More and more adults are choosing to attend college, either as first-time students or as returning students completing a degree begun earlier in life.
ACT offers a variety of useful resources for adult students, such as:
The ACT® Test
If you're going back to college, taking the ACT may be an important step in the process. The information this entrance exam provides will help your college decide how to give you the best chance to succeed.
- If you took the ACT in the past, your scores may still be available. Check with the admission office at your college to see whether those scores will still be accepted.
- Consider also whether it would be to your benefit to take the exam again. Many colleges use the ACT as a measure of what you already know and, therefore, what courses you are ready to take. A test score from when you were 17 years old may or may not give them an accurate picture of what you know now. For more information, see these Frequently Asked Questions.
- If you do take the test, our Test Prep Resources can help you do your best.
COMPASS®/ESL
At many colleges—including many community colleges and other schools that serve large numbers of adult learners—you may be asked to take an entrance assessment like COMPASS/ESL.
Computer-adaptive and computer-delivered, COMPASS/ESL helps your college make informed advising and placement decisions, so that you start at the appropriate level.
CPAt (Career Programs Assessment Test)
If you enter a technical or vocational program, you may encounter ACT's CPAt, which is used by more than 500 career colleges nationwide.
Besides assessing your skills in language usage, numerical skills, and reading, CPAt can also tell your school whether you need help in locating child care, applying for financial aid, or improving your study skills.
DISCOVER®—Career Planning Software
Many two- and four-year colleges make DISCOVER, ACT's career planning software, available to students.
Using information from DISCOVER, you can formulate a plan for the future and make good decisions about a college major or course of study that will help you reach your goal.
DISCOVER can also help you find scholarship information and select a school that meets your criteria.
The ACT Center® Network
To brush up on skills like math or writing before you start your college classes, consider taking one or more of the online courses offered by an ACT Center near you.