of individuals you can visit and converse with!
Of course, fluency in Spanish needs you...
Carhartt Pants - 4 Lessons Learned From Company History
By: Mike Girolami | 14/10/2008
Carhartt pants have been around since they were first produced in the mid 1800s as part of a line of clothing designed to outfit railway workers. Since that time, the clothing line--until recently produced in the United States--has continued to expand and improve in an effort to produce long wearing...
What is an Amber Stone?
By: Mithun Rao | 14/10/2008
Amber - a gemstone formed in the early days of planet earth - which fascinated millions of people throughout time. Amber derives its name from the Middle English word 'ambre', from the Medieval Latin word 'ambra', and from the Arabic word 'anbar ambergris'. Read on to know more about amber, its history and its properties...
Why There is a Necessity to Learn Spanish
By: Dinah Leabeau | 14/10/2008
We reside in a world where learning to speak a language other than your native tongue can unlock windows of opportunities. Of course, speaking the said language in a pidgin manner can also put your foot in your mouth and inspire laughter in others. But hey, that's called learning and...
An Overview of Written and Spoken Chinese
By: Julie Landry | 14/10/2008
Written Chinese is mainly composed of ideographs. They express a meaning. Written Chinese, however, tends to be uniform in vocabulary and structure, regardless of the dialect of the speaker. On the other hand, when compared to actual spoken dialects, Chinese characters have seen far less changes than the spoken language.
When...
How to Have Fun in College Without Partying
By: Tom Tessin | 14/10/2008
When college students go away to college they have a lot of their parent's rules. They are not allowed to do whatever they want and be home whenever they want. Although there are rules, most college students have a lot more freedom than they did at home. Since not everyone...
More from Daniel Millions
Football is More Than Just a Popular Sport
By: Daniel Millions | 15/10/2008 | Sports and Fitness
For most people, it's common fact that football is the most popular sport in the world. However, not everybody realizes the significant role football plays in many people's everyday life.
Eleven players grace the field for each team, playing with an unmatched combination of both speed and endurance. The game is...
Football Can Be Enjoyed by Players, Fans and Collectors
By: Daniel Millions | 15/10/2008 | Sports and Fitness
A football jersey may be mass produced or custom made. The mass produced football jersey is the economical choice. A customer can choose the fabric, color, lettering and numbers when customizing a football jersey. Other choices for customization include length of sleeve and neckline shape.
Generally, the fabrics that are used...
The Copa America Football Tournament
By: Daniel Millions | 15/10/2008 | Sports and Fitness
The Copa America is South American's equivalent of the European Championships. It is the world's oldest surviving football tournament, having been established in 1916. Brazil are the current holders of the Copa America trophy after they defeated rivals Argentina in 2007. Read on to discover the historical origins of the...
U.K. Football Top Players History And Teams
By: Daniel Millions | 15/10/2008 | Sports and Fitness
U.K. football has been around for nearly two hundred years, yet today it's more popular than ever. Football was actually invented in Europe in late 1863 with the formation of the Football Association.
U.K. Football stars David Beckham, Kevin Phillips and Ryan Giggs
David Beckham
English national football team midfielder David Beckham has...
Design Elements of the Football Helmet
By: Daniel Millions | 15/10/2008 | Sports and Fitness
The football helmet has gone through stages in its development and is gaining excellence as protective head gear. Football helmet designers are constantly striving to come up with a better helmet that incorporates different aspects of helmet design successfully. For the helmet designer, the main elements to football helmet design...
Transitioning Your IT Skills Into SAP
By: Daniel Millions | 10/10/2008 | Business
SAP training, like with most areas of Information Technology, is decided upon and paid for by the employee. And now, more than ever, employees are responsible for making their own investments and decisions with regard to which training they will pursue. Since SAP training has the highest probability of a...
Rap Music From the Past to the Present
By: Daniel Millions | 07/10/2008 | Art and Entertainment
The origin of rap started sometime in the mid 1970's in communities thriving with people of African American and Hispanic descent who were music performers in New York city. During the foundation of rap, this genre of music was associated with a nimble style of dancing that is known today...
How to Sell Electronic Components Online
By: Daniel Millions | 07/10/2008 | Internet
Electronics manufacturers typically have websites, just like every other business these days, because a web presence is an important way for businesses to interact with customers all over the globe rather than just on a local level. The websites generally offer information about the latest models and versions of whatever...
Education 
