COLLEGE READINESS EXAMS
Tennessee requires specific assessments to measure whether or not students are on track to graduate ready for college and
career. The assessments include: ACT Explore in eighth grade, ACT Plan in tenth grade, and the ACT in eleventh grade. Students
meeting ACT Benchmark scores have approximately a 50 percent chance of earning a B or higher and approximately a 75 percent
chance of earning a C or higher in their corresponding college course area.115 Since 2010, Tennessee has seen progress in terms
of the percent of students meeting the College Readiness Benchmarks, but continues to be below the majority of other states
who use the ACT. In 2014, only 19 percent of eleventh-graders, 15 percent of tenth-graders, and 15 percent of eighth-graders met
all four benchmarks on their respective ACT tests.116 Tennessee’s ACT composite score ranks 17th out of 22 states in which more
than 75 percent of high school students take the ACT.117
PERCENT OF 2014 ACT-TESTED HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES
MEETING COLLEGE READINESS BENCHMARKS BY SUBJECT
Percent
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
64%
37%
Reading
44%
30%
Math
43%
28%
Science
ACT Subject
48
60%
59%
English
All Four
50%
37%
19%
26%
Tennessee
70%
80%
90%
Nation
100%