The ACT Test · 2018-01-26 · 3 Introduction The Accessibility User Guide for Online Testing is dedicated primarily to the appropriate provision of student accessibility supports

The ACT® Test

Online Testing

www.act.org

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Contact Information Please direct all questions to ACT State and District Testing, 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., central time, Monday–Friday.

Phone ................................................................................................................................. 800.553.6244 ext. 2800

Email ............................................................................................................www.act.org/stateanddistrict/contactus

Training Site .......................................................................................................... https://training.testadmin.act.org

Contents Introduction...................................................................................................................................................... 3

Navigating the ACT® Test Taken Online ........................................................................................................... 3

TestNav ........................................................................................................................................................... 3

Getting Started................................................................................................................................................. 3

Tips for Testing ................................................................................................................................................ 4

Section Navigation ........................................................................................................................................... 6

Accessibility Features ....................................................................................................................................... 8

Administering the ACT Test Online ................................................................................................................ 10

ACT-Approved Accommodations and/or Supports for Online Testing ............................................................. 10

ACT Authorization .......................................................................................................................................... 10

Timing Codes and Guidelines ........................................................................................................................ 10

Testing Over Multiple Days ............................................................................................................................ 11

Testing More than One Examinee at a Time................................................................................................... 11

Text-to-Speech Overview ................................................................................................................................ 12

Requesting Text-to-Speech Accommodations ................................................................................................ 12

Administering the ACT Test with Text-to-Speech Accommodations ................................................................ 12

Text-to-Speech Functionality .......................................................................................................................... 13

Running Operational Reports in PearsonAccessnext ...................................................................................... 15

The TAA PIN Report ...................................................................................................................................... 15

How to Run the TAA PIN Report .................................................................................................................... 15

Accessing Other Operational Reports ............................................................................................................ 15

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Introduction

The Accessibility User Guide for Online Testing is dedicated primarily to the appropriate provision of student

accessibility supports during assessment. It is a supplement to use in conjunction with The ACT Administration

Manual Online Testing which contains information about standard test procedures for all students before, during,

and after the administration of the tests.

Navigating the ACT® Test Taken Online

The following information is an overview on how to navigate the ACT® test taken online. It is highly recommended that examinees perform practice tests prior to the testing dates. When taking the ACT practice tests online, examinees will be using the same testing application and navigation that they will use on test day. Not only will the practice questions help examinees prepare for the types of questions they can expect from the ACT test, it will also familiarize them with the testing application to better prepare them for navigating through the test on test day. It is recommended that examinees save or print Preparing for the ACT Test Taken Online so they have the information needed to log in to each practice test and the answer keys.

TestNav

TestNav is the secure web application used for the ACT taken online. Examinees may download the TestNav application for their operating system from http://download.testnav.com/. Note: ACT online tests are only supported on Windows and OS operating systems.

Getting Started

On test day, examinees will see the Pretest Instructions and Examinee Statement screen when they begin their test.

1. Follow the steps on the Pretest Instructions and Examinee Statement screen.

Note: These steps do NOT apply to the practice tests. a. Select Start.

b. Enter Contact Information, State Use Questions (if applicable), and choose the “I agree” radio button on the Examinee Statement page. Select the forward arrow to continue.

c. Select Submit. A Section Exit Warning box appears. d. Select Yes to proceed. The screen for the first test appears.

2. At the beginning of each subject test, examinees are to read the test instructions. On test day, the room

supervisor will announce a Seal Code that must be entered in the space provided.

3. Take the test. Once Start is selected, the time for the test will start counting down.

TestNav will present test items to examinees, one by one, and they should answer each item appropriately.

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Tips for Testing

Examinees may find the following tips useful.

Navigation To navigate between items, use the arrows at the top of the page. There is functionality to go forward and backward between items during the test.

Timer/Clock The timer at the top of the page indicates how much time is left to complete a test. Note: A timer will not appear if it is an untimed practice test.

