ACT Online Testing
Technical Requirements
For the ACT Test and PreACT Secure Taken Online
Below you will find technical requirements for the ACT® test and PreACT® Secure test taken online.
Information to Share with Examinees for the ACT
Resources are available to help examinees prepare for the ACT.
Set-Up and Technical Requirements
Optimal Testing Experience
For an optimal online testing experience, avoid testing on any computer that takes 10 seconds or more to start and run applications.
Determining Testing Capacity
To determine if your test site has enough computers to test all your examinees, use the formula below.
[number of devices] x [number of days you plan to test in the window] = examinee capacity
Note: For State and District testing, there are 6 days available in the online testing window.
TestNav and PearsonAccessnext
TestNav™ is the test delivery engine used by examinees to take the tests. PearsonAccessnext ™ is the web application used by testing staff to manage participation, ordering of materials, and online testing.
Hardware Requirements
See the table below for minimum hardware requirements for devices used for testing.
| Windows | macOS (OS X) | Chrome OS | iPads | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supported Devices | Desktop Laptop |
Desktop Laptop |
Chromebook* | Apple iPad |
| Processor | x64-AMD, ARM, ARM64 or Intel-based |
x64-AMD, ARM, ARM64 or Intel-based |
Any | Any |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM minimum, 4 GB RAM recommended |
2 GB RAM minimum, 4 GB RAM recommended |
2 GB RAM minimum, 4 GB RAM recommended |
1 GB RAM minimum, 2 GB RAM recommended |
| Screen size | 9.5 inch | 9.5 inch | 9.5 inch | 9.5 inch |
| Screen resolution | 1024 x 768 | 1024 x 768 | 1024 x 768 | 1024 x 768 pixels |
| Other | External keyboard and mouse (or touchpad) for touchscreen devices recommended* Wired hardware is recommended Local File access to home directory |
Local File access to home directory Wired hardware is recommended |
Convertible Chromebooks cannot be used in tablet mode Tablet mode is referring to using the device as a touchscreen device without a keyboard and mouse/touch pad attached External keyboard and mouse (or touchpad) for touchscreen devices recommended* |
A physical keyboard is required to take the ACT writing test* |
*Students authorized to test with assistive technology devices will be able to test on a laptop or desktop computer or via paper testing. Students testing with iPads will be able to utilize available accessibility features and authorized accommodations and language supports. However, support for iPads with assistive technology devices remains in development.
ACT cannot provide support for customers utilizing virtualization/thin clients; therefore, testing should not occur using virtualization/thin clients.
Linux devices are not supported at this time. An examinee's score will be canceled if an Linux device is used for testing.
Software Requirements
Tests that Require Kiosk Mode
Kiosk mode prevents students from accessing any other web pages or applications besides TestNav while testing.
TestNav
Use the links below to download and set up the app for your supported operating system. Browser based testing is not supported.
| Operating System | Download Installable TestNav | Setup Instructions |
|---|---|---|
Chrome OS: Stable Channel (S) - 102 S+ Long-Term Support (LTS) - 102 + LTS |
From Chrome Web Store | Set Up TestNav on Chromebook |
| macOS: 11+ | From TestNav downloads | Set Up TestNav Desktop on OS X |
| Windows: 10 (x64 - 20H2, 21H1, 21H2) 11+ x64 | From TestNav downloads | Set Up TestNav Desktop on Windows |
| iPadOS: 15.2+ | From the App Store | Set Up TestNav on iPad OS |
Firewall/Proxy Servers/Content Filtering
Open the following URLs and ports in any firewalls, proxy servers, or software used for internet content filtering:
URL:Port
*.act.org:80
*.act.org:443
*.pearsontestcontent.com:80
*.pearsontestcontent.com:443
*.thawte.com
*.usertrust.com
*.comodoca.com
google-analytics.com (optional)
Note: TestNav content is dynamically hosted in the cloud. No static IP addresses or ranges can be provided.
Requirements for Proctor Caching
See the table below for minimum hardware and software requirements for devices used for proctor caching.
| Hardware Requirements (Minimum) | Windows |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2.0 GHz x86/x32 and x64 |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM minimum, 4 GB RAM recommended |
When using ProctorCache, you must open the following URL:Port combinations in any firewalls, proxy servers, or software used for Internet content filtering:
| URL:Port |
|---|
| *.act.org:80 |
| *.act.org:443 |
| *usertrust.com |
| *thawte.com |
| *pearsontestcontent.com |
| *comodoca.com |
| google-analytics.com (optional) |
You must configure the firewall software to open both ports listed below, or both of your custom port settings, in the local network on all proctor caching computers:
| Default TCP/IP Port Settings |
|
|---|---|
| Custom Port Settings | If you set custom ports using instructions on the Set Up and Use ProctorCache page, configure firewall software to open BOTH custom ports, and NOT the two default ports listed above. |
Supported Operating Systems for Proctor Caching
These are the supported operating systems for devices used for proctor caching:
- Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016, or Windows Server 2019