ACT

• NPHS offers state-administered ACT, including Writing, at no cost:  Thursday, April 10, 2025 
• Counselors will help Juniors register at school
• At registration, students may request scores be sent to four colleges for free. (Colleges always use highest scores.)

 

• Students may register for future national test dates on ACT's website
• NPHS is a national test site annually in October, December and June
• National test dates have registration deadlines. You may select up to 3 test sites (in case your first choice is full)
• If registering to test after the April 10, 2025 test, do not create a new account. Use identical information from your April 10 registration (complete name, same email, etc.) so state and national ACT accounts merge.

 

• College admissions test, timed, 3 1/2 hours
• Measures skills in English, Reading, Math, Science Reasoning, and Writing (optional)
• Achievement test (measures what you know)
• Accepted at all colleges in the nation
• Many four-year colleges are test-optional, due to the pandemic interruptions to in-person testing sites as well as equity concerns
• Two-year community and technical colleges use for course placement and to determine if remedial courses are needed

• Work hard in core courses (English, reading, math through algebra II, science through chemistry)  
• Familiarize yourself with what to expect on test day:
  • "Preparing for ACT" pamphlet (PDF below) (test content, full length practice test, strategies)
• Free online test prep using MCIS (login credentials required; see counselor for help, if needed)
  
  • MCIS (PDF below) (customized online tutorials based on strengths & weaknesses shown on pre-tests; timed ACT practice tests)
• New Prague Community Education offers fee-based prep courses, prior to April and June tests
  • Prep courses are not required: school coursework is the primary preparation for the ACT; multiple free prep resources available
  • Those who take prep courses consistently report satisfaction with the course
• ACT's official prep advice

National Test Dates are different from the State-Administered ACT, which is given at NPHS in the spring during the school day.

Class of 2023:
Call ACT Student Services directly for assistance to migrate your account (make one account with April 2022 test and all subsequent tests).

🕿 319-337-1270

• When are scores released?
• Understand and use your ACT results. 

ACT's instructions about how to request accommodations on the ACT. You will want to work closely with your School Counselor throughout this process.

• Talk this over with your counselor
• ACT has suggestions about this (scroll to "Should I Retest" on menu)

• The Writing portion is given during the state-administered ACT at NPHS
• Most students will not need to register for it on future national test dates
• It is not required for admission to most colleges 
• In Minnesota, no college or university requires the Writing test. A number of colleges do recommend it, however.
• See your counselor with questions

Open the PDF below for easy instructions on setting up your ACT account. The account allows you to view your scores, send your scores and register to re-test, if desired. 

 

Remember, many colleges have gone to a "test-optional" admission policy. Be sure to check directly with the college to determine if they are "test-optional" or not. This information will be found easily on their admissions website pages.

 

"Test-optional" means that you may choose to submit your scores as part of your application, if you believe your scores accurately reflect your abilities. If you are not satisfied with your test scores, you may choose to not submit them with your application. Many students may do this, since your preparation for last year's ACT test was hugely interrupted by the pandemic! 

 

Your counselors are available to talk over any of this and help you make a decision that is best for you.