As in past years, this March juniors at Central had the opportunity to take the ACT on campus, an annual free offering by the school. The ACT is a standardized test used primarily for college admissions in the United States. The test has a total of five sections: English, math, science, reading, and writing. Each section tests students knowledge in each field of academics and assesses their readiness for college. Students study and prepare for the test in all sorts of ways to attain a score that will put them in a position for college.
Students can choose to take the ACT at Central or at another high school in the area; oftentimes, students take the standardized test again outside of BCCHS at other schools that offer it in order to improve their score. Students have different opinions about which they prefer. Nethanel Keener, a junior at Central, who took the ACT first at Billings Senior and then at Central, stated, “I personally prefer the experience of taking the ACT outside of Central because of the smaller number of people. There were 17 people during my [Senior] test, although I did prefer the digital version of the test at Central.” The more intimate test-taking atmosphere found at other high schools influenced several students choices. Central had a massive group of students on ACT test day, with the total number of students that were registered for the test on that Wednesday totaling 96, a significantly larger group than those at other schools’ optional test. This can make for an easier experience for students taking the ACT, because they don’t have to deal with as many people when taking an already stressful test. Some people, however, might prefer taking the ACT at Central because the test is taken online rather than on paper, which can make for an easier experience for a student. For many, the exam is a lot more straightforward on the iPad, especially for the writing portion of the exam.
There are several reasons why some students may or may not want to take the ACT test at BCCHS, as there are pros and cons to both sides of ACT testing. While some people may prefer being in a smaller environment and in a quieter room, others may prefer taking the exam on their iPad and having an easier time typing their essays. Regardless, the ACT is a great way to prepare for colleges. Juniors are at a time in their life when they have to start preparing for the next stage beyond high school. While the ACT might be stressful for many college-bound students, they can always retake it in a different atmosphere that might allow them greater comfort during the big exam.