When there are 5 minutes left, a warning message appears at the top of the screen.

When time expires, a warning popup appears and the examinee will not be able to answer any more questions. Select Continue to submit answers and move on to the next test. After the last test, select Submit Final Answers.

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Bookmark Examinees may select Bookmark to mark an item so that they can find it easily and return to it later. When an

item is marked, the same button can be used to remove the bookmark.

Review Selecting Review allows examinees to see an overview of their current status within the test, including information such as which items they have bookmarked, answered, or not answered. Select a specific question to go to that question, select Instructions to view the instructions, or select End of Section to navigate to the section end screen. The Not Answered and Bookmarks tabs at the bottom can show

the questions in those categories.

Scrollbars Some items require that examinees scroll down to view them completely. Any time a scroll bar is indicated next to a passage, scroll down to read the entire passage. Any time a scroll bar is located next to answer choices, scroll down to read the entire item.

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Section Navigation

Submit Section After examinees answer the final question of each subject test, they should click the right (forward) arrow. On test day, they will see a section end screen like the one shown below.

From this screen they have the option to select Not Answered or Bookmark to review questions before

submitting the section. If they have finished with the test subject, they should select Submit. A Section Exit Warning will pop up.

Examinees should select Yes to confirm they are submitting their answers to that subject test. Once they do, they

will be logged out and will not be able to return to that test.

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Submit Final Answers At the end of the last subject test, they will see a Submit Final Answers button.

On test day, selecting Submit Final Answers brings a Test Submit Warning popup, asking them to confirm their

submission.

Selecting Yes, Submit Final Answers will submit all of their tests and they will be logged out. They will not be

able to return to the test. Note: The Test Submit Warning message is not applicable in the Practice Tests.

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Accessibility Features

All examinees may access the following accessibility features when taking The ACT online without approval from ACT.

Answer Eliminator

Examinees can select Answer Eliminator to eliminate answer choices. After clicking on the icon at the top of the screen, a red “X” will display when they hover over answer choices. They may click on the answer choice or choices they want to eliminate to apply the red “X.” If they change their mind about the elimination, they can click the red “X” again to remove it for that answer. Examinees must remove the red “X” before trying to select that

choice as their answer. To turn the feature off, click the icon at the top of the screen or select the pointer

icon.

Zooming In or Out Adjust the size of the text on the screen by using CTRL and the + key to zoom in or CTRL and the - key to zoom out. Use CTRL and the 0 (zero) key to quickly return to standard size.

Note: If examinees enlarge the size of the text, they may need to scroll to see all information in the questions.

User Menu Select the menu icon at the top-right of the screen to reveal the User Menu.

Magnifier To magnify a portion of the screen, select Enable Magnifier on the user drop down menu, near the top right of

the screen.

Move the magnifier around the screen using a mouse and holding down the left-hand mouse button. To turn the magnifier off, select Disable Magnifier.

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Line Reader To read one line at a time, select Show Line Reader Mask.

To resize the line reader mask box, click, hold and drag the corner with three diagonal lines. Drag the line reader over the screen to cover more or less text. To turn this tool off, select Hide Line Reader Mask in the

user menu.

Answer Masking To cover answer choices until they are ready to be read, select Enable Answer Masking. This will cover the

answer choices.

The multiple-choice answer choices are covered.

To cover or uncover answer choices, select the “eye” icon.

Select Disable Answer Masking to turn off this tool.

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Administering the ACT Test Online

ACT-Approved Accommodations and/or Supports for Online Testing

Examinees may take the ACT test in the online format with accommodations specifically authorized in advance by ACT. ACT-approved accommodations and/or supports for online testing include:

• Additional or stop-the-clock breaks with standard time (all tests in a single sitting) • Extended time to complete each test (single sitting or multiple days) • Testing over multiple days (at least one test per sitting) • Text-to-speech

Note: For accommodations that require alternate test formats or a reader, examinees must test via paper. EL supports using translation of written directions also test via paper.

