Every PreACT guide and tool in one place — what the test is, how it's scored, when your school gives it, and how to turn your score report into a head start on the ACT.
What the PreACT Suite Is
The PreACT is ACT's official practice-and-prediction test, and it comes in three versions. The PreACT 8/9 is built for 8th and 9th graders and scored on a 1–30 composite scale. The standard PreACT is the 10th-grade test, scored 1–35. And PreACT Secure is a secure online version administered by states and districts, also scored 1–35 (the PreACT 9 Secure runs 1–32). All of them sit just below the real ACT's 1–36 scale and mirror its subject areas, so a PreACT score reads directly as a preview of an ACT score.
Who takes it and why is simple: schools and districts order the PreACT for their students — there are no national test dates and no individual registration. Your school picks a date inside the testing window (roughly mid-September 2026 through May 2027 for the 2026–27 cycle), and your counselor or test coordinator is the person who knows which day. If your school runs the PSAT instead, the comparison in which PSAT to take covers that side of the fence.
The payoff comes after test day. Your score report includes a predicted ACT score range, a US percentile rank, college-readiness benchmarks by subject, a STEM score, and an interest inventory — real data on where you stand before anything counts. Because the content mirrors the ACT, the natural next step is targeted work with ACT practice tests aimed at whatever the report flags as weakest.
Fall 2026 redesign: Starting in Fall 2026, the PreACT moves to a new blueprint aligned with the Enhanced ACT. The Composite will come from English, Math, and Reading only, and Science becomes an optional section. Through the 2025–26 school year, the four-section format (with Science in the Composite) still applies. Details in the 2026 changes guide.
The PreACT is ACT's official practice-and-prediction test suite. It comes in three versions: the PreACT 8/9 for grades 8 and 9 (composite 1-30), the standard PreACT for 10th graders (composite 1-35), and PreACT Secure, a secure online version administered by states and districts. All of them mirror the ACT's subject areas and produce a predicted ACT score range, so you know where you would land on the real ACT (scored 1-36) before it counts.
There is no national requirement. Schools and districts order the PreACT themselves and decide which students take it and on what day, so whether it is required for you depends entirely on your school. There are no national test dates and no individual registration — if your school offers it, your counselor or test coordinator has the details.
No, never. PreACT scores are not reported to colleges under any circumstances. The test exists purely as practice for the ACT and as a prediction of how you would score on it, which is exactly what makes it a low-pressure way to get real data on where you stand.
They are the two main 10th-grade practice tests, each previewing a different exam. The PreACT previews the ACT: it is scored on a 1-35 composite scale and, through the 2025-26 school year, covers English, Math, Reading, and Science. The PSAT previews the SAT and also feeds the National Merit program in junior year, which the PreACT does not. Many students simply take whichever their school offers; if you have a choice, pick the one that matches the admissions test you plan to take.
Lightly. Because the PreACT is low-stakes — colleges never see it — heavy prep is unnecessary. Learn the format so timing does not surprise you, take the test seriously enough that the score reflects your real ability, and then put your energy into what comes after: using the score report to target your weakest areas in genuine ACT prep. Since the PreACT mirrors ACT content, ACT practice tests double as PreACT practice.
Starting in Fall 2026, the PreACT moves to a new blueprint aligned with the Enhanced ACT. The biggest change is the Composite: it will be calculated from English, Math, and Reading only, with Science becoming an optional section. Through the 2025-26 school year, the test keeps its four-section format with Science included in the Composite.
The PreACT is practice — the ACT is the goal
Turn your PreACT preview into a real ACT score.
Colleges will never see your PreACT — but they will see your ACT. Test Ninjas gives you full-length ACT practice with an explanation on every question, so the score your PreACT predicted becomes the floor, not the ceiling.