The ACT test scores for the class of 2023 were the worst in at least 32 years, the ACT organization announced Wednesday, raising new concerns about the academic readiness of college students.

The average score for the class of 2023 on the ACT was 19.5 out of a possible 36, according to data released by the ACT this week. The ACT also revealed that scores on individual subjects in the test, such as math and reading, were below the ACT's benchmark for college readiness.

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The latest scores mark yet another decline in the average ACT test score after last year's scores marked a 30-year low. The average ACT score has continuously declined for the past six years, and the decline is raising concerns about the college readiness of high school graduates.

ACT CEO Janet Godwin said in a press release that the decline in ACT scores has coincided with a rise in the number of students who graduate without meeting any of the college readiness benchmarks" despite rising GPAs and self-reporting among students that they feel ready for college.

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"The hard truth is that we are not doing enough to ensure that graduates are truly ready for postsecondary success in college and career," Godwin said. "These systemic problems require sustained action and support at the policy level. This is not up to teachers and principals alone — it is a shared national priority and imperative.”

The lower college prep test scores come amid a broader decline in standardized test scores across all grades. The drop has largely been attributed to the effects of school closures during the coronavirus pandemic. The class of 2023 entered high school during the 2019-20 school year, which was the first school year affected by the pandemic.