Yup, it’s that time of the year again. With the beginning of school comes the reminder that the ACT must be taken… again. This exam is the most dreaded test of the year (even more than Mrs. Walker’s) for a couple of reasons: It is a billion hours long (that’s an exact measurement btw), it tests kids on information that will never be used again, and it is one of, if not the, leading factor in determining a student’s future.

The system is flawed. The ACT does not test on information that is going to be used in college, nor does it accurately predict how a student is going to do in college. The biggest challenge of the ACT is not its content, it’s the little amount of time given to take the actual exam. A students ability to read quickly is no indication as to what they are actually capable of. College is more than just reading quickly. In addition, the content of the test is not anything a student would be tested on in college. Because there is such a small amount of time to take the test, the questions are made to be easily answered. Easy questions defeats the purpose of making a challenging test that is supposed to separate students into categories based on their intelligence. Instead of testing their knowledge, it tests their ability to take a test, or more specifically THE test. Colleges do take more than just scores into consideration during the admissions process; however, the ACT still is a determining factor. GPA is a better measure of what a student can do because it measures more than just the ability to take a test. It shows hard work along with the intelligence and determination that is required to make the grade.

Even though all students hate it, we all must take it. The next test date is Saturday, October 27. I wish good luck to everyone taking it, especially the seniors, but don’t worry: I am living proof that it won’t kill you even though it may make you feel like you’re dying.