PreACT 9 Secure and PreACT Secure School and District Testing
Tips for Success
- Use the training content in ACT Now to access test administration resources and walk-through test administration preparation activities.
- Dates and deadlines for your test administration are found in the Important Dates section of this website.
- Watch for emails from ACT with important reminders. Add our email address to your contacts to prevent emails from going to spam/junk folders. Exempt list email addresses from @preact.org and @operations.preact.org.
Important Dates
Your Schedule of Events (web content) contains all dates and deadlines for your test event. Check it frequently to ensure you're on track for a successful administration.
- ACT Now and TCM opens: January 6, 2025
Note: We recommend uploading students as early as possible but if you need to you can upload students, assign events, and add accommodations up to the day you test online.
- Test Window: March 17 - April 25, 2025
Note: The confirm participation end date has been extended to March 7, 2025
Learn about ACT Now
- PreACT Assessments Overview (video)
- Overview (video)
- Accessing In-App Resources (video)
- Glossary of Terms (pdf)
- User Role Matrix (pdf)
- Comparison of Administration Platforms (pdf)
- What's New for PreACT Secure (web content)
Set Up ACT Now
Invite or Manage Organizations in ACT Now:
- Setting up Your Contract Quick Start Guide (pdf)
- Tip for success: The Local Organization Code is the Unique ID for the organization, usually issued by a state or district. If you do not have a local org code, you may use your ACT Org code in this field or another unique identifier for your school.
- Adding Organizations to an Administration (video)
- Adding Organization (video)
- Confirm Organization Participation Status (video)
- Adding Students and Assigning a Test Event (video)
- Organizational Master File Layout (pdf)
- Organizations Master File Template (csv)
- Inviting Organizations to an Administrations Layout (pdf)
- Invite Organizations File Template (csv)
Add Users with Roles to ACT Now:
- Adding Users with Roles (video)
- Creating a User Account (video)
- Users File - Layout (pdf)
- Users File Template (csv)
Manage Your Students:
- Quick Start Guide to Managing Students in ACT Now (pdf)
- Students File - Layout (pdf)
- Student Registrations File Template (csv)
Manage Accommodations
Understand Accommodations:
Assign Accommodations:
- Quick Start Guide - Assigning Accommodations and Supports (pdf)
- PreACT - Pre-Event Uploading and Assigning Student Accommodations (video)
- Accommodations Students File - Layout (pdf)
- Accommodations Students File Template (csv)
Prepare Students for Testing with Accommodations:
- Taking Assessments Online with a Screen Reader (pdf)
- Authorized Bilingual Word-to-Word Dictionaries List (pdf)
- ACT Calculator Policy (pdf)
Prepare for Testing
- Technical Guide for Online Testing (pdf)
- Technical Readiness Checklist for Technical Coordinators (pdf)
- TestNav Support (website)
- Before Test Day Checklist (pdf)
Training:
- Pre-Test PreACT Training (webinar)
- Pre-Test PreACT Training slides (pdf)
- Test Day and Post-Test Administration Training (webinar)
- Test Day and Post-Test Administration Training slides (pdf)
Prepare Students for Testing
- Information for Examinees (act.org)
- Instructions for Completing Your Answer document (pdf)
- Taking PreACT Secure (pdf)
- Practice Test Scoring Guide (pdf)
- PreACT 9 Secure Practice Test Scoring Guide (pdf)
- Preparing for the PreACT Secure Test Taken Online (pdf)
- Preparing for the PreACT Secure Test (web content)
- Order Form Alternate Format Practice Tests (pdf)
TCM Resources
Tip: All ACT Polices need to be thoroughly read and agreed to in TCM, accessed through ACT Now. If you are serving as your site's Test Coordinator and Room Supervisor, you only need to agree to the training modules for the Test Coordinator. The information found in the Room Supervisor modules are captured in the Test Coordinator Modules.
Test Coordinator Modules:
- Policies (web content)
- Test Facilities (web content)
- Test Materials (web content)
- Test Staff (web content)
- Test Administration (web content)
- Non-Test Activities (web content)
Room Supervisor Modules:
- Policies (web content)
- Test Facilities (web content)
- Test Materials (web content)
- Test Staff (web content)
- Test Administration (web content)
Set Up Test Center Manager (TCM):
- Setting up TCM Test Coordinator (video)
- Setting up TCM Test Coordinator (simulation)
- Using TCM as a Room Supervisor or Proctor (video)
- Using TCM as a Room Supervisor or Proctor (simulation)
- Internet Outage Checklist - Paper Testing with ACT Now and TCM (pdf)
- ACT Now Backup Instructions for Paper Testing - Accommodations (pdf)
- Using Test Center Manager (web content)
Administer Test
Administer Test with Accommodations
- PreACT Secure Translated Directions (pdf)
- Reader Agreement (pdf)
- Sign Language Interpreter Agreement (pdf)
- Scribe Agreement (pdf)
- Taking Assessments Online with a Screen Reader (pdf)
- PreACT Secure Spoken Instructions - Paper (pdf)
- PreACT Secure Spoken Instructions - Online (pdf)
Tip: If you're looking for resources, manuals, test forms, and other test administration resources, you'll find them in ACT Now and TCM training content. Look for a test day checklist, polices and tutorials, and much more!
Return Test Materials
Access Online Reporting
Understand Reports
- PreACT Secure Interpretive Guide for Student and Aggregate Reports (pdf)
- PreACT Secure Download Hub Data File Layout (xlsx)