Tag: ACT news

Great Alternative to the Limited Availability for the ACT

As you can see from our post about the “limited ACT Test seats in September 2016 many months in advance” post, it is hard to take the popular college bound admissions exam.  However, as we have reported, the New SAT has possibly become easier at least with regards to Reading and Grammar.

So, we decided to check on the availability this fall with the first test here in Hong Kong.  At first, it looked as bleak as the ACT availability:

SAT Seats Appear Full

Seats appearing full for the Sept SAT

However, after further examination, there are MANY seats available:

September New SAT Availability in Hong Kong

SAT seats Availability in Hong Kong 4 SAT seats Availability in Hong Kong 1 SAT seats Availability in Hong Kong 2

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ACT Essay Changes Scoring from 36 to 12 for a Perfect Score

New 2016-2017 ACT Essay Scoring Example

As reported by the ACT recently (June 27, 2016), they will be changing their optional ACT essay scoring from a 36 point scale to a 12 point one matching the SAT.  While not identical in how the essay is scored, it will use the same numbers for scoring the writing component of the exam.

For example, if you scored a 21 on the Essay prior to this fall, it would equate to a 7 on the new scale. Basically, you can divide the old scale (up to 36) by 3 and it will equate to the new scoring scale.  Specific details are available here

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Importance of Reading for new sat and act

booksSo the standardized tests are dueling. Prompted in part by the ACT’s runaway success, the SAT is loudly overhauling its test structure. The ACT is also adjusting its format albeit more quietly. The new SAT and ACT will now be more aligned than they ever have been before, which is good or bad depending on how you look at it.

 

On the plus side, the tests should feel more similar to high school and college curriculums. Students no longer have to stuff their brains full of obscure SAT vocabulary words they will forget the moment they finish the test. Instead, the new SAT asks kids to understand words through context. It’s much more similar to the way in which vocabulary is introduced in college as well as the working world. Similarly, the tools kids need to succeed on the new ACT are now theoretically more closely linked to the tools kids need to succeed in college. The new ACT essay, for example, focuses more on world issues rather than the particular school debates of before. For both tests, the changes are designed to be more related and relatable to high school and college classrooms.

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