ACT and PreACT Testing

Wednesday, 4/9:

• All juniors will take the ACT, starting at our normal time (8:35 AM).
• Freshmen, sophomores, and seniors are excused for the day.
• Parents/guardians do not need to call in to excuse their student on this day.

Wednesday, 4/16:

• All freshmen will take the PreACT Secure 9, starting at our normal time (8:35 AM).
• All sophomores will take the PreACT Secure, starting at our normal time (8:35 AM).
• Juniors and seniors are excused for the day.
• Parents/Guardians do not need to call in to excuse their student on this day.

Your assistance in making sure that our Blue Streaks are here by 8:15 AM that day is greatly appreciated! We will be starting the tests promptly at 8:35 AM on each day. If your student is late, it may require him/her to retest on a different day.

The ACT is a required test for graduation, per Illinois State Board of Education. Students may not substitute a national test date for this test. If your student is a senior and took the SAT last year, that fulfills the testing requirement to receive a high school diploma this year.

To be as ready as possible, students should get a good night's sleep before the test and eat breakfast before they come to school. If they are not able to have breakfast at home, please make sure your student arrives in time to grab something in our cafeteria.

Here is some additional information about testing:

• Testing begins at 8:35 AM sharp.
• Students should be in their testing room at 8:15 AM. Testing/room locations can be found outside Student Services or in Putnam Lobby.
• Students will not able to enter a testing room once the exam has started, as defined by ACT.
• Students need to bring their own calculator.
• Students should bring a pencil to use when writing on scratch paper.
• Students cannot bring their cell phone into the testing room. Other smart technology, such as Apple watches and smart pencils, are not allowed during testing, either. These are best left at home for the day.
• Students will be provided with a snack during the break of the testing sections.
• Students with accommodations have already been pre-approved and will be tested in different rooms based on their accommodation needs. Some students may also require a second day of testing.
• Juniors will finish approximately 12:45 PM if testing in a standard timing room and will be released after all the materials have been collected.
• If your student would like a sack lunch prior to leaving for the day, they will be available for purchase in the Commons immediately following the test.
• Buses will run at normal time, departing at 3:30 PM from the Circle Drive at WHS.

The PreACT Secure 9 and PreACT Secure are required practice ACT tests. These assessments help students prepare for the actual ACT that is taken junior year and assist students in their preparation for college and other post-secondary plans. The results also help us focus on skills that we need to improve on. Please be sure that your student is in attendance; students who are absent will be required to make up the test at a later date.

To be as ready as possible, students should get a good night's sleep before the test and eat breakfast before they come to school. If they are not able to have breakfast at home, please make sure your student arrives in time to grab something in our cafeteria.

Here is some additional information about testing:

• Testing begins at 8:35 AM sharp.
• Students should be in their testing room at 8:15 AM. Testing/room locations can be found outside Student Services or in Putnam Lobby.
• Students will not able to enter a testing room once the exam has started, as defined by ACT.
• Students need to bring their own calculator.
• Students should bring a pencil to use when writing on scratch paper.
• Students cannot bring their cell phone into the testing room. Other smart technology, such as Apple watches and smart pencils, are not allowed during testing, either. These are best left at home for the day.

• Students with accommodations have already been pre-approved and will be tested in different rooms based on their accommodation needs. Some students may also require a second day of testing.
• Both freshmen and sophomores will finish approximately 12:00 PM if testing in a standard timing room and will be released after all the materials have been collected.
• If your student would like a sack lunch prior to leaving for the day, they will be available for purchase in the Commons immediately following the test.
• Buses will run at normal time, departing at 3:30 PM from the Circle Drive at WHS.
  

Seniors are not required to be in attendance on either 4/9 or 4/16, and parents do not need to call their senior in on either of these days. Seniors should take the opportunity to job shadow, visit colleges, research and apply for scholarships, and prepare for next year. Encourage your student to go to SchooLinks to look for college and career info, scholarships that are available, and much more!

Note: If your senior took the SAT last year, this satisfied the state testing requirement to graduate. if your senior was contacted by his/her counselor to take the ACT this year because they did not take the SAT last year, s/he must take the ACT in order to earn their diploma! This applies to only a very few seniors who were contacted by their counselor directly.

Research shows that students who get at least 15 minutes or more of gentle exercise and movement prior to a major test perform better on that assessment than those who don't. A little bit of exercise stimulates the brain so the student is ready to test! Because of this, WHS will open our gyms and tracks for different activities prior to ACT testing. Starting at 7:15 AM, students can come in and play a variety of games in the Main Gym or Aux Gym or go for a walk on the indoor or outdoor track (weather-dependent). All these spaces will be supervised by our PE staff. Encourage your student to come on out and get his/her brain awake and ready to test!

Please note: this will only occur on the 4/9 ACT testing day for juniors.