ACT to replace South Dakota’s current state assessments for 11th grade students

Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the state assessment for 11th grade students will be conducted through the ACT exam. Using the ACT will serve two functions simultaneously: it meets federal accountability requirements while also providing students with college admissions test scores. This will eliminate the need for students to take both the state test and one utilized for college entrance, course placement, and/or scholarships, reducing testing time for students.

In the spring of 2026, each public school district in South Dakota will administer the ACT exams (English, Reading, Math, Science, and Writing) to all 11th grade students during the school day. Students will take the tests online during the appropriate testing window. The South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) will provide the ACT at no cost for all public 11th grade students during the state-assigned test administration windows. Test scores will be used to determine English Language Arts, Math, and Science proficiency, which will be reported on the public schools’ Accountability Report Cards. Students may also request to send their test scores to designated colleges as part of the admissions process. For more information, refer to South Dakota's ACT State Testing Website.

South Dakota students can prepare for the ACT through Methodize, an ACT prep program available at no cost to all South Dakota students in grades 9-12. This resource is provided by the South Dakota DOE and can be accessed through SDMyLife. Students and educators can log into their accounts and access Methodize at any time.