Understanding Your ACT Aspire Summative Results
To read more about understanding your ACT Aspire results, please visit this website:
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ortn.edu/act-aspire
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What Your Scores Mean
For each of the four subject tests you took (i.e., English, mathematics, reading, and science) you will see a three-digit score. Just like your teachers turn your quiz and test scores into grades, ACT Aspire takes the number of points you got right on each test and translates it into a score on the ACT Aspire scale.
Your score for each subject will fall into one of four levels: Exceeding, Ready, Close, or In Need of Support. The level your score falls into indicates how you did in meeting certain standards. Students with scores in Exceeding or Ready levels are also classified as meeting the ACT Readiness Benchmarks. Your score for the combined scores (ELA and STEM) will fall into one of the two levels: Meets Benchmark and Below Benchmark. Table 1 shows the ACT Readiness Benchmarks for all grades and subjects. Students who score at or above these benchmarks are on target for college readiness when they take the ACT® test in the eleventh grade.
Table 1. ACT Readiness Benchmarks
More specific information about how you performed in each subject is also available in the form of skill scores. Several skills (also called reporting categories) are measured for each tested subject. The score report includes the percent and number of points earned out of a total number of points possible in each skill. Student performance in each skill is also compared to an ACT Readiness Range, which indicates whether you appear to be on target or may need help.
ACT Aspire Current Progress Report
Figure 1 presents the Current Progress Report, which shows information about individual subject scores, ELA and STEM scores, the Progress with Text Complexity indicator, the Progress toward Career Readiness indicator, national percentile ranks and the scale score range in consideration of uncertainty from measurement errors.
The Current Progress Report includes additional key data based on subjects you took and the grade level at which you tested. The following scores are available for all grade levels:
ELA combined score, which averages your English, reading, and writing test scores
STEM combined score, which averages your science and mathematics test scores
Progress with Text Complexity indicator, which identifies whether you are making sufficient progress toward reading the complex texts you will encounter as you further your education and work toward college and career.
Scale score range, which shows scores you would likely obtain if you took the test again without additional coursework
National Percentile Rank, which is the percentage of students in the nation who received a score that is the same or lower than yours for each subject test you took (see more about National Percentile Rank below)
If you are in eighth grade or above you will receive an ACT Aspire Composite Score and Progress toward Career Readiness indicator if you took all of the English, mathematics, reading, and science tests:
The ACT Aspire Composite score is simply an average of the English, mathematics, reading, and science test scores (rounded to the nearest whole number) if you took all of those tests at the same grade level. In the same way your overall high school grade point average shows how well you are doing across all of your different classes, your ACT Aspire Composite score shows how well you did across the four subjects.
The Progress toward Career Readiness indicator uses your ACT Aspire Composite score to project a future ACT National Career Readiness Certificate™ (ACT® NCRC®) achievement level.
If you are in ninth or tenth grade, your score results also include:
Predicted subject score ranges on the ACT English, mathematics, reading, and science tests. If you took all these ACT Aspire subject tests, you will also receive a predicted ACT Composite score range.
If you are a ninth- or tenth-grade student, ACT Aspire subject tests offer a bridge to the ACT test. ACT Aspire and the ACT cover the same subjects . The predicted ACT score ranges that are included in your student score report can guide college preparation or workplace training efforts. You can use the predicted ACT scores to see if you are on target to achieve the ACT scores you want by the time you take the ACT.
Improving your study habits and taking more challenging courses can lead to higher ACT scores. Keep in mind that the predicted ACT score ranges are only estimates, not guarantees. You need to keep learning.
How Your Scores Compare
Next to your scores under the graphic for each subject, you’ll find the national average score for students who took ACT Aspire. These show how you did on different subjects compared with students across the country.
Your score for each subject is also associated with a National Percentile Rank that shows how your score compares to students across the nation. In Figure 2, the score report shows “86th” as the percentile rank for the sample student’s reading score. This means that the sample student scored as high as or higher than 86% of students in the national comparison group. The bar graph helps you see which of your scores are strongest and weakest relative to other students.
Your Plans for High School and Beyond
Compare Your Scores to ACT Readiness Benchmarks
Your ACT Aspire results can be compared to ACT Readiness Benchmarks for grades 3–10 to give you an early indication of whether you are on track to be ready for college-level coursework or for participation in workplace training.
In the main graphic area on page one of your score report for each subject, the plotting of your score shows whether you scored above, at, or below benchmark scores (see Figure 3). In the example, the sample tenth grade student scored 426 on the English test, which is below the ACT Readiness Benchmark of 428, and earned a Close readiness level. Students that score at or above the ACT Readiness Benchmark on the ACT Aspire English, mathematics, reading, and science tests are likely to be on target to do well in these subjects, assuming students will experience typical growth moving forward.
The ACT Readiness Benchmarks shown on your score report depend on the grade level your test was designed for, which may not be the same as your current grade level. The ACT Readiness Benchmarks help you determine if you are on target for college readiness as determined by your future test score on the ACT. Your percentile ranks help you compare your scores to those of students across the country.
Your Readiness Action Plan
Look at how your scores for each subject compare to the ACT Readiness Benchmark scores on your score report. Then compare your skill scores in each subject to the ACT Readiness Ranges listed on the Skill Proficiency Report (Figure 4).
Are your subject scores at or above the ACT Readiness Benchmarks or your skill scores within the ACT Readiness Ranges? If so, you are doing well, but keep working hard. There is still a lot to learn. Pay attention to the improvement ideas given for all subjects tested.
Are your subject scores below the ACT Readiness Benchmarks or your skills scores below the ACT Readiness Ranges? You should pay attention to the improvement ideas, too. Review the suggestions for improving your skills listed on each page of your report, especially for your lowest-scoring skills.
You will definitely want to discuss any improvement ideas with your counselors, teachers, and parents so that you can work together to get the most from your courses and reach the goals of being ready for college and workplace training. It’s important to start taking action now.
An Additional Student Report
In addition to the two-page, full-color student report described above, a single-page, black and white report will also be generated for each student. This report is designed to provide a basic overview of score data in an easily-printable format. It includes the subject test scores, composite score (for grades 8–10), ACT Readiness Level, Score Range, National Percentile Rank, and Predicted ACT Score (for grades 9–10).
It also includes Supplemental Scores, including ELA and STEM scores subject test scores, Progress with Text Complexity, and a Progress Toward Career Readiness indicator (for grades 8–10). Figure 5 below shows an example of a 3rd grade report.
Figure 5.
A Message to Parents of Students in
Grades 8–10
Education has many benefits. High school and college graduates have more opportunities available to them, including more job options and higher earning potential than students who don’t graduate.
Being prepared for postsecondary education means first taking the right courses in high school. All students need to take at least the minimum high school core curriculum—four years of English and at least three years each of mathematics, social studies, and science.
Encourage your son or daughter to take challenging courses and to put in the work needed to do well in those courses.
Compare your son’s or daughter’s scores to those of other students and to the ACT Readiness Benchmark scores. This can give you an early indication of his or her likely readiness for the future, providing time to address areas where improvement is needed. But it’s important to use that time well. Be sure to review all of your child’s ACT Aspire student score report, particularly the suggestions for improving his or her skills. Getting the best education possible is an important key to your child’s future. ACT Aspire organizes the important information you need to consider in helping your child develop educational plans to meet his or her goals.