ACT test

Just 10% of Oklahoma’s graduates met all four college readiness benchmarks (in English, math, reading and science) compared to 20% nationally.

Students can now opt between several versions of the test: the ACT core exam (which includes reading, math and English), the ACT plus writing, the ACT plus science or the ACT plus science and writing.

The ACT exam is taken by high schoolers, often with the aim of scoring high enough to get into a college or university. But according to new data, ACT scores in Oklahoma have dropped to their lowest in the past 20 years.

Scores have fallen for six consecutive years, and the trend accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The average scores in reading, science and math showed test-takers weren't ready for college.

The vast majority of Oklahoma’s class of 2022 took the ACT after a lull in participation due to the pandemic. The average test score suffered as a result.

The class of 2022's average ACT composite score was 19.8 out of 36, marking the first time since 1991 that the average score was below 20.

For Oklahoma's high school class of 2021, participation in the ACT test was as low as it's been in at least a decade. The pandemic and cost-saving measures combined to slash the number of students who participated.

Oklahoma's ACT scores are continuing to decline. Recently released numbers from the tester show the state’s average score fell for the second straight…

More than a dozen colleges have dropped testing requirements for admission, with one school citing "unprecedented obstacles and disruptions" due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Students and advocacy groups want the University of California system to drop the test requirement. They argue the policy "illegally discriminates against applicants on the basis of race and wealth."