This year’s high school graduates’ ACT exam results fell to their lowest level in more than 30 years.

The ACT (American College Testing) test is one of the premier college entrance exams along with the SAT. The purpose of the exam is to give a common reference point to college admission officers as curriculum and school quality varies greatly from place to place.

The average score for the graduating class of 2022 is 19.8 which is down from the 20.3 average from the class of 2021. 36 is the highest possible score. While this year’s score is historically low ACT cautions people to remember the historic conditions faced by students in this class.

“Context matters for the graduating class of 2022. This cohort endured the effects of a global pandemic spanning across the three years of their education: sophomore, junior, and senior years. ACT puts forth this data, in addition to our extensive COVID-19 related research, to ensure that school systems and states can make informed decisions that will improve outcomes for their students and families.”

College entrance exams in general are falling under greater scrutiny. Critics of such exams say that they aren’t a fair summation of a student. Many colleges no longer require them at all. Still, 1.3 million class of 2022 graduates took the exam which is approximately around 36 percent of the entire class.

Read the full data brief here. (ACT)