ACT/Pearson Suite of Tests

***IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT TO STUDENTS & PARENTS - STUDENTS ARE INDIVIDUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR REGISTERING & PAYING FOR ANY ACT BEYOND THE FREE STATE ADMINISTRATION PROVIDED IN 11TH GRADE. SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS.***

10th Grade | Nov. 14

  • All students who are enrolled in 10th grade automatically registered to take the PreACT; NO other action is required.
  • Students with accommodations for the PreACT listed on their IEP, 504, or EL plans are automatically provided those accommodations within the policies of the ACT/Pearson organization.
  • No cell phones, electronic translators/dictionaries, iPads, tablets, smart watches, etc. (scores will be cancelled if students are found with these items on their persons during the test)
  • We will not fill out the pretest portion that includes a student interest inventory and profile questions per NCDPI. Parents and students may voluntarily access and complete this information PRIOR to the testing date by going to the following website http://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/act-profile.html
  • PreACT score reports are usually available in paper form (sent to us and handed out to students in homerooms) in January.

Test Tips

  • Go FAST!
  • Complete the easy ones FIRST!!
  • Don’t read the entire passage before reading the questions.
  • Do not guess until you can mark off 1 or 2 choices.
  • Do NOT leave anything blank at the end of the test. Fill in ALL bubbles before time is called!!


11th Grade | Feb. 20

  • All students who are enrolled in 11th grade are automatically registered to take the State ACT;NO other action is required.
  • Score results are reportable for college applications the next year.
  • If a Student has already taken the SAT or the National ACT and has scores that meet the college readiness benchmarks, they are not required to take the State ACT. (please contact the school test coordinator if you believe this pertains to you)
  • Students with accommodations for the State ACT listed on their IEP or 504 plan are given accommodations as close as possible to the IEP or 504 plan but within the policies of the ACT organization. However, those accommodations must ALSO be pre-approved by ACT in order for the student to receive a college reportable score. *see Accommodations for ACT below for instructions
  • No cell phones, electronic translators/dictionaries, iPads, tablets, smart watches, etc. (scores will be cancelled if students are found with these items on their persons during the test)
  • State ACT score reports are usually available in paper form (sent directly to the student's home address) about 5-8 weeks after the test date; However, if your student has an ACT account they are able to see their score earlier online. Information about score reports can be found here
  • It is HIGHLY recommended that students immediately set up an ACT account online once they receive their scores. You will need that ACT ID number at the top of your score report to link your account to the score.
  • If you have not set up and account and need access to your scores, you will need to contact customer service for assistance in this process.



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12th Grade (Mid-Year Graduates) | Dec. 3 - 7

12th Grade (Spring Graduates) | Apr. 1 - 12

A note to Seniors ~ "Congratulations SENIORS. You are ALMOST there! One important step prior to graduation is for qualifying seniors to complete the WorkKeys testing suite.

It is very important that you arrive to school on time that morning so testing can begin on time. (We need to finish the tests before the school day ends.) Calculators will be supplied, but you may bring your own as long as it does not break calculator regulations. (Any typical scientific or graphing calculator will work.)

The types of questions you will see on the test are not hard, but they are probably very different from any other standardized test you've taken. In many ways, the questions ask you to use your literacy and mathematical skills in logical ways to answer real-world questions. The best thing you can do is review the types of questions you'll see. I have included three links below so that you can learn more about the test. (There are 15 practice questions. They get harder in difficulty.)

The last tip is to know your test taking strategies:

  • Go FAST! You get points for answering as many questions correctly as possible. You basically get 90 seconds per question.
  • Complete the easy ones FIRST!!! You don't get extra points for answering the hard questions, so answer the ones you know first. If it takes you more than a minute to answer a question, move on and return to it later. Answer the easy questions quickly so you have more time to answer the harder questions. Skip around all you want!
  • Don't read the entire passage until you've read the question. You can save time if you only read what you NEED to read.
  • Do not guess until you can mark off 1 or 2 choices.
  • Do NOT leave anything blank at the end of the test. The teacher will give you a 5 minute heads up at the end of the test. Before time is called make sure that your bubble sheet is completely filled out. Pick a letter and fill in your unmarked bubbles with the same letter. You're bound to get 1/4 of those correct. (Stick with the same letter though!)"

National ACT Tests

  • Students are individually responsible for registering and paying for any ACT beyond the free state administration provided in 11th grade.
  • Go to the ACT website for instructions on registration and dates.
  • Students who qualify for free/reduced lunch may also qualify for a fee reduction waiver. Please see the College Advisor for more details.

Accommodations for ACT (NCDPI administration & national)

ACT is a national test which NCDPI provides students in their junior year as a measurement of College & Career Readiness. Because it's considered a state exam, students with IEP, 504, and/or EL plans may take the test with the accommodations listed in their plans; however, ACT must ALSO approve the intended accommodation prior to testing in order for the score to be a college reportable score.

Please read the following to help guide you through the accommodations application process as outlined by ACT.

*this does not include AP tests

To Apply for ACT Accommodations:***Step 1: Review the accommodations offered by SSD at bit.ly/ACTaccomm*Step 2: Contact the school test coordinator to begin the application process ASAP -must provide a signed copy of the ACT affidavit to the testing coordinator *follow link*Step 3: Make sure medical documentation with the school is up-to-date -medical documentation must be up-to-date within a year of the application submission date -all required documentation must be submitted seven weeks prior to the test in question -it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to make sure all documentation is up-to-date and submitted to the AP coordinator prior to the due dateStep 4: the school will submit the accommodations application once all documentation is receivedStep 5: ACT will contact the testing coordinator with a final decision*parent/guardian responsibility**The school will initiate parent contacts for the Spring administration to Juniors in December.