Details

Under Illinois law, all 11th-grade public high school students must participate in the official State ACT with Writing exam to receive a high school diploma. Taking this exam in April of Junior year fulfills this state requirement at zero cost to families.

Postsecondary Impact

Four Year Colleges & Universities

• Admissions Eligibility: Fulfills core admissions requirements for public and private universities nationwide.  
• Merit-Based Scholarships: High composite ACT scores automatically unlock institutional merit scholarships, often saving families thousands of dollars per year in tuition.  
• Course Placement: Meeting ACT College Readiness Benchmarks (English: 18, Math: 22, Reading: 22) guarantees placement into credit-bearing college courses, allowing students to skip non-credit remedial classes.

Union Trades, Vocational Programs & Direct Employment

• Trade Union Entrance Exams: Trade unions (e.g., Electricians/IBEW, Plumbers, Carpenters) require applicants to pass aptitude tests in technical reading and math. Strong PreACT/ACT math and reading subscores directly mirror these trade entry exams.
• National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC): ACT performance translates into workforce readiness credentials that demonstrate applied math, graphic literacy, and workplace document skills to prospective employers right after graduation.  
• Placement Waiver: Strong math and reading subscores can exempt students from taking additional entry-level placement exams at vocational/technical schools.

Community Colleges (e.g., Moraine Valley Community College)

• Bypassing Placement Testing: Community colleges use ACT subscores to place students directly into college-level Math and English courses, saving time and money.
• Honors Program Eligibility: High ACT scores allow students attending two-year colleges to qualify immediately for local community college Honors Programs and specialized