• College Readiness Benchmarks

    The benchmarks are scores on the ACT subject-area tests that represent the level of achievement required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in corresponding credit-bearing first-year college courses. These college courses include English composition, college algebra, introductory social science courses, and biology. Based on a nationally representative sample of 98 institutions and more than 90,000 students, the Benchmarks are median course placement values for these institutions and as such represent a typical set of expectations. The ACT College Readiness Benchmarks are:

    College CourseACT Subject-Area TestEXPLORE Benchmark Grade 8EXPLORE Benchmark Grade 9PLAN BenchmarkACT Benchmark
    English Composition English 13 14 15 18
    College Algebra Mathematics 17 18 19 22
    Social Sciences Reading 15 16 17 21
    Biology Science 20 20 21 24