Last week, PC juniors took the school’s very first digital ACT, and as it looks as more and more college applications will once again require standardized test scores, the ACT is more important than ever. PCNN reached out to two juniors to share their thoughts on this new testing format and how it compares to the SAT.

Up first: preparation. Students take a lot of different approaches to preparing for these standardized tests. For example, Drew Song said that he looked through practice tests, while Abi Annadurai didn’t prepare at all. There is not one right way to prepare; every student is different and has different methods that work for them.

Annadurai said she found out it would be digital this school year close before the test date. She thought it would be on paper because she “heard from the kids from the previous years that it was on paper”, which really shows how big of a change this was for PC. However, both students admitted that they thought the digital test made it easier for the math section. Song said he was good at math to begin with but that it was also easy because “you get to plug a lot of stuff into Desmos” (the online graphing calculator embedded into the test).

Another element that they weren’t expecting was the difficulty of the science section because they thought it would be easier than the preACT. According to Annadurai, she is normally good at science but “there was a lot of chemistry… I feel like it was stuff we haven’t done yet or was in the preACT science section… seeing that on the ACT took me by surprise.”

We also asked them to compare the SAT and ACT as tests and in importance. Annadurai said she thought that “[most] kids really focus on the SAT rather than the ACT. I have taken the SAT and it was definitely easier than the ACT.” She added that she had taken a three month prep class for her SAT because it is usually pushed to students as more important.

However, neither student really thinks that these standardized tests are what colleges should be looking at. After the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges became test optional, where applications did not have to include SAT or ACT scores. But now, most of those schools are considering making the scores mandatory again. Song and Annadurai were asked about their opinions about this. Annadurai said she doesn’t think they should be mandatory because “it doesn’t define who you are as a person.” Song agreed, saying that those tests are supposed to “define your ‘smartness'” but that “it is not a good scale”. Annadurai added that “everyone is different, and they might be better at something else.”

While the ACT and SAT can set people apart from the crowd in a competitive school like Panther Creek, these tests do not define every aspect of a student. However, these tests are here to stay, so it is always best to do your best on them. And remember, if you are applying to a test-mandatory university and don’t like your score on either the ACT or SAT, you can always retake them for a better score. Congratulations to all who took the ACT last week. We at PCNN wish you the best of luck in your results.