As the coronavirus pandemic hit, colleges began to re-evaluate the use of the ACT for admission as students waited on the edge of their seats.

The ACT test is about four hours long and has four different categories: English, Math, Reading, and Science, and includes an optional Writing section. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students could not take the ACT, causing colleges to respond by not requiring the test in order to be admitted. This changed many things, as the test score is a main factor of college acceptance. Not requiring the tests additionally opened the idea that they are not necessary to determine a student’s ability to succeed in college.

Saul Geiser, Berkeley researcher and writer, said the tests are often “a relatively poor predictor of student performance.”

Furthermore, colleges recognized additional problems attributed to the ACT. The tests have caused much stress and anxiety to the students taking it. David Coleman, College Board President, said, “We’ve been listening to students and their families for whom these tests are often mysterious and filled with unproductive anxiety.” Many families and students have reported the amount of anxiety the tests cause. Families and students are “skeptical that either the SAT or ACT allows them to show their best work,” Coleman said.

Students at Homestead shared their input on the stress and anxiety that goes along with the tests. Megan Gehl, senior, said, “I think the ACT definitely puts unneeded stress on teens and is more of a measure of speed than intelligence… oftentimes the work and time put into prepping for the ACT doesn’t correlate with the results.”

Given limited time to take these tests, students often report having to rush through to have the ability to answer all the questions. “You could be the smartest person, ready to take the ACT, but could still not do well because of the limited time given, which causes students to rush. The test is not a good representation of knowledge and intelligence,” Gehl said.

Kris Besler, a counselor at Homestead who works with students preparing for the tests, said, “The test requires a lot of strategy because it’s not what you know, it’s what you have to communicate in a confined period of time.” Other factors can determine a student’s eligibility for a college, lessening the need for the ACT score. Ellie Capper, junior, said, “I believe the ACT puts unneeded stress on students and should not define how their future lays out based on a score.

Standardized testing should be optional and be one of the less important aspects when applying to colleges, because a score cannot reflect who you are as a person.”

Not requiring the test could cause unfortunate results for students as well, however. Besler said, “If colleges are not looking at test scores, they are going to be looking at other things super closely. It is kind of a double edged sword because on one side it is good that they don’t require the test, but on the other side, they are going to be looking at grades and extracurriculars so much closer.”

This can be a negative aspect, as colleges would scrutinize everything else on a student’s application. It can be beneficial for some students, who rely on their extracurriculars, but have adverse effects on students who rely on their test scores.

It is argued that ACT scores are crucial so colleges can compare students in a more fair way. Every high school’s grading levels and teachers are different, so standardized tests help to juxtapose the students, making one common factor among all the students. The test is the same for everyone, making it easier to compare.

Jeff Schiffman, director of admissions at Tulane University said, “Once applicants are admitted, a college is comparing straight-A students to other straight-A students, and officials are looking for tiebreakers.”

In the article, “Why Is the SAT Falling Out of Favor?” Shawn Hubler, writer for the New York Times said, “Some studies have shown that SAT and ACT scores combined with a student’s grade point average and other factors, can help predict a student’s success in college, especially in the crucial first year.”

A faculty task force at the University of California additionally discovered that “standardized tests were a better predictor of college success than high school grades were.”

Cali Miller, junior, said, “Although the ACT is helpful for colleges to compare students, I think they should be given the choice to take the ACT or not. It should be a personal decision, not forced.”