Do you think that the ACT test reflect a students academic achievement and abilities?

Question

I want to know if people think that ACT scores really show what a person know and what they can do?

Answer 1

Absolutely not. I graduated high school with a 4.3 GPA, and scored only a 27 on the ACT. I finished college in 3 years(taking around 16-19 credits a semester) with a 3.6 GPA. I know people who scored higher on the ACT who flunked out of college after a year. My brother scored a 31 on the ACT and has similar credentials(my dad bribed him with $500--SOOOO not fair!), and both his high school and college GPAs are slightly lower than mine. Some people don't do well on "standardized" tests--I personally get all nervous and that spoils my results--it's the same with any multiple choice test I take. The test does not accurately assess current performance or predict future success--some people are just better at taking test than others. However, I do think that it is accurate to a degree, people in the highest percentiles are most likely going to succeed in college and those in the lowest percentiles are going to struggle with college coursework. But the middle ground is all up in the air--those with similar credentials can score very far from each other and still end up with the same college GPA--there are so many more factors such as internal motivation, ability to deal with outside factors(partying, extracurriculars, etc.) and plenty of special circumstances that can move a GPA in either direction. My ACT score is just another number in my book.

Answer 2

It shows academic abilities, but not necessarily achievement. I always got not great grades, (mostly C's, some B's and A's in classes I liked...had a couple D's) because I was lazy and did not do homework. I got a 29 on the ACT which if I remember correctly is pretty good, at least in comparison to the grades I was getting.