“Five minutes remaining,” called out the test proctor. Kaiser Junior, Koali’i Tamangaro, looked down at his paper in disbelief. “I still had 20 unanswered questions on the English section,” Tamangaro reflected. “I ended up just writing “Abbacadabba” in all of my blanks and…hoped for the best.”
Tamangaro wasn’t alone in his struggles as the Juniors at Henry J. Kaiser High School joined thousands nationwide this last Tuesday, February 24, 2026, in taking the ACT. This standardized test administered by ACT, Inc. plays a major role in college admissions and scholarship opportunities for each of these students.
While scores have yet to be released, many of Kaiser’s Juniors say the experience revealed many lessons about preparation, and the surprising difficulty of each section that they wished to share to the next batch of test takers.
The level of preparedness that each student went into the test with varied significantly. One of the most significant areas of deviation was the study habits each student fell into as they prepared for the exam. Tyson Iga believed that routine and discipline would be the key to his success, sharing how he studied for “[at least] one hour a day.” Others took a more relaxed approach.
“I never exactly studied,” stated Lauren Khen. “I just skimmed and did some practice tests with friends.” Keoki Kim took a similar approach, trying to cram with mock exams the day before the fateful Tuesday. Sofia Mayo believed that her approach, similar to Khen’s and Kim’s, was not the method for a successful exam. “If you actually want to get a decent score on the ACT, you need to study,” advised Mayo. “Just because I didn’t do it doesn’t mean that you can’t do better than me and actually study for this thing.”
Miya Darnall took her friend’s advice and invested heavily in her prep, getting “a tutor and classes that helped [her] study…and know what to expect.” Zoe Tanabe also devoted time to studying, using ChatGPT as a free tutor. Dillon Hall did not take Mayo’s advice. “I was too sick to study, so I figured I’d just see what would happen if I went in blind.”
When it came to their strengths, most students found the English and essay sections to be the easiest. “I feel like when it comes to reading comprehension I do decently,” reflected Mayo. “It helps that I was given a lot of info on the prompt for each section.” Tanabe, Hall, Khen, Kim, and Darnall all shared similar sentiments, while Iga felt differently. “I probably did badly on the grammar part due to the fact that I don’t really like English nor have a strong grasp on the subject,” he lamented.
When it came to their weaknesses, the students found themselves similarly united. “We don’t talk about science,” Khen sighed. “I’m just going to pray Einstein had my back.” Kim felt similarly. “I guessed on at least 60% of the questions [in the science section]” he admitted. The science caught Darnall off guard as she didn’t recognize the formulas and questions. “It was different compared to my practice test and what I studied.” Iga, ever the contrarian, believed that he did his best on the math and science sections.
Each student had their own regrets as they exited their respective testing rooms. Darnall believed she forgot everything she learned because she didn’t study the night before. Kim believed he underestimated the exam’s difficulty and wished he took it more seriously. Khen wished she slept the night before and brought snacks for the break periods. Tanabe regretted wasting time during the English section as it forced her to rush later.
Mayo felt that actually studying might have improved her results. “I just wish I wasn’t sick,” Hall said. Tamangaro remained confident in his “Abbacadabba” strategy. “Me personally, I’m going into trade school so the ACT was not a priority for me.”
Iga had no regrets, only words of wisdom. “Life is too short to have regrets. It’s better to reflect on it and move on. Mistakes and failures [are] what build a person. All I can do is stay disciplined and hope to improve.”
With score reports still on the way and retake opportunities ahead, the Juniors at Kaiser High School believe that the ACT was more than a test: It was a learning opportunity that they hope to learn and grow from as they move into the next stage of their lives.
Photo Credit: By ACT – http://media.act.org/documents/preparing.pdf, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66882437
