In early April, all Big Sky juniors sat down to take one of the largest tests of high school life: the ACT.

The ACT is currently a free standardized test in Montana, used primarily for college admissions in the United States. It measures high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work, said Jack Young, Big Sky assistant principal.

On April 9th, the Class of 2026 was sorted out into classrooms throughout the school for the hours-long test.  Big Sky’s school psychologist, Payton Agnew, made  a list of students that  needed different accommodations for the test and then turned that over to Young so he could set the room assignments.

Accommodations refer to students who may need more break time than other students. Each year for the ACT, they are  placed in smaller settings with up to 10 students in a classroom. Students without accommodations are  grouped in up to 15 students in a classroom, Young said. 

Students around Big Sky had very similar statements about the ACT. 

“It was definitely an experience. It was really long and hard, not super enjoyable, but it’s over now, and I’m very happy about that,” said Ashten O’meara, a junior at Big Sky. 

Zayden Barlow, a junior at Big Sky said, “I felt good taking the ACT. I think the test is really only important if you are going to college. I’m planning on going to trade school.” 

When asked about if the test was worth his time, he said, “I had to take the ACT, because certain trade schools require it.”

The standard test for a student ranges from 5 hours up to 12 hours, depending on accommodations provided. The test goes through English, science, reading, and writing. 

The state has contemplated cutting the funding for the ACT, according to a story from the Montana Free Press about future state money cuts and budget. That means that students would have to pay out of pocket to take the test, like many of their peers across the country. 

“We would start to look at scholarship opportunities, just like we do for athletics,” Young said about hypothetical ACT funding cuts.