PreACT Assessment FAQs

The blueprint changes for the enhanced PreACT assessments are shown in the charts below.  Each test section includes both operational items and embedded field test items (EFTs), which help ACT ensure future test questions are fair and high quality. Operational items are scored, while embedded field test items are not. EFTs look just like regular questions and are mixed throughout the test, but they do not count toward a student’s score. 

PreACT 8/9 and PreACT currently do not include embedded field test items (EFT). By adding EFT, we are able to get data and build the best forms possible to ensure valid scores in future administrations. The math section has also seen its time increase compared to the current blueprints to better align with the enhanced ACT average time per question for that section. This change will also increase timing for the science section, ultimately creating a slight increase in overall time for PreACT Secure. The “extended break” policy for the ACT will also apply to all PreACT products as they roll out, so if customers are concerned with the increase in time for younger examinees, they have the ability to take a longer break (like a lunch break) before science, or test science on a different day within their test window.

Assessment time differences:

PreACT Secure: 2 hrs 40 min vs. 2 hrs 35 min

PreACT and PreACT 8/9: 2 hrs 35 min vs. 2 hrs 10 min

ACT reporting categories are aligned with the ACT College and Career Readiness Standards and other standards that target college and career readiness. Items that measure similar skills are grouped together to provide students with more detailed information about their test performance within each section. 

PreACT and PreACT Secure Reporting Categories – Enhanced Blueprint

English

Math

 *Items in the Modeling category overlap with and are counted in other reporting categories.

Reading

Science

PreACT and PreACT Secure Total Items and Time

PreACT 8/9 and PreACT 9 Secure Reporting Categories – Enhanced Blueprint

English

Math

 *Items in the Modeling category overlap with and are counted in other reporting categories.

Reading

Science

 
PreACT 8/9 and PreACT 9 Secure Total Items and Time

Like the enhanced ACT test, PreACT assessments will also include some shorter passages in the English and reading sections, 4 answer choices instead of 5 in the math section, and some changes to the subcategory percentages for the different subject tests. For more detailed information about the new blueprints, see Preparing for PreACT Secure.

Yes. Enhanced PreACT score scales will continue to align with the enhanced ACT. Beginning fall 2026, the PreACT 8/9 score scale will shift from 1–30 to 1–32 to preserve alignment. All other PreACT assessment score scales will remain the same. To summarize:

Score scale reference:

• PreACT & PreACT Secure: 1–35

• PreACT 9 Secure & PreACT 8/9*: 1–32

 *Beginning fall 2026.

Yes. At the rollout of the new blueprint for each test (Spring 2026 for PreACT Secure and PreACT 9 Secure; Fall 2026 for PreACT and PreACT 8/9), the Composite score will be calculated from the English + Math + Reading scores (EMR). This is the same as the enhanced ACT. For the 2025-2026 school year, science is NOT optional for PreACT 8/9 and PreACT and the Composite score will continue to be EMRS. These products will change to science optional and EMR Composite Fall 2026.

After the enhanced blueprints are live for each PreACT assessment, if schools or districts wish to take PreACT with or without science to mimic what they are offering for the ACT, students will simply not complete the science section. The science section will be optional based on district or school preference (and not at the individual student preference level).

...blueprint rollout?

They will not get a Composite score. The English + Math + Reading (EMR) Composite calculation will not begin until the new blueprint rolls out for each assessment. For example, if a PreACT 8/9 customer does not administer the science section in March 2026, the student will not receive a Composite score because the new blueprint will not launch until Fall 2026. If the PreACT 8/9 customer does not administer the science section in October 2026, they will still receive a Composite score since the new blueprint will be implemented at the start of the 2026-2027 school year for PreACT and PreACT 8/9. A PreACT Secure customer will still get a Composite score if they do not take science in March 2026, as the new blueprint launches for the Secure products at the beginning of that Spring 2026 administration.

Yes! Practice tests are available as follows:

• PreACT Secure practice tests - Preparing for the PreACT Secure Test Guide

• PreACT 9 Secure practice tests - Preparing for the PreACT 9 Secure Test Guide 

The great news is that PreACT and PreACT 8/9 will have the same number of items and timing as PreACT Secure and PreACT 9 Secure, respectively, so the practice tests/test prep for the Secure products can also be used for the nonsecure products to prepare for the new blueprint to launch Fall 2026 for PreACT and PreACT 8/9. 

All of the current accommodations that are available for the products now will continue to be available after the launch of the new blueprints. This also includes the practice test materials. It is important to note there are some changes for extended time. Any extended time will now be exactly the time indicated by the multiplier and not rounded to the nearest 5 minutes as it is now. For example, if a student is using an accommodation that allows 1.5x, for the English section, they would have 52.5 minutes (35 x 1.5) instead of 55 minutes they currently get (35 x 1.5 rounded up to the nearest 5-minute interval).

...when the new blueprint takes effect?

PreACT 8/9 and PreACT online can now create an account on MYACT to fill out the career interest inventory, high school course info, and student profile questions and the career maps on the individual student reports will now be populated. Anyone testing PreACT or PreACT 8/9 online  will need to go to MyACT before testing in order to get the reports populated. The data will flow to the individual student report and educator reports in online reporting as soon as tests are completed, so there is no grace period after tests are marked complete to do this step. They can create a MyACT account after testing, but their answers to the questions will not populate the reports.  Paper testers should continue to complete the non-test questions on their paper answer document at this time.

For more information on MyACT for PreACT assessments, see the Test Coordinator User Guide and the Student User Guide for MyACT.

...Products?

Here is a table with the products and dates for changes. 

*EMR is English + Math + Reading scores.

**For the 2025-2026 school year for PreACT 8/9 and PreACT, science is not optional and Composite scores continue to include science. If science is not taken, no Composite score will be generated.

Yes, we will still offer item analysis for PreACT and PreACT 8/9.