What is the PreACT Test and How Best to Study for It

Key Takeaways:

• The PreACT is a practice and preliminary test offered by the ACT that helps students prepare for the ACT exam.
• As of 2024, the test covers the same subjects as the ACT: English, Math, Reading, and Science.
• The PreACT is designed for high school sophomores, but there are exams available for other students.

The PreACT is a preliminary test, similar to the PSAT, that gives students the opportunity to practice for the ACT. While it doesn’t offer the chance to win a scholarship like the PSAT, it still has several benefits that could prove useful for your standardized test scores and future education. Here’s a look at everything you need to know about the exam.

What Is the PreACT?

Flickr user 3ngl1shN3rd

The PreACT, designed and offered by the ACT, is a practice exam to help high school students prepare for the ACT, a college admissions test. It highlights the test taker’s strengths and weaknesses, helping them develop a game plan for the real ACT exams they’ll take in their junior and senior years.

Multiple choice questions cover English, Math, Reading, and Science. The PreACT is currently only a paper and pencil test, but it’s expected to be available online in 2025.

The exam also asks questions about interests and goals, which allows the ACT organization to provide students with valuable insights into career areas and goals that fit them.

Who Should Take the PreACT?

The PreACT is usually offered to high school sophomores, but students in 8th, 9th, and 11th grade may be welcome to sit for the test as well.

There are a few different types of PreACTs available, depending on the student’s age and the school’s goals. The PreACT is the main test, designed for 10th graders. The PreACT 8/9 is for 8th and 9th graders. There are also the PreACT 9 Secure and PreACT Secure for schools who want more insight into students’ scores and performance to provide better support.

At the moment, students can only take the PreACT through a school. If your high school or middle school doesn’t offer it, you can reach out to other schools in your area or ask your guidance counselor for assistance.

For the 2024-25 school year, the PreACT 8/9 and PreACT are $18 online or $19 on paper. The Secure versions are $20.50.

Test Subject Areas

The PreACT tests on the same subjects as the ACT, including:

• English: Grammar, punctuation, knowledge of language, sentence structure, and similar
• Math: Pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, and coordinate geometry
• Reading: Reading comprehension, skills, and logical thinking
• Science: Problem solving skills, reasoning, interpretation, and analysis

ACT vs. PreACT

Although the PreACT and ACT cover the same subject areas, there are some differences.

• The ACT is scored between 1 and 36, but the highest possible score on the PreACT is a 35 (or 30 for PreACT 8/9).
• The ACT is often used for college admissions, the PreACT isn’t.
• The PreACT is shorter, has fewer questions, and allows for more time per question.
• The Math portion of the ACT includes trigonometry, which isn’t in the PreACT.
• The ACT has an optional Writing, or Essay, section that isn’t offered with the PreACT.

This table breaks down some of these differences:

*In spring 2025, the ACT will be 2 hours and Science will be optional. As of December 2024, there haven’t been any official announcements regarding PreACT changes.

PSAT vs. SAT vs. ACT vs. PreACT

Deciding between the ACT and SAT should depend on your skillset. Although there are similarities, there are differences between the exams. The big difference between the PSAT and the PreACT is that a high enough score on the PSAT could qualify you for the National Merit Scholarship.

Here’s a quick look at how they compare:

Why Is the PreACT Test Important?

The main reason students take the PreACT is to be better prepared for the ACT in the coming years, but there are other benefits as well.

Allows For Early Practice

Taking the PreACT is a great way to get into the mindset for the actual ACT. Everyone is permitted to keep their booklets after the test is finished and are encouraged to go over the test to see where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Some teachers will even go over the results and questions during class. Students can then take the time between the PreACT and the ACT to improve on their weaker areas and subjects.

Provides College and Career Indicators

Not only will the PreACT prepare you for further testing, but it can actually provide insight into a student’s interests and strengths. The reports even include advice on recommended career paths and majors based on the students’ answers on their interests and goals.

All students can take their results to their guidance counselor or college advisor to talk about their scores and the provided indicators. If the student sat for a PreACT Secure exam, the school receives even more information about performance predictions and instructional support.

How To Prepare for the PreACT Test

Even though the PreACT is a prep exam for the actual ACT, it doesn’t mean you should skip the study sessions.

Take The ACT Practice Test

The PreACT is almost identical to the ACT, so taking practice tests that are available is the perfect way to get ready for your test date, familiar with the formatting and content, and comfortable with the time constraints on each particular section.

There are several places online to find practice ACT exams, including PDFs and individual questions available on the ACT’s website. To simulate the “real deal,” you should have all the resources that are available to you on test day while you practice, including two pencils, an eraser, a calculator, and a watch.

Although it will be tempting, avoid looking up answers on your laptop or phone. Phones aren’t permitted on test day and the whole point of the practice test is to get an accurate feel for how well you would score during the real exam.

Review Your Results

Once you’ve finished your practice test, it’s time to look over your results and score. While you may not be completely happy with your answers, it’s important to remember that it’s just practice. Your official score won’t have an impact on college admission chances.

Take this time to focus on your weaknesses. For example, if you had problems with a certain aspect of Math for example, it’s time to study and practice those individual areas.

If you feel you’re having particular issues with parts of the tests and not sure how you can improve, ask your teachers or counselor for assistance. They can steer you towards study materials and practice suggestions.

Keep Practicing and Set Goals

Before you take another practice exam, set a goal for yourself. What score are you aiming for on your next test? Creating SMART goals, which are realistic and measurable, helps you target your studying. After you brush up on your weaker areas, take another practice test and see how it stacks up against your goal!

The PreACT isn’t as commonly offered as the PSAT, but it’s still a valuable resource if your school or a nearby school offers the exam. It provides insight into how well you’d do on the ACT if you took it today, but also gives you information about career paths, majors, and more that fit your unique interests and goals.

While colleges don’t look at your PreACT scores, most will be looking at your ACT/SAT results. You can actually learn about your admission chances to particular schools by looking at previous accepted students’ scores. Find more information on College Match.