by Stephanie Pross

Saturday, Oct. 23, Atlantic High School will be filled with students from AHS and other surrounding schools, taking the ACT exam.   AHS has five ACT testing dates throughout the school year.  Not all colleges require the ACT, but four-year universities and many other colleges do.

The testing session takes three hours and has four parts: reading, math, science, and English.   The ACT now offers a writing section, but it is not required.  Guidance counselor Creg Fredin expects colleges to require the writing portion of the ACT within the next 10 years.

Many students that will be taking the ACT wonder how they can prepare for the test.  The guidance office most commonly refers students to the free online sources such as www.Ihaveaplaniowa.gov.  This website will take students through a slideshow of each section of the test, and it also provides a practice test and explains the reasons for answers thoroughly.   There are also workshops to help students prepare that are held by Northwest Missouri State University. More information on the workshops is available in the guidance office.

Fredin recommends students to start taking the ACT second semester of their junior year.