Few ACT test-takers ready for college, statistics say

Maryland students’ test scores on the ACT college entrance exam are better than the national average, but only 29 percent of those high school graduates are prepared for college, according to data released Wednesday.

The ACT measures academic achievement in areas of English, math, science and reading that are expected to be essential to first-year college work. With more students taking the test, 29 percent of the state’s graduating high school seniors met all benchmarks, a prediction that they will earn a C or higher in those critical subjects their first year of college.