-
The ACT
The ACT is given five times during a typical school year. Shorewood has been a site in the past, but it is doubtful that we will host the exam in 2022-2023.
Registration
Register for the ACT online through ACT.org.
Registration will take a while and you will need a photo of yourself to upload.
If you qualify for free & reduced lunch, you will be eligible for a fee waiver to help pay for the test. See your counselor or Mrs. Roma.
If you are requesting testing accommodations, you must register even earlier than the standard deadline. There is a limit to the number of seats for students with accommodations, so you must register very early to get your requested test date and site.
Test Prep
When Shorewood is open, students can come into the Career Center to check out an official ACT Prep book. When the building is closed, see the options on the Test Prep page. Preparing for the SAT will also help with the ACT, though you should know the differences. See the SAT vs. ACT page.
Subject Areas Tested
The ACT has four subject areas: English, Math, Reading, and Science. There is also an optional essay*. Read below to see if you should add on the essay.
Please note that the Science test is more like a reading test that includes data. Students are not expected to demonstrate scientific knowledge.
Scores
The ACT is scored on a 1-36 scale. Each section, including the Essay, receives a 1-36 score and students receive a composite score, which is the average of the subject areas.
Please remember that scores on college admissions tests are not like scores on school tests. A 30 on the ACT isn't like getting 83% on a test. A 30 is in the 94th percentile nationally.
How Colleges Get the Scores
Shorewood does not send test scores. When students sign up for the ACT, they may request free test reports (up to four) be sent to particular colleges.
If students wish to see their test scores before sending them, they should take the test early enough to do so.
When students apply to colleges, they must have the scores sent via the testing agencies--ACT.org for ACT and CollegeBoard for the SAT--unless they requested the scores when they signed up.
Fee waivers can be used if students are on Free & Reduced Lunch. Talk to your counselor.
-
Preparación para el examen ACT
Folleto de prueba oficial de ACT. Incluye una prueba de práctica. Please note that, even though this guide is in Spanish, the practice test in the guide and the actual ACT are only given in English.
-
Compass Guide to College Admissions Testing
Use the Compass Guide to look up: score ranges of many colleges; comparisons of SAT & ACT content; lists of test optional schools; Superscore policies; procedure for Testing Accommodations.
-
What You Need for the ACT
Not sure what to take with you? Refer to Bring This Not That by the ACT.
