ACT Returns as the Illinois High School Graduation Testing Requirement

By Zahra Muhsin

From 2016 to 2024, students took the SAT exam to satisfy the Illinois High School graduation requirement. Initially a paper exam, then phasing into the Digital SAT in 2023, students across the state have adjusted to the various iterations of the College Board’s SAT exam. There were some transition issues related to administering the digital exams, the availability of testing sites, and discussions about equity. For example, in California, over 1400 students had their exams voided in an Oakland testing center after a Wi-Fi issue. Many students had traveled far due to site shortages. Hiccups aside, the digital SAT is shorter, and test-adaptive, with many students responding positively to the exam. For many Illinois students, preparation began early, and the digital resources were robust.

However, beginning in Spring 2025, Illinois schools will now require juniors to take the ACT to meet the testing requirement. This change is the result of deliberation from the Illinois State Board of Education with ACT and the College Board. ACT was ultimately awarded the $53 million contract. The cost of administering the exam was a top factor in the decision to switch. Before the College Board’s six-year residency in Illinois, the ACT was the Illinois graduation requirement for 15 years.

The implications of this change for Illinois students will unfold this fall. Initial discussions on Reddit indicate some frustration and apprehension among students who had begun test prep for the Digital SAT.

Some Illinois students are concerned, as they have been preparing for the Digital SAT–a substantially different exam. The ACT features a science section while the SAT does not. Also, the SAT provides more time per question and overall, is a shorter exam, at 2 hours and 15 minutes when compared to the ACT at 2 hours and 55 minutes.

Other students are not as phased by the reintroduction of the ACT. Students appreciate the choice between paper and digital exams–which the ACT offers. The preparation is yet to begin for many incoming juniors, so they are not worried about preparing for a new test.

The back and forth between the standardized exams reignite conversation about the utility and purpose of standardized exams. During the initial height of the pandemic, universities shifted to a test-optional protocol with some universities eliminating the requirement. However, in recent years, elite colleges have reinstated the requirement.

The so-called predictive qualities of the exam remain the center point for its consideration. UT Austin shared, “Of 9,217 first-year students enrolled in 2023…those who opted in had an estimated average GPA of 0.86 grade points higher during their first fall semester.”

This may be compelling data to track over time. However, even when controlling these variables, the inequalities are glaring and compelling when assessing students’ “capacity” for educational rigor. Also, the premise is questionable; is it fair to compare students who chose not to submit a test score during a global pandemic to those who did take the exam? With standardized exams being reinstated and college admissions becoming more selective, it is important to note that all students can succeed.

LAS Test-Prep Plan

As the landscape in college admissions evolves, the prominence of the SAT and ACT endures. Both exams remain high stakes for the foreseeable future and therefore, a test prep plan is a critical first step.

LAS Test Prep Coaches have decades of experience preparing students for all types of exams, including standardized tests administered digitally or traditionally, with paper and pencil. Using the exam content outline as a framework for study planning, LAS Test Prep begins with an initial meeting to develop an individualized test prep plan. Each plan incorporates pretesting (to establish a baseline score for progress tracking) and error analysis (to customize learning goals, prioritize the plan, and define measurable outcomes). Achievement scores are influenced by many factors (knowledge, accuracy of recall, time management, self-regulation, and many other executive functions). Therefore, LAS Test Prep plans necessitate a significant practice commitment and time to integrate daily and weekly self-study periods with time for practice, self-reflection, personal health, and well-being.

The summer is a great time to re-examine the ACT content and exam format before the fall test dates. Contact LAS to inquire about one-on-one test prep coaching or hybrid groups.

Upcoming Test dates for ACT 2024
September 14, 2024
October 26, 2024
December 14, 2024