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Components

EXPLORE® is administered to all students during the regular school day at the school's convenience. EXPLORE is made up of four academic achievement tests and other key components:

Achievement Tests

English40 items30 minutes
Mathematics30 items30 minutes
Reading30 items30 minutes
Science28 items30 minutes

Additional Components

  • Why Take EXPLORE?
    Provides helpful information about EXPLORE for students and parents, including practical hints for making a successful transition into high school. (Also available in Spanish)
  • UNIACT Interest Inventory (72 items)
    Helps students explore personally relevant career options.
  • Needs Assessment
    Collects information about students' perceived needs.
  • Plans and Background Information
    Gathers information about students' school coursework plans, educational and career plans after high school, and other relevant information.

The content of the EXPLORE tests is closely tied to that of the achievement tests in the the ACT, which is broadly used for college entrance and placement decisions. It is also consistent with the content of ACT's PLAN® program for grade 10. EXPLORE, PLAN and the ACT can be used in combination to focus on meeting academic standards across the entire secondary school core program of studies. The EPAS College Readiness Standards are a useful tool for supporting instructional improvement.

Activities After Testing

Using Your EXPLORE Results explains the EXPLORE report profile to students and their parents, offering an introduction to ACT's World-of-Work Map, a study skills checklist, and a coursework planner. The booklet is also available in Spanish.

Utilize Using Your EXPLORE Results to find helpful post-testing activities. Topics include:

  • Understanding Your EXPLORE Results—helps families understand and effectively use information provided by EXPLORE
  • Exploring Your Career Possibilities—shows how to use the results of the UNIACT Interest Inventory to explore careers
  • Coursework Planning—provides guidelines to help students develop a high school coursework plan based on their EXPLORE test results