ACT Authorization

Based on the diagnosis and documentation provided for each examinee, ACT will authorize timing guidelines. The timing guidelines for each test correspond to a particular timing code assigned to each examinee. The timing guidelines have been established based on analyses of time used by examinees with various disabilities. These timing guidelines indicate the maximum time likely to be used by examinees with various disabilities. More than 90 percent of examinees finish well before the maximum time allowed.

Timing Codes and Guidelines

Each examinee with ACT-approved accommodations has an assigned timing code that identifies the timing guidelines authorized for that examinee and determines which Verbal Instructions must be read to that examinee. Find each examinee’s timing code on the TAA PIN Report.

The timing codes, associated guidelines, and test times are shown in this table.

Time (minutes) per test

Timing Code Timing Guideline Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 4

Writing Test

1 Standard time for all tests, single sitting 45 60 35 35 40 2 Double time over multiple days 90 120 70 70 80 3 Triple time over multiple days 135 180 105 105 120

5 Standard time over multiple days OR standard time with authorized stop-the-clock breaks in a single sitting*

45 60 35 35 40

* Each examinee authorized for stop-the-clock breaks must test individually in a separate sitting. 7 Time-and-a-half over multiple days 70 90 55 55 60 8 Standard time for multiple-choice tests

plus double time for writing test, single sitting

45 60 35 35 80

6 Time-and-a-half (single sitting, self-paced)

Time allowed to complete tests and take breaks

The ACT (no writing)

5 hours

The ACT with writing

6 hours

Notes:

For timing codes 1, 6, 8, and any with stop-the-clock-breaks, all tests must be completed in a single

sitting.

For timing codes 2, 3, 5, and 7, testing may occur over multiple days.

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Testing Over Multiple Days

If ACT authorizes testing over multiple days (timing codes 2, 3, 5, and 7), examinees can complete their test session in multiple sittings within the testing window instead of having to complete all tests in a single sitting. The test session is started in PearsonAccessnextTM and remains open over multiple days. Examinees log in and log out of TestNav each sitting. The test session is not stopped in PearsonAccessnext until all examinees assigned to that test session have completed the last test. Once a test is started (the seal code is entered), it must be completed in the same test session. Examinees may not return to a test after being dismissed from that test. For example, Test 1 cannot begin on one day and continue on another day, or begin in the morning and continue after lunch. Tests will not be scored or scores will be canceled if this policy is violated. Notes: • The days do not need to be consecutive. • Typically, examinees take one test per sitting; however, more than one test may be taken in a sitting. • Tests must be completed in the correct sequence.

Testing More than One Examinee at a Time

ACT encourages group administrations for examinees approved for similar accommodations and/or supports and authorized for the same timing code. Follow these policies to determine if examinees may test in a group or must test separately. • Examinees approved for stop-the-clock breaks must test individually, each in a separate room. • Examinees approved by ACT to use a talking calculator must test individually in a separate room. • Timing Code 6 is the only timing code that authorizes examinees to pace themselves from one test to the

next. For all other timing codes, all examinees in the room must be working on the same test at the same time (e.g., when administering the English test, all examinees must be working on the English (test).

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Text-to-Speech Overview

Text-to-speech (TTS) allows examinees to take the ACT test online through a format where text is read aloud at

an adjustable speed during testing. Examinees who are approved for this high level of support have a formally

documented need for resources or equipment that requires expertise, special training, and/or extensive

monitoring to select, administer, and even to use the support effectively and securely.

Requesting Text-to-Speech Accommodations

If a student requires text-to-speech to access the ACT, you may request this accommodation through the Test Accessibility and Accommodations (TAA) system. Under Timing, select TC 3 – Triple Time (over multiple days). Next, go to the Other box and type “text to

speech.”

Students who are approved for text-to-speech accommodations will be indicated in your TAA PIN report.

