FRANKFORT (KT) –Kentucky’s incoming public high school seniors will have another opportunity to take the ACT test, this time for free, during a statewide ACT retake day this fall.
“The date hasn’t been selected yet,” Gov. Andy Beshear said during a Thursday press conference at the Capitol, “but it will be announced in the coming months, and the Kentucky Department of Education is going to coordinate directly with local school districts.”
He also said graduating seniors who wish to re-take the ACT, will be allowed to participate as well.
“Research has shown that if you are able to take the ACT twice, your score goes up,” Beshear stated. “And it can go up, I believe the average is four points. Four points can be the difference between admission to the places you want to go, it can also be the difference in scholarship money.”
Speaking of money, he said the cost of taking the ACT can be a barrier to some. “Now, everybody is going to have the opportunity to take the test at least twice, to do their very best to set themselves up for the best future.”
He noted that in Kentucky the ACT costs $37 if you take it online, and $38 if you use the paper-based version. “It doesn’t sound like a lot, but when we made the GED free, which was around $200, the amount of people who stepped up and enrolled in classes, skyrocketed. When this was proposed to us, it was a no-brainer. Give these young adults the opportunity to have an even brighter future.”
The ACT is the admissions exam used by the Kentucky Department of Education to measure a student’s level of readiness for college in core academic content areas, including English, mathematics, reading and science.
