{"id":10855,"date":"2017-07-21t11:41:49","date_gmt":"2017-07-21t18:41:49","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/?p=10855"},"modified":"2017-07-21t11:45:46","modified_gmt":"2017-07-21t18:45:46","slug":"will-act-start-computer-based-testing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/act\/will-act-start-computer-based-testing\/","title":{"rendered":"when will the act start computer-based testing?"},"content":{"rendered":"

word on the street is that the act will eventually ditch paper-based tests. but when will the act start computer-based testing?<\/p>\n

this question has puzzled act preppers and act teachers alike. for years, the act has made it clear that they plan to transition to computer-based testing eventually. but they haven’t made their exact plans clear.<\/p>\n

for example, as early as 2013, act officials spoke to the new york times<\/a>. at the time, they said that the transition to computer-based testing would begin in 2015. then 2015 arrived, and pbs reported that the act would not be unrolling computer-based testing until 2016<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2016 has come and gone with little or no follow up reporting or announcements from act. so, can you take the act on a computer yet or not? and– most importantly for students who are more comfortable with the paper-based act– will computer-adaptive act testing ever replace the paper act entirely?<\/p>\n

has the act started computer-based testing? and if not, when will they?<\/h2>\n

obviously, there have been some delays to the expected start date of act computer-based testing. but has computer-based testing started at this point?<\/p>\n

to get an answer to this question, i contacted the act myself, speaking with a few different departments in the organization. and i now have the inside scoop on all things related to act computer-adaptive testing. <\/p>\n

let’s first look at whether or not computerized act tests have started yet. the answer? they have, although doing the test on paper is still more common than doing the test on a computer screen.<\/p>\n

where is act computer-based testing available?<\/h2>\n

according to the act’s american test administration office, right now you can only take the act test at a keyboard and monitor if you are currently attending a high school in the usa, or have recently graduated from an american high school. it’s important to note, though, that the vast majority of students are still taking it on paper; more on this below!<\/p>\n

there are even more restrictions on the availability of what the act calls its “act cat” (act computer-adaptive test). the act computerized test isn’t available at any exam centers that are directly administered by the test makers. instead, act cat can only be taken at test sites run by schools or states. <\/p>\n

because the act doesn’t directly oversee its computer-based tests right now, their website doesn’t have any kind of “master list” of computer testing availability. however, the act officials i spoke with assure me that computer-based testing is not<\/em> available in every school district. in fact, according to act management, there may be entire states that do not yet have act cat. <\/p>\n

so how can you know if you have the computer option for the act at your school or in your state? that’s easy… ish. just talk to your high school guidance counselor or get in touch with your state’s department of education. (not as easy as being able to look at a master list on a website. but still quite doable!)<\/p>\n

when will act computer-based testing be available internationally?<\/h2>\n

those of you living outside the usa may be asking “what about us?” don’t worry, i haven’t forgotten you. and neither has the act! the act has plans to roll out the act cat overseas in the near future. but, much like the rollout of computer-based act testing in the usa, there have been some delays and false starts.<\/p>\n

on its own website, the act has announced the start of computerized act exams at all of its international test centers<\/a>. the article says this was scheduled for the fall of 2017. at the time that i’m writing this, that article is still up on the website. however, act administrators have told me that the article is no longer accurate. there have been delays; right now, the expected starting point for overseas act cat is the fall of 2018.<\/p>\n

according to an email i received from act osus (the act’s international test administration office):<\/p>\n