134 students took Pine View’s first ever mock American College Test (ACT) on Wednesday Aug. 31 in the auditorium from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The idea of a mock ACT at Pine View was originally introduced by both High School Guidance Counselor Lynn Halcomb and College Resource officer Lance Bergman. Before deciding to bring the mock ACT to Pine View, Bergman had recently collected data from Naviance, a college and career readiness software provider. The studies from Naviance showed that, in general, many Pine View students had received higher scores on the ACT, not the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), a similar exam used by colleges in the admissions process.
“More students have been taking the ACT for their college applications over the past few years, so we felt it important to begin offering the mock at school,” Halcomb said.
The mock simulated the testing conditions of the ACT, but scores only benefit students and do not count. “I feel like taking the ACT would help me determine what test I should submit to colleges when I apply,” eleventh-grader Evan Silverman said. “The mock offers me the practice I need to ace the actual ACT and give me more experience.”
Scores on the mock exam will be returned to students in the following weeks, and there will be another opportunity for students to take the mock ACT exam next April, once more hosted by Revolution Prep. In the future, the mock ACT is to be provided to students annually, and not only to upperclassmen, but to tenth-graders as well.
“It is a great opportunity that Pine View is offering to students: to take advantage of being prepared for what’s coming during the actual ACT exam,” Radovic said. “We are very excited to offer it. The mock ACT is a great tool to utilize and build confidence for the actual exam, and it is great to see so many students take it.