ACT (April)
Assessment Name
- School Day ACT with Writing
Note: The newly Enhanced ACT only impacts the School Day testing in terms of shortened times and fewer questions for the English and Math sections; due to the accountability stakes for this test administration, students must participate in all sections of the ACT (English, Math, Reading, Science and Writing).
Vendor/Overseen by
- ACT Education Corp.
- Illinois State Board of Education
Testing Date(s) for 2025-2026 School Year
- April 15, 2026
Students Taking
- 11th grade students
- 12th grade students who did not test April 2025
Purpose and Description
- Used as a standards-based assessment of student learning in ELA, math, reading, science and writing
- Used as a college entrance exam
- Mandated by ISBE (used for accountability and evaluation of district/school)
- Administered as paper-pencil assessment with some technological accommodations for specific students
- Pursuant to Section 2-3.64a-5 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes the ACT is a graduation requirement
Estimated Time
- approximately 3.5 hours
Interpreting Scores
| The ACT Benchmarks | ||
| Subject | Score* | First Year College Course |
| English | 18 | English Composition |
| Math | 22 | College Algebra |
| Reading | 22 | Social Sciences |
| Science | 23 | Biology |
| ELA | 20 | English Composition & Social Sciences |
| STEM | 26 | Calculus, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, & Engineering |
*Minimum scores associated with post-secondary success in credit-bearing, entry-level courses. PreACT College Readiness Indicators can also be used to evaluate student readiness.
| Readiness Benchmark Scores | ||||||||
|
Fall
PreACT 8/9
8th Grade
|
Spring
PreACT 8/9
8th Grade
|
Fall
PreACT 8/9
9th Grade
|
Spring
PreACT 9 Secure
9th Grade
|
Fall
PreACT
10th Grade
|
Spring
PreACT Secure
10th Grade
|
Fall
PreACT
11th Grade
|
Spring
ACT
11th Grade
|
|
| English | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 18 |
| Math | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 22 |
| Reading | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| Science | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 23 |
| STEM | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 26 |
| ELA* | 20 | |||||||
*ACT ELA scores are only reported for students who take the writing test. Because PreACT 8/9 and PreACT do not include a writing test, ELA scores are not reported and an ELA Benchmark has not been established for PreACT 8/9 or PreACT.
External Links