55% of High School Students Graduate with "A" Average

A new study shows that the share of students graduating high school with an A average has grown from 39% in 1998 to 55% in 2021.

This is shocking. How can an A represent excellence when more than half of high school students earn an “A” average?

It’s a problem for college admissions too. Now that an A average is normal, it makes it very difficult for selective colleges to differentiate between students when choosing who to admit and who to deny.

Are standardized tests perfect? Certainly, they are not. Yet despite their imperfections, they are an antidote to rampant grade inflation. Merit-based testing makes the process of competitive college admissions more fair, transparent, and accountable.

This is the reason that merit-based standardized tests remain a critical piece of the college admissions process and will do so into the future.

Start preparing for your standardized tests with a free mock exam.

At Test Prep Gurus we teach students how to raise their grades and scores on the ACT, SAT, ISEE, HSPT, APs so they can reach their goals for college and beyond.

It all starts with 3 steps:

  1. Complete practice exams.

  2. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to review your exam results.

  3. Create a 1-on-1 test prep plan to reach your goals for college and beyond.