The ACT (American College Testing) testing day is great for high school students except for Juniors, who are stuck at school to take the nerve-racking standardized test. The ACT is a strict, standardized, and multiple-choice test that prohibits cell phones and loud watches from even being in the building at all. 

Juniors this year were the experimental group for the new method of ACT test-taking, online. Avery Lee, junior, said, “I liked it better on the computer because I stress about filing in the bubbles perfectly and it wastes time.” 

The ACT testing is not only stressful on the day of the taking but leading up to the big day. Maycee Marx, junior, said “The most stressful part about the ACT was how teachers made it the biggest day of our life,” said Maycee Marx, junior, “I didn’t even know we could retake it until a few weeks before.” 

 “I felt I was not taught anything that was on the test which led me to guess on the majority of the test,” said Jason Nephew, junior. Every year, this big scary test manages to sneak up on schools faster than they realize, making students feel unprepared and the last month of preparation feeling rushed. 

A study in 2020 argued that standardized tests like the ACT or SAT (doesn’t stand for anything) are irrelevant for college admissions. Instead, the University of Chicago found that grades “. . . are powerful tools for gauging students’ readiness for college.” said Elaine M. Allensworth, Lewis-Sebring Director of UChicago Consortium.