For certain exam dates, the ACT gives families the option to pay a little extra to receive a Test Information Release with the student‘s standard ACT score report.
With a TIR, students will receive an actual ACT exam booklet that matches the test they took on test day, a list of their multiple-choice answers, and an answer key. This is all provided to the student in addition to the standard score report, which illustrates the student’s scores in each individual area and their college readiness by subject.
In addition, students who take the optional essay writing section will also receive a copy of their essay as they wrote it, the prompt, and the grading rubric.
Families can elect to pay for a Test Information Release for national test dates in February, June, and December each year. This is only an option if the student takes the ACT at a national testing center on a national test date in these months. This option does not apply to ACT tests examined through individual schools during the school day.
Future test dates that offer a TIR option:
December 14, 2019
February 8, 2020
June 13, 2020
A Test Information Release costs just $20. This is in addition to the standard fees for taking the exam. A TIR can be ordered at the time of test registration and for up to three months after the test has been completed.
It generally will take around four weeks to receive a TIR report but may take even longer. This is in contrast to the approximate 10-12 days after test day that it takes for standard ACT score reports to begin being released.
Due to the time it takes to receive in the mail, students SHOULD NOT anticipate being able to use their TIR while preparing for the ACT test that directly follows the ACT test for the TIR. For example, the student that is taking the test again in October should not expect to be able to use their TIR from September to prepare. It will likely not show up in the mail quickly enough. For this reason, it’s important to be strategic and plan ahead.
The standard ACT score report gives students a score on each section of the test out of a possible 36 points. It does provide a general breakdown of types of questions and how the student fared on certain concepts, but there is really no explanation for WHY the student got the score that they did.
Some students want to know WHY they received a certain score. Further, some students want to use the TIR as an opportunity to examine specific concepts and types of questions that they missed on test day. This allows students a very valuable insight into their previous test performance and gives them a good basis for planning for their next test and what type of practice to focus on.
Don’t let your students miss the opportunity to review their test and learn from mistakes. When incorporated into ACT test prep in an effective manner, the TIR can be incredibly helpful in raising student ACT scores. You can learn more about Test Information Release on the ACT website.
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