Spring Brings Big Changes to Ohio’s ACT & SAT

When I was in high school — the ACT cost around $40 dollars and I had to wake up on a Saturday to take the test. It was a nightmare ( which could explain my “average” scores.)

Well, not anymore says Ohio! See, back in 2014 the state passed a law that changed how both the ACT and the SAT are administered by completely removing the cost of the test and having it happen during a school day.

Yes, Ohio is picking up a $5.25 million tab so that every student can take these tests — which is a huge step forward considering that many lower-income neighborhoods and families struggled to pay for the nearly $50 dollar test. Now, the ACT will still make you pay out of pocket for the writing portion of the test but it’s optional.

What’s more interesting is that according to the state Department of Education, 95% of districts in Ohio prefer the ACT over the SAT — which again when I was in highschool a decade ago would have been a pretty outlandish statistic. It all boils down to the preference of the colleges, where the ACT reigns supreme.

Nearly 100% of the student population will be participating — which is up from 66% in 2014 and 2015. New ESL (English as a second language) students or those with disabilities may opt out of the tests.

Another new thing they did not have when I went to Highschool was “remediation-free score” which essentially sets a minimum standard on what score you can have without needing to take remedial classes.

To avoid these remedial classes you’d need an 18 on the English portion, 22 in mathematics and 21 in reading for the ACT and for the SAT you’d need 430 in writing, 450 in reading and 520 in mathematics.

I had high marks on the English, Reading and and Writing segments of the ACT, but scored a 9 on mathematics.

Good luck to the all the test takers out there — seems simultaneously harder and far more convenient for everyone.

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