International ACT Test-Takers

“Reuters” has a piece out on an ACT price hike.

International ACT test-takers, the price that ACT Inc. will be charging students to sit and take the ACT is on the rise beginning in April. While this isn’t all that interesting to report, the reasoning behind the price hike is kind of interesting. With kind of being the operative words. The maker of the ACT will be raising the price to sit for the ACT abroad to cover the costs of increased security measures, which we at Ivy Coach applaud. After all, there have been several incidences of cheating on the SAT and ACT over the years, notably in Southeast Asia. It’s a topic we’ve covered many times on the pages of our college admissions blog. There is cheating in Asia. Surprise, surprise. We know this is shocking to our readers. Utterly shocking.

Ivy Coach backs ACT’s bolstered security measures at testing sites around the world, notably in South Korea. These measures will help protect the sanctity of the exam.

As reports Steve Stecklow and Alexandra Harney for “Reuters” in a piece about the ACT price hike, “ACT, an Iowa-based not-for-profit, has suffered major security setbacks in recent months. After the October sitting of the exam, ACT canceled scores for an unspecified number of students in Asia and Oceania on the writing section of the test because of a leak. In June, the exam was canceled for all test-takers in South Korea and Hong Kong due to another breach. Starting this Saturday, all South Korean test-takers will be required to take the ACT at a single test center in Seoul. The exam previously was given at 32 South Korean test centers, including sites licensed by the ACT-owned Global Assessment Certificate program. ‘The move is being made to combat repeated test material breaches in South Korea,”‘ACT stated in a press release last month.” So, yes, we’re looking at you for this price hike, South Korea!

We fully support the measure that ACT is taking to bolster its security. Honest students across Southeast Asia deserve the chance to apply to highly selective American universities without having to worry about admissions officers doubting the veracity of their testing results. But while unfair, it is regrettably a reality. So our hope is that these increased security measures protect the sanctity of the ACT not only in South Korea and across Southeast Asia but around the world so that admissions officers can always be confident that the ACT (and SAT as well as SAT Subject Test) results of students are true. Way to go, ACT! We’re with you.