We hope everyone is staying safe, healthy, and enjoying the start of the new year!
To bring everyone up-to-date on a bit of exciting news in the test prep world, the launch of the computer-based version of the ACT in the US is fast-approaching. Amidst the COVID crisis, computer-based testing has gained popularity and is quickly becoming the norm. Historically, ACT has been a trail-blazer in the transition to computer-based testing. In 2018, ACT transitioned international students from paper to computer-based tests (CBT). Now, the ACT CBT rollout in the US is imminent. We’d like to provide some information about how this changes the game for ACT test-takers and tips for ensuring a smooth transition to the CBT.
Mastery of both content and format are crucial to success on the ACT. While the content and structure of the computer-based ACT will remain the same as the traditional paper version, familiarity with the new digital format will be essential before Test Day.
Most notably, perhaps, is the introduction of several on-screen tools including a highlighter, answer eliminator (to cross out answers), answer masker (to hide answer choices in order to avoid distractions), line reader (to focus on a single line and block out surrounding lines), and magnifier (to enlarge part of a graph or image). Though students taking the CBT will not be able take notes directly on the test booklet, as is the case with the paper test, they will be provided with a separate whiteboard at the test center for notetaking and scratch work. Additionally, students taking the CBT will only see one question per page, which will make it slightly more challenging for students to answer questions out of order and make quick guesses at the end of a section.
We are confident that all of our ACT tutors are well-equipped to incorporate CBT strategies into their students’ test prep. We will continue to keep everyone updated as ACT provides a clearer timeline for the CBT rollout in the US.
In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns regarding test prep, academic support, or anything in between. At Sentia, we don’t just tutor, we’ll be with you every step of the way™!