The ACT Test: Arkansas

Important Dates

Test Dates

The ACT Taken on Paper

Initial test date: February 20, 2019
Makeup: March 12, 2019
Accommodations Testing Window: February 20 - March 6, 2019
Makeup Accommodations Testing Window: March 12 - 18, 2019

The ACT Taken Online

Online Testing Window (standard time and accommodations): February 20 - 22, 2019 and February 26 - 28, 2019

 

Contact Information

ACT General Questions:
800.553.6244, ext. 2800
contact form
Accommodations: 
800.553.6244, ext. 1788
ACTStateAccoms@act.org

State Policy Questions:
501-682-4558
Website

Test Administration Process Overview

Select your current phase of the test administration process to see resources related to that section, or simply scroll down the page.

  1. Orientation - Get oriented with the testing program.
  2. Configuration - Configure testing setup and systems.
  3. Verification - Verify needs for accommodations and/or supports.
  4. Preparation - Prepare for testing.
  5. Administration - Administer the test successfully.
  6. Transportation - Transport materials and data to ACT.
  7. Interpretation - Interpret score reports and test data.

Orientation

Get oriented with the testing program.

Learn about ACT Test

The ACT® test is the nation's most popular college entrance exam accepted and valued by all universities and colleges in the United States. The ACT is based on what students learn in high school and provides personalized information about their strengths for education and career planning.

 Testing Information

 

 

 

Tips for Success

  • Bookmark the url for your state’s testing website (this site) and check back frequently for updated information and content.
  • Mark important dates from your Schedule of Events on your calendar and set reminders for deadlines.
  • Familiarize yourself with the seven stages of the testing cycle (Orientation, Configuration, Verification, Preparation, Administration, Transportation, and Interpretation) by browsing the sections for the ACT. You can see a brief description, action items, and resources associated with each stage to help you get a feel for the testing timeline. Content will be linked as it becomes available.
  • Watch for emails from ACT with important reminders. Add our email address to your contacts to prevent emails from going to spam/junk folders.

Configuration

Configure testing setup and systems.

Make Staff Arrangements

Manage Contact Information and Participation

PearsonAccessnext

PearsonAccessnext is the web application used by testing staff (i.e., test coordinators, room supervisors) to start and monitor the tests when taking the ACT online. It is also used for administrative tasks leading up to testing, like managing participation and ordering materials.

Confirm Enrollment Information and Order Materials

Site Readiness for Online Testing 

Tips for Success

  • Be sure to manage participation and contacts in PearsonAccessnext for the ACT administrations.
  • All transferred/newly enrolled students need to be uploaded in PearsonAccessnext during the window for verifying student information listed on your Schedule of Events.
  • You do not place an order for initial standard time test materials; this order is automatically generated by your student enrollment count in PearsonAccessnext. 
  • Orders for initial materials for students testing with ACT-approved accommodations or EL supports are automatically generated when ACT enters the TAA PIN in PearsonAccessnext. 
  • If additional materials are needed after the window to verify student enrollment has passed, submit an additional order in PearsonAccessnext for standard time examinees, or call the ACT Test Accommodations team for materials needed for examinees approved to test with accommodations or EL supports.
  • You can track test materials shipments using the Orders & Shipment Tracking option in PearsonAccessnext. 
  • If selecting the Late Consideration date in TAA, make sure the Late Consideration Form is included.
  • Complete a Mock Administration, especially if there will be students using text-to-speech functionality. 
  • Remember to complete proctor caching setup. 

Verification

Verify needs for accommodations and/or supports

Arrange For Accommodations

Arrange For English Learner (EL) Supports 

Request Accommodations and/or Supports

The online Test Accessibility and Accommodations System (TAA) is used for the ACT test accommodations and English learner (EL) supports management. Requests are submitted and monitored with this system.
 

Tips for Success

  • You do not place an order for initial standard time test materials; this order is automatically generated by your student enrollment count in PearsonAccessnext. Orders for initial materials for students testing with ACT-approved accommodations or EL supports are automatically generated when ACT enters the TAA PIN in PearsonAccessnext. 
  • If additional materials are needed after the window to verify student enrollment has passed, submit an additional order in PearsonAccessnext for standard time examinees, or call the ACT Test Accommodations team for materials needed for examinees approved to test with accommodations or EL supports.
  • You can track test materials shipments using the Orders & Shipment Tracking option in PearsonAccessnext.
  • If selecting the Late Consideration date in TAA, make sure the Late Consideration Form is included.
  • Complete a Mock Administration, especially if there will be students using text-to-speech functionality.
  • Remember to complete proctor caching setup. 

Preparation

Prepare for testing.

Prepare Your Facility

Prepare Your Staff

Prepare Your Examinees

Prepare Your Test Materials 

Complete Non-Test Activities

Prepare for Online Testing

Tips for Success

  • Review the “Receipt and Check-In of Test Materials” section of the Test Coordinator Information Manual before receiving your shipment. Have it available to refer to while unpacking your test materials.
  • Run the Accommodations and Supports Roster in PearsonAccessnext to view a roster of examinees testing with accommodations and/or English learner (EL) supports. Check this against the materials you receive in your shipment to ensure you have all accommodations materials for test day. If testing online, this report should also be used to assign examinees to accommodations sessions based on their approved accommodations/supports and timing codes.
  • Remember to hold a training session with all testing staff before test day. This is required and is separate from the briefing session that happens on test day. Suggested topics to cover during the training session are in your administration manual.
  • Schedule a session for examinees to complete the non-test questions before test day. Examinees testing with accommodations/EL supports can complete the non-test questions in the same session as all other examinees. You may also want to schedule an alternate time for any examinees absent during the first non-test session. 

Administration 

Administer the test successfully.

Resources for Test Day

Forms
Manuals
Supplements

 

Tips for Success

  • Ensure you are using the correct materials for your test date. Using test booklets assigned for another test date will result in the cancellation of scores.
  • For paper testing, make sure examinees properly grid the form code into the Test Form block on their answer documents. This is essential to the answer documents being scored properly.
  • If you are testing an examinee approved for English learner supports, print a copy of the ACT-Approved Bilingual Word-to-Word Dictionaries List (linked to the left) to verify at check in that the examinee’s dictionary can be used for testing.
  • For online testing, the test coordinator starts that day’s test sessions in PearsonAccessnext. This is performed once for each test session to activate it. For multiple day testing, this is performed on the morning of the first sitting.
  • If an examinee does not log in to TestNav (e.g. absent, denied admission), remove the examinee’s name from the session in PearsonAccessnext. Do not mark the test complete.
  • If you provide local arrangements to any examinees, be sure to complete an Irregularity Report.

Transportation

Transport materials and Data to ACT.

Tips for Success

  • Test coordinators should verify completeness and accuracy of materials received from room supervisors before returning them to ACT. Check that all Test Administration Forms are filled out and check that the test form code is properly grid on each answer document.
  • Test coordinators need to completely fill out the front of the processing envelope(s).
  • When packing the processing envelopes, about 100 answer documents can fit in each envelope. 
  • Do not return unused answer documents; keep those for makeup testing.
  • Return materials for all accommodations examinees together at the end of the testing window. Do not return individual materials as they are completed.
  • If you received any additional orders, the return shipping labels received with these orders will require you to fill in your high school name and code. These fields are already completed on initial order labels.

Interpretation

Interpret score reports and test data

Tips for Success

  • Refer to your Score Report Schedule for more information on when you can expect to receive score reports.
  • Examinees can create an ACT Web Account to access their test scores online.
  • Sample score reports and complete descriptions of the reports’ contents are available in The ACT Test User Handbook for Educators.