On-Campus Testing is a proven solution to help students achieve their goal to begin college
For the first time in the organization’s 60-year history, ACT rescheduled national, international, and state and district ACT® test dates. This action was taken to protect the health and safety of students and test center staff in response to concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19. We understood the effect this would have on the 2020-2021 college admissions cycle, and we are offering a number of testing dates during summer and fall and other solutions to help students obtain a score for their admissions, scholarship, college course placement and career guidance decisions.Students’ desire to attend college is not wavering—and neither is ACT’s commitment to give them every opportunity to do so.
Many colleges have announced plans to temporarily adjust requirements and extend deadlines during this unprecedented time.
ACT commends the colleges that have made deadline extension decisions, as those extensions will help the hundreds of thousands of students who are at home and currently grappling with the idea of whether “going to college” this fall will actually happen. A recent report indicated nearly 17 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the past three weeks, including many parents of a potentially college-bound child.
The recovery process will certainly challenge higher education as we navigate into what is perhaps a “new normal.” Now, more than ever, we are faced with a collective need to work with a commitment and urgency to provide equity and access as we do our part to aid in a swift economic recovery from this pandemic.
ACT is trying to help by providing a range of free online learning resources for students, parents, educators, schools, workers and employers during this challenging time, as well as delivering services and solutions to assist colleges with enrollment efforts upon re-opening.
Upon re-opening, for instance, hundreds of colleges across the country will utilize our on-campus testing program for the ACT test to help students who need a college reportable score or who simply desire to retest. This proven program allows colleges to administer the ACT test themselves and benefit from the trusted data that comes with an official ACT score. On-campus testing is administered in a proctored test environment and immediately scored on campus—on any day of the week. The test results, which are used only by the school that administers the exam, enable colleges to immediately use scores to assist with important admission, scholarship and course placement decisions.
Higher ed professionals across the country recognize the value of this on-campus solution. In their words:
"We offer the ACT test on our campus. It is a great solution to offer to our local high school students who are seeking dual credit or regular admissions that may have missed a national ACT test."
- Justin Pearson Executive Director of Enrollment Management University of South Carolina System
“Northern Oklahoma College has been using the easy-to-administer ACT on campus tool for many years. We give it during the weekday to any students who may have missed the state-wide ACT or want to retake for NOC admissions, course placement and scholarship decisions.”
- Rick Edgington Vice President of Enrollment Management Northern Oklahoma College
“We offer the ACT test for students interested in applying for admissions to Kent State University. We make it easy for students to schedule and we proctor at any of our campuses for their convenience.”
- Judy Huber Coordinator, University Testing Services Kent State University
During this time of unprecedented challenges, on-campus testing provides colleges with an effective solution they can utilize upon re-opening their campuses. When that time comes, it will certainly be celebrated as a signal of recovery across the nation.
Learn more about on-campus testing: act.org/on-campus
Don Pitchford, Ph.D., manages on-campus testing for the ACT. He consults extensively with higher education leaders, professional organizations and college administrators nation-wide in developing enrollment management strategies associated with admission and scholarship policy, market analysis, predictive modeling, recruitment, best practice communication flow, financial leveraging, placement, retention, completion and accreditation efforts.
