<p>If this is true, then essentially isn’t the ACT testing you on how good your high school is at teaching (I come from a ghetto-ish Public High School) rather than the person themselves?</p>
<p>From what I’ve been told repeatedly by my high school councilor, the ACT is an achievement test - that is that it tests what you’ve knowledge and skills you’ve acquired over a long period of time. Since it covers not only pre-algebraic skills and concepts, but also rudimentary grammar concepts and scientific reasoning (skills which begin to develop long before one’s high school years), I’d say it’s based on far more than what most students learn in just high school. In fact, I would say a person’s ACT score doesn’t reflects his or her grades in high school at all. One of my friends in high school recently scored a 22 on the act, however he is ranked within the top 10% of our class. He’s not stupid either, considering he scored over an 1800 on the SATs. He simply detested the ACT’s time requirements and the science section. A person’s ACT score depends on much more than just what he or she has learned in high school. It is also dependent upon his or her mastery of the subjects, personal preparation, ability to understand what a particular question is asking, how one is feeling on the test day, and so much more.</p>
<p>try taking it, if you can’t adjust to the ACT, then take the SAT.</p>
<p>I agree with RayeDrum, I’m a 7th grader who took the ACT and I think I did well, and I haven’t even been to highschool. Here are my scores:
English:33
Math:26
Reading:32
Science:26
Composite:29
:)</p>
<p>Yes, in a way it does test not only you but the academic institutions you have been a part of. The ACT is also used to normalize grades between schools. </p>
<p>Either way, you should try both the SAT and ACT before you pick one to focus on.</p>
<p>The ACT tests what knowledge you’ve acquired in the 4 subjects tested and how well you can reason and apply what you’ve learned.</p>