PreACT Assessment FAQs

PreACT products will continue to stay aligned with the enhanced ACT to preserve their reliability and predictability as a practice assessment and indicator of success on the ACT test.

To align with the enhanced ACT, new blueprints for PreACT 9 Secure and PreACT Secure rolled out in spring 2026 administrations. The PreACT blueprint will roll out in fall of 2026, and the PreACT 8/9 blueprint rollout date is coming soon. All PreACT assessments (regardless of blueprint change) will use the new Composite score (calculated with English, math, reading) and offer science optional starting in fall of 2026. See the timeline below.   

PreACT Alignment Timeline

*For the 2025-2026 school year on PreACT 8/9 and PreACT assessments, science is not optional, and Composite scores continue to include science. If science is not taken, a Composite score will not be generated.

**The science section will be optional based on district or school preference (and not at the individual student preference level).

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 Secure Blueprint Comparison

PreACT 9 Secure Blueprint Comparison

PreACT Blueprint Comparison

*PreACT currently does not have embedded field test items.

PreACT currently does 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: 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 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 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 and Preparing for PreACT 9 Secure.

Yes. Enhanced PreACT score scales will continue to align with the enhanced ACT. 

Score scale reference:

• PreACT & PreACT Secure: 1–35
• PreACT 9 Secure: 1–32
• PreACT 8/9: 1–30 (new blueprint coming soon)

Yes. By fall 2026 for all PreACT assessments, 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.

By fall 2026 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).

...science optionality is available in that blueprint? ?

They will not get a Composite score. The English + Math + Reading (EMR) Composite calculation will not begin for PreACT 8/9 and PreACT until Fall 2026. 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 science optionality is not available until Fall 2026. If the PreACT 8/9 customer does not administer the science section in October 2026, they will receive a Composite score since new scoring will be implemented in Fall 2026. 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

PreACT will have the same number of items and timing as PreACT Secure, which means PreACT Secure practice and test prep materials can also be used for PreACT. The new PreACT blueprint launches in fall 2026, with the PreACT 8/9 blueprint release date coming soon.

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. 

Assessment Launch Timeline

*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.

For Online, Paper/Pencil, and any Combo of those administrations – manage your entire administration from ordering materials to testing students in ACT Now and Test Center Manager (TCM).  

• Agree & Attest
• Select Event
• Load and Assign Students
• Create Test Rooms
• Test Online

If you are an ACT District Testing Customer, you can manage ACT/PreACT in the same system. 

Please see the “Administer PreACT Assessments” page for information on key dates and deadlines.

• PreACT 8/9 is most appropriate for eighth or ninth grade students. 
• PreACT is most appropriate for ninth or tenth grade students. 
• PreACT 9 Secure is most appropriate for ninth grade students.
• PreACT Secure is most appropriate for tenth grade students

State, district, and school customers, educational agencies, and gifted and talented programs can order PreACT 8/9 and PreACT. PreACT 9 Secure and PreACT Secure are only available to states and districts at this time.

PreACT 8/9 and PreACT are available in paper-pencil and online test modes. PreACT 9 Secure and PreACT Secure are available as an online test only (with limited paper-pencil accommodations). 

Yes, PreACT 8/9, PreACT, PreACT 9 Secure and PreACT Secure align to the same 1-36 ACT score scale, with 30 being the highest possible PreACT 8/9 score, 32 being the highest possible PreACT 9 Secure score, and 35 being the highest possible PreACT or PreACT Secure score. 

Yes, PreACT 8/9, PreACT, PreACT 9 Secure, and PreACT Secure all cover English, math, reading, and science. The duration of each test is slightly shorter than the ACT, with slightly fewer items in some subject areas.  

For PreACT 8/9 and PreACT, customers may retain the test booklet for use with the Item Response portion of the reports. Due to the secure nature of PreACT 9 Secure and PreACT Secure, no items will be released, and all accommodated paper tests will need to be returned to ACT. 

PreACT 8/9 and PreACT 9 Secure Reports include predicted PreACT score ranges. Reports for all four assessments include predicted ACT score ranges and an Indicator of Progress toward the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (WorkKeys NCRC). 

Paper Accommodations (PreACT 8/9 and PreACT, PreACT 9 Secure, PreACT Secure) 

• UEB Braille with Nemeth 
• UEB Braille with Math/Science 
• Large Print 
• Reader’s Scripts (Sighted and Nonsighted) 
• Tactile Graphics Booklets 
• Pre-recorded Audio 
• Extended Time (1.5x, 2x, 3x) 

Online Accommodations (PreACT 8/9, PreACT, PreACT 9 Secure, and PreACT Secure) 

• Screen Reader 
• Text to Speech 
• Video American Sign Language*
• Extended Time (1.5x, 2x, 3x)  
• Local ASL translation still available  

*Available PreACT Secure 9 and PreACT Secure products only

Visit our Preparing for the PreACT Secure Test Guide.

A PreACT Secure practice test is live on TestNav​. 

• Click on “Practice Tests” link under the login box.
• Click on "PreACT Secure Practice Tests".
  - Can be used for PreACT Secure (and all PreACT products) for practice​. 
  - Both timed and untimed versions​. 
  - Use for tech check for PreACT 8/9 online and PreACT online​. 
  - Practice with online testing tools/environment​. 
  - No login needed.

Visit our Preparing for the PreACT 9 Secure Test Guide.

A PreACT 9 Secure practice test is live on TestNav.

• Click on “Practice Tests” link under the login box.
• Click on "PreACT 9 Secure Practice Tests".
  - Can be used for PreACT 9 Secure (and all PreACT products) for practice.
  - Both timed and untimed versions.
  - Use for tech check for PreACT 8/9 online.
  - Practice with online testing tools/environment.
  - No login needed.