PreACT ® assessments offer 8th, 9th, and 10th graders an early experience with ACT test items, provides a predicted ACT test score, and offers a wealth of information to help students get the start they need to be college ready.
Anchored on the ACT college and career readiness standards, PreACT assessments help educators, students, and parents, identify areas of academic strength and opportunity. Students may opt to have their information shared with colleges and scholarship agencies when they take PreACT 8/9, PreACT, or PreACT Secure, providing greater opportunities for recruitment and scholarship awards.
PreACT gives you more flexibility and choice between online or paper-pencil formats as you make your assessment plans for next year. Sign up to be notified when 2024-25 enrollment opens.
| Features | PreACT 8/9 | PreACT | PreACT Secure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Gives students an early measure of college and career readiness while providing performance predictions and instructional support. | Gives students practice with taking the ACT. Educators can use insights from PreACT report data to understand performance predictions, inform interventions, and give instructional support. | Schools, districts, or states can use for high-stakes or accountability purposes while giving students practice with taking the ACT. Educators get insights from PreACT report data to understand performance predictions, inform interventions, and give instructional support. |
| Validated Standards and Benchmarks | Based on validated ACT College and Career Readiness Standards and ACT College Readiness Benchmarks. | Based on validated ACT College and Career Readiness Standards and ACT College Readiness Benchmarks. | Based on validated ACT College and Career Readiness Standards and ACT College Readiness Benchmarks. |
| Scoring and Score Predictions | Aligned to the same 1-36 score scale as the ACT, PreACT 8/9 has a top score of 30. Provides predicted score ranges for PreACT and ACT Subject and Composite scores. PreACT 8/9 also provides a STEM score. | Aligned to the same 1-36 score scale as the ACT, PreACT has a top score of 35. Provides predicted score ranges for the ACT Subject and Composite Scores. PreACT also provides a STEM score. | Aligned to the same 1-36 score scale as the ACT, PreACT Secure has a top score of 35. Provides predicted score ranges for the ACT Subject and Composite scores. PreACT Secure also provides a STEM score. |
| Educator and Student Reports | Multiple reports including: Item Response Summary Report by Grade, Student Report, online Educator Reports, Interest Inventory and test booklets returned to students. | Multiple reports including: Item Response Summary Report by Grade, Student Report, online Educator Reports, Interest Inventory and test booklets returned to students. | Multiple reports including: Student Report and online Educator Reports. |
| Career and Navigation | Career suggestions based on student goals and interests are provided based on answers to the Student Profile and Interest Inventory. | Career suggestions based on student goals and interests are provided based on answers to the Student Profile and Interest Inventory. | PreACT Secure scores can inform high school course selection, college and career planning, and test preparation activities. |
| Grades | Grades 8-9 | Grade 10 | Grade 10 |
| Flexible Administration | Schools choose when to test anytime between early September to late May. | Schools choose when to test anytime between early September to late May. | One six-week window in March-April. |
| Quick Implementation | Materials received quickly, fast report turnaround time, and modularity allows for testing across multiple days. | Materials received quickly, fast report turnaround time, and modularity allows for testing across multiple days. | Online administration is easily set up and delivered to students with fast report turnaround time. |
| Delivery | Paper-pencil and Online options Multiple choice 130 minutes | Paper-pencil and Online options Multiple choice 130 minutes | Online Multiple choice 155 minutes |