This coming March, all juniors at Brookfield Central will be required to undergo a new form of testing mandated by the state of Wisconsin.

The annual Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE) is now a thing of the past as students at Brookfield Central are now required to take the ACT college admissions test during school hours. Many benefits come from administering the ACT test in schools; students who ordinarily wouldn’t take the exam now have no excuse not to take the exam. With this new system in place, students have the opportunity to take the ACT exam once, without a fee, but they may retake it as many times as they choose.

“The biggest benefit of the March 1st ACT Test is that it counts for college admissions,” said Mr. Greg Groh, Brookfield Central Guidance Counselor.  “In a school where 95% of the students attend a 2 or 4 year college, that is a big help. Since the State picks up the tab, it is also a big financial plus for the students.”

The transition to the ACT also brought with it the ACT EXPLORE test for all freshmen and the ACT PLAN test for all sophomores. These tests are designed to give an overview summarizing how students are performing in comparison to other students in the nation. Given these test results, students can determine which areas in their education are their strengths, and they can work to improve their weaknesses in preparation for post-secondary education.

However, not all students are proponents for the new tests being administered. Taylor Moon (‘16) was among the class of juniors last year that were the first ones to participate in the ACT testing during school hours.

“I know that a lot of people were frustrated [last year] with the fact that [the ACT test] was mandatory,” said Moon. “A lot of people got the score they wanted before the March exam and then were forced to take it again, which doesn’t always look great to colleges”.

Regardless of any inconveniences it may bring for students, more and more states are passing proposals to give every junior the opportunity to take the ACT. Implementing this exam has not only provided educators with a standardized assessment to gauge students’ learning, but it has also given all students the resources to work towards an education after high school.