ACT exams postponed until fall
The Montana Office of Public Instruction and Montana University System announced Tuesday that high school juniors still have the opportunity to take the ACT free of charge the fall semester of their senior year.
Normally, current juniors would take the ACT for free in the spring as Montana’s standardized test for federal accountability. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, and Montana’s pending waiver request from standardized tests, it is likely that juniors will not be taking the ACT this spring.
“In this time of uncertainty, Montana students, families, and educators should be focused on their health and safety not fulfilling standardized test requirements,” Office of Public Instruction Superintendent Elsie Arntzen said in a press release. “I am pleased that Montana high school students who wish to take the ACT in pursuit of post-secondary education will have the opportunity to take it free of charge this fall.”
The ACT has been Montana’s state standardized exam for high school students since 2016 for federal accountability purposes. It is also recognized nationally as a college entrance exam and covers English, mathematics, reading and science with an optional writing test.
“The Montana University System provides all high school juniors the opportunity to take the ACT so that all are able to apply for college and that’s even more important in these challenging times,” said Montana Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton T. Christian. “Rather than allowing the test to be canceled, my office worked directly with the ACT organization to reschedule the exam for this fall. Students who wish to take the test over the summer may do so, but must cover their test fees and make their own travel arrangements to visit a test center. By rescheduling the test to a regular school day in October, we’ve made sure that travel and cost are not a barrier. This is a critical part of our mission to provide all Montanans the opportunity to pursue education after high school.”
Schools may administer the ACT on Oct. 6 with Oct. 20 as a makeup day. Nov. 3 will serve as an emergency makeup day.
The free ACT testing is funded through a grant from the Montana University System.