Youth and Education

Deadline is March 9 for next ACT test

College-bound high school students can register by March 9 for the next national ACT test date. The test will be administered nationwide on Saturday, April 14.

Students who miss the March 9 deadline can do a late registration for an additional fee. The late registration deadline is March 23. Students can register online at www.actstudent.org, or they can get registration materials from high school counselors.

The ACT is accepted by all colleges and universities that use admissions tests in their application process. It’s an academic achievement test covering four subject areas: English, reading, mathematics and science.

Students can choose to take the ACT with or without the optional writing test. The ACT costs $29 without the writing test and $43 with writing.

The majority of colleges don’t require a writing score, so students should check with the colleges they’re considering before registering for the test. The late registration fee is $19.

Colleges and universities use ACT scores, along with other information, to determine if a student is academically ready for college-level coursework. Students with lower ACT scores are likely to need remedial courses to help bring them up-to-speed for college-level courses.

This is why many juniors take the ACT, check their scores, and then take additional coursework to address academic weaknesses before re-taking the ACT as seniors.

For more information about the ACT, including sample tests and online preparation, go to www.actstudent.org.