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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
Changes to the ACT may lead to higher average scores in the near future for high school seniors in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Department of Education recently reported that the class of 2024 averaged a 19.3 composite score on the ACT, a slight increase over the average score for the prior year’s graduating class.
The percentage of 2024 graduates scoring above a 21 was less than 40 percent. High school seniors hoping to get state scholarships such as Tennessee Promise or the HOPE Scholarship must make a minimum of 21 on the ACT to be eligible for funds.
Last July, changes were announced from ACT leadership that will go into effect this spring, initially for students taking the test online, with the changes being fully implemented for School Day testing in 2026.
Last January, the College Board also rolled out changes to the SAT, the most notable of which was a move from pen and paper to a digital exam. The test was also shortened by an hour.
The ACT is not getting rid of their paper test, but it will likewise be shortened, and will take two hours instead of three. The biggest difference is that the Science portion will now become optional like the writing component starting in 2005.
When ACT released the average test scores for 2023 seniors, it marked a drop in national averages that was the lowest since 1991, and the sixth year in a row of consistent declining scores.
This downward trend was impacted significantly by learning loss during the pandemic. The Class of 2023 were just beginning their high school experience when school lockdowns were implemented for Covid.
Since 2015, when 64.4% of graduating seniors were heading to higher education, the number of high school graduates preparing to go to college steadily declined for six straight years before rising slightly in 2022. The percentage of college-bound graduates has yet to reach 60%.
The new changes in the ACT may change that.
While the ACT historically contained four sections, English, Math, Reading, and Science, with each contributing to an overall composite score, the new changes will require only English, Math and Reading. The updated test will continue to be scored on a scale of 1-36.
In the past, a student weak in science would find that portion of the test could bring down their overall composite score. Even if scores were high in other sections, a low score in Science could negatively impact the score sent to colleges, potentially affecting their applications.
Those students who are interested in STEM careers will want to opt in to take the Science portion of the test. Those scores will be presented separately from the composite score. Only students who take the Science portion (ACT plus Science) will receive a STEM score.
The new ACT will have shorter English and Reading sections, featuring shorter reading passages, and 44 fewer questions overall, giving students more time on each question. The number of answer choices in the Math section will be reduced from five to four.
Full-length practice tests are expected to be available early this year as an option for test prep.
Sources:
https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-changes/enhancements.html
https://www.tn.gov/education/news/2025/1/7/tdoe-releases-2023-24-act-state-results-and-participation-rate-data.html
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