Administering the ACT Test with Text-to-Speech Accommodations

Administering the ACT test with text-to-speech accommodations requires Timing Code 3—triple time over

multiple days. To administer TTS using Timing Code 3, refer to “Timing Code 3,” page 98, in The ACT

Administration Manual Online Testing.

Note: Examinees testing with TTS may only test in the same room if headphones are provided.

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Text-to-Speech Functionality

The following information describes how text-to-speech works during the ACT test. The test coordinator may

share this information with examinees.

Text is read aloud to the examinee by means of the embedded text-to-speech software. On the right hand side of

the screen, you will see three buttons:

You can access the text-to-speech tool by selecting either of the top two buttons. Depending on the button that

you select, the text-to-speech will function differently.

The top button is the Play Text-to-Speech button. When you select the Play Text-to-Speech button, the

paragraph is highlighted in yellow as it is read and you do not choose where the read aloud begins.

Once the Play Text-to-Speech button is selected, it becomes a Stop button. When you choose to stop

hearing the text being read aloud, you may select the Stop button.

The middle button on the right-hand side of the screen is the Toggle Click-to-Hear button. You can use this

tool to select the paragraph, question, or graphic where the read aloud will begin. Select the Toggle Click-to-

Hear button then select the paragraph or question you want to hear read aloud. Once the Toggle Click-to-Hear

button is selected, the Play Text-to-Speech button becomes a Stop button. When you want to stop hearing the

text being read aloud, select the Stop button.

The bottom button on the right hand side of the screen is the Text-to-Speech Settings button. The Text-to-

Speech Settings button lets you select how fast the text is read. The speed is set to Normal by default, but can

be changed to Slow or Fast by using the minus or plus buttons. The voice is female.

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Select the Text-to-Speech Settings button again to close.

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Running Operational Reports in PearsonAccessnext

There are operational reports available in PearsonAccessnext that are designed to help your with test

administration. This section focuses specifically on the TAA PIN Report.

The TAA PIN Report

The TAA PIN Report in PearsonAccessnext is an up-to-the-minute roster of examinees at your school approved for

ACT-approved accommodations and/or EL supports. The report tells you each examinee’s test option, test

format, timing code, and approved accommodations and/or supports.

All examinees approved to take the ACT (no writing) or ACT with writing with accommodations are listed on the TAA PIN report in PearsonAccessnext. It lists each examinee’s test option, test format, approved accommodation, and timing code. After examinees have been assigned to test sessions, it also lists each examinee’s assigned session. Use the report to set up test sessions and assign examinees appropriately.

How to Run the TAA PIN Report

After the TAA PIN of an examinee with ACT-approved accommodations and/or English learner (EL) supports is

entered in PearsonAccessnext, the examinee is listed on the TAA PIN report.

Note: An examinee must be listed in the TAA PIN report for ACT-approved accommodations and/or English

learner (EL) supports materials to be shipped. The report needs to include examinees approved through late

consideration.

Take the following steps in PearsonAccessnext to run the TAA PIN report.

Step Action

1 Select the Reports icon.

2 Select the Operational Reports title. The Operational Reports screen appears.

3 Under Report Categories on the left, check the box next to Students & Registrations. A list of

Students & Registrations reports appears.

4 Select the Student Tests with TAA PIN report. The report page appears.

5 Select Request Report Refresh. Leave default options in the dropdown menu, and select Refresh Report. Select the refresh arrows until the Download Report button appears.

5 Select Download Report to download the comma-delimited (.csv) file of the report.

6 When finished, select the Exit Report button.

Accessing Other Operational Reports

To access other Operational Reports available to you, follow Steps 1-2 above and then check the box under

Report Categories for the type of report you’d like to view and save (if needed). Each category opens a list of

reports on the screen. You can also check multiple boxes to see the reports available for more than one category

at a time.

Note the description of a report, and then select the title to open and view it.

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