USING YOUR ACT EXPLORE RESULTS - School District U … · Understanding Your ACT Explore ... Over...

USING YOUR ACT EXPLORE RESULTS

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Understanding Your ACT Explore® Results in Three Quick StepsYour ACT Explore Score Report contains a lot of information about yourskills, interests, plans, and goals. While it may seem overwhelming at firstglance, your report can help answer three important questions about youand your future.

Where do I stand right now?ACT Explore shows your strengths and weaknesses in four subject areas:English, math, reading, and science. You can see how your scorescompare to those of other students like you who have taken ACT Explore.Your report also shows the skills you likely have.

What are my plans and goals after high school?When you took ACT Explore, you answered questions about your plansafter high school and about your interests in several kinds of activities. Thisinformation can help you learn more about careers, clarify your goals, andbegin to plan your future.

Am I on track for college?For most students, reaching their goals includes getting a collegeeducation. Preparing for college means taking the right courses in highschool. Make sure the courses you plan to take in high school match thoserecommended for college success.

This guide will help you understand the information on your ACT ExploreScore Report and how it can help you. Later, visit www.explorestudent.orgfor more information on using your ACT Explore Score Report.

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www.explorestudent.org

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What DoYourScores Mean?Your scores are between 1 (the lowest score youcan receive) and 25 (the highest score you canreceive) even though you answered a lot morethan 25 questions on the ACT Explore tests! Justlike your teachers turn your quiz and test scoresinto grades, ACT Explore takes the number ofquestions you got right on each test and translatesit into a number between 1 and 25 (called a “scalescore”). Just like grades, your scores tell you howwell you did on each test.

Your Composite Score is simply the average ofthe English, Mathematics, Reading, andScience test scores (rounded to a wholenumber). In the same way your overall grade pointaverage in school shows how well you are doingacross all of your different classes, your ACTExplore Composite Score shows how well you didacross the entire ACT Explore test.

The two scores directly under English (called“subscores”) only range from 1 to 12 (see below). They tell you how well you did in these twospecific areas of English: Usage/Mechanics(punctuation, grammar and usage, and sentencestructure) and Rhetorical Skills (yourunderstanding of the use of strategy, organization,and style in writing). These scores added togetherdo NOT necessarily equal your English Test scorebecause the two subscores are scaledindependently from the total English Test score.

A Note About Test Scores

Because no test can measure educationaldevelopment with absolute precision, it’s bestto think of each of your ACT Explore scores asa range rather than as a precise point. Forexample, a score of 15 on one of the fourtests, such as the Reading Test, means thatyour level of educational development in thesubject probably is somewhere from 13 to 17(15 plus or minus 2). A Composite Score of 15 would mean that your overall level ofeducational development probably issomewhere from 14 to 16 (15 plus or minus 1).

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How do you compare with otherstudents who took ACT Explore? Next to your scores, you’ll find the percentage ofstudents scoring at or below your score. These arecalled “norms” and show the percentage ofstudents, in a national norm group, who earned ascore equal to or lower than yours. This shows youhow your scores compared to those of studentsacross the country who took ACT Explore. In theexample on page 3, the report shows 69% next tothe sample student’s English score. This meansthe sample student scored as high as or higherthan 69% of students in that comparison groupwho took ACT Explore. The bar graph helps you tosee which of your scores are strongest andweakest. Very few students are equal in their skillsin all subject areas.

You can see how you did compared to otherstudents taking ACT Explore at about the sametime in your school by looking at the percentagesshown under “In Your School”. If you took ACTExplore in a state that uses these tests in mostschools in the state, you may also seepercentages in the column “In Your State.” Don’tworry if any of these columns are blank. This justmeans your school or state did not ask for norms.

Your Estimated ACT Plan®Composite Score Range ACT Plan and the ACT® college readinessassessment are tests that cover the same subjectareas as ACT Explore. ACT Plan is designed fortenth graders and the ACT is designed for eleventhand twelfth graders. Over time, ACT Explore, ACTPlan, and the ACT measure your skills as youprogress through high school. Your ACT Explorescores can be used to predict how you are likely todo if you take ACT Plan as a tenth grader.Improving your study habits or taking morechallenging courses may improve your ACT Planscores. Keep in mind that these scores are onlyestimates, not guarantees. You need to keepworking at learning.

