The ACT is one of two national college admission tests (the other is the SAT). Most colleges accept either ACT or SAT equally, and will take a student's higher score for admission. Because of that, many students these days take *both* tests.
While the SAT has more "name recognition" in California, the ACT is the most widely used admission test in most of the rest of the country. There are a very few schools that are either ACT or SAT exclusive (meaning they will only accept that test and not the other). All the Ivy League campuses accept the ACT, and the UC and CSU system accept the ACT for admission as well. (students applying to UC campuses must also take three SATII tests at this time).
More than 2 million students sat for the ACT during the last school year (2002-03).
The ACT is a curriculum based achievement test, testing students on the kinds of things they have learned in the classroom. Students generally feel very comfortable with the ACT, as questions are worded similarly to what they find in their high school classes. There are no 'tricks' to taking the ACT - it's a straightforward test. Students often use the word 'fairer' when comparing the ACT to the SAT.
Because of its curriculum base, students who take a strong core curriculum in high school (at least 4 years of English, 3 of Math, 3 of Natural Sciences, 3 of Social Sciences) tend to score quite a bit higher on the ACT than those students who do not. The ACT is scored on a scale of 1-36 (unlike the SAT which has a 1600 top score).
In the spring of 2005, the SAT will be changing dramatically and will include a mandatory writing assessment. All students taking the SAT will have to take the writing assessment.
In the spring of 2005, the ACT will add an *optional* writing assessment. (The current content of the ACT will NOT change). Students who are applying to colleges that require the writing assessment must take it; students who are applying to colleges that do NOT require the writing assessment will not have to take it. That list will be published on the ACT website, and also through individual colleges.
www.act.org