You can use these predicted or estimated scoresto see if you are “on track” to achieve the scoresyou want by the time you take the ACT later inhigh school. Are there subject areas where takingadditional courses or gaining additional skillsmight improve your preparation for college?

ACT Explore was designed as the starting point of a long-termassessment system that continues with ACT Plan and the ACT. All three programs are built around the same four tests: English,Mathematics, Reading, and Science. However, the material tested ineach program gets progressively more difficult. This is why the topscore for each test is different, as shown below.

Program Grade Level Composite Score Range

ACT Explore 8 and 9 1 to 25ACT Plan 10 1 to 32The ACT 11 and 12 1 to 36

The Estimated ACT Plan Composite Score Range on your ACT Explore Score Report tells you how other students scored on ACT Plan as sophomores after achieving the same CompositeScore as you received on ACT Explore. When you take ACT Plan asa tenth grader, you are very likely to receive a Composite Score inthe score range shown on your report.

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Your Plans forHigh School andBeyondCompare Your Courses to CoreWhat is “Core”? Core is a suggested minimum setof college preparation courses to be taken in highschool. When thinking about what courses youshould take, consider not only the number ofcourses you take, but also the content, level, andchallenge of those courses.

So, what courses should you plan on taking?Following are the minimum number of coursesrecommended by A Nation at Risk, the prominentreport on American education from the NationalCommission on Excellence in Education.

n 4 years of English n 3 years of mathn 3 years of laboratory sciencen 3 years of social studies

When you took ACT Explore, you were askedabout the courses you plan to take in high school.This section of your Score Report compares your

plans to Core recommendations. In the examplebelow, this student should take at least one moreyear of math, one more year of social studies, andone more year of science to meet Core. See yourcounselor if your high school course plans fallshort of Core.

Successfully completing additional courses likeSpeech, Trigonometry, Calculus, Physics, andadvanced history courses can result in higher ACTscores. This means you’re more likely to do well intypical first-year college courses. Check out theCoursework Planner starting on page 11 of thisbooklet. It’s a great tool to help you work out yourcourses for next year.

Your Reported NeedsWhen you took ACT Explore, you were askedwhether or not you needed help in seven differentareas. Those areas checked on your report are theareas you said you needed help with. Do you seea need for help in areas where your skills (testscores) are weakest? Compare your lowestpercentile rank with the needs listed. Then talkabout them with your parents, school counselor, orteachers. This is the best way to make sure youget the help you need.

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Your Plans After High SchoolACT Explore asked you to consider your futureeducational and career plans. You can find yourresponses on page 1 of your ACT Explore ScoreReport. As a first step in thinking about a careerplan, you were asked to choose a Career Area (agroup of similar occupations) that you would likebest. Use your Career Area preference to beginthinking about your future.

n Which occupations in this Career Area interest you most?

n Will your educational plans prepare you forthese career possibilities?

To explore occupations and learn how to preparefor them, visit www.explorestudent.org.

Compare Your Scores to CollegeReadiness Benchmarks

Thinking about college? You should be.

A college education can open many doors for you.In fact, most jobs (and almost all high-paying jobs)require some education or technical training afterhigh school. While college may seem a long wayoff, you can start preparing now by planning totake (and work hard in) challenging core coursesin high school. This way, you’ll have the bestchance to learn the skills you need to be ready forcollege.

College Readiness Benchmarks

How can you tell if you’re on track for college? YourACT Explore results give you an early indication ofhow likely you are to be ready for college-levelwork if your academics continue at the currentpace. ACT has identified College ReadinessBenchmark Scores that tell you whether or not youare already developing the foundation for the skillsyou will need by the time you finish high school.

In the College Readiness area of your ScoreReport, the check marks show whether you scoredabove, at, or below the benchmark scores.Students that score at or above the CollegeReadiness Benchmark Scores for ACT Explore onthe English, Mathematics, and Science Tests arelikely to be on track to do well in entry-level collegecourses in these subjects. Students scoring at or

above the benchmark for the Reading Test arelikely to be on track to do well in entry-level collegecourses in the social sciences. Of course, thisassumes that these students will continue to workhard and take challenging courses throughout highschool.

Note: The Benchmark Scores shown on yourScore Report depend on whether you took ACTExplore in eighth grade or in ninth grade. TheCollege Readiness Benchmarks help youdetermine how your scores fall in relation to beingon track for entry-level college courses and arebased on data from first-year college students.Your norms, as discussed on page 4, help you tosee how your scores compare to those of studentsacross the country who also took ACT Explore.

Your College Readiness Action Plann Look at how your scores compare to the

College Readiness Benchmark Scores on yourScore Report.

• Are your scores at or above the BenchmarkScores? If so, you are doing well, but keepworking hard. There is still a lot you need tolearn.

• Are your scores below the BenchmarkScores? It’s important to start taking actionnow. Talk to your teachers or counselor abouthow you can improve in these areas.Remember, there is still time to get on track.Review the suggestions for improving yourskills on the back of your report.

n Make sure you are taking the recommendednumber and level of core courses.

Remember, you still have time to improve yourskills before you graduate from high school, butyou need to be sure you have a plan for your highschool years.

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Your CareerPossibilitiesIt’s not too soon to begin exploring possiblecareers. With thousands of occupations in thework world, where do you begin? Your ACTExplore Score Report helps you start by focusingon a few Career Areas (groups of similaroccupations). Take a look at Steps 1, 2, and 3under Your Career Possibilities on your ScoreReport.

Step 1: The World-of-Work Map Exploring careers is easier if you have a goodmap. The World-of-Work Map can give you asense of direction. The Map shows how CareerAreas differ in their involvement with four basicwork tasks:

People: People you help, serve, care for, or sell things to.

Data: Facts, numbers, files, and businessprocedures.

Things: Machines, tools, living things, andmaterials such as food, wood, or metal.

Ideas: Knowledge, insights, and new ways ofexpressing something (with words,equations, music, etc.).

These four work tasks are the four “compasspoints” of the Map. For example, occupations inCareer Area C (Management) mostly involveworking with people and data, so it is located inthe upper left part of the Map, as are other CareerAreas involving people and data. On the other sideof the Map, Career Area P (Natural Science &Technologies) mostly involves working with ideasand things.

Step 2: Your ResultsTake a look at your World-of-Work Map. Seeingthe similarities and differences between CareerAreas can help you think about where to startexploring. But the Map does more. When youcompleted ACT Explore, you were asked to:

n Choose a Career Area having jobs you might liken Complete an Interest Inventory

The World-of-Work Map includes the Career Areayou told us you like best and highlights CareerAreas related to your interests. These CareerAreas have occupations where people do thekinds of work tasks you told us you enjoy—so theyare good places to start exploring careers! Talk toyour counselor, teacher, or parents if you havequestions.

Step 3: Exploring Career OptionsThis is a good time to look at all of the CareerAreas and pick at least two to explore now. Youcan explore others later.

Find out more about occupations in these CareerAreas. Occupational information such asdescriptions, salary, growth, entry requirements,and related occupations is available atwww.explorestudent.org.

My interest inventory results are in Region 99.What does this mean?

Your pattern of interest scores does notsuggest a clear direction at this time. As youcomplete Step 3 on your Score Report, thinkabout your preferences for the four basic work tasks (People, Data, Things, Ideas). Thiscan help you select Career Areas to explore.

My interest inventory results don’t agree withthe Career Area I chose. Is this a problem?

No problem! Each is important, and only youcan decide how much attention eachdeserves. Talk to your counselor or teacher ifyou need to sort things out.

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Tips for Exploring CareerPossibilitiesWhen you think about how important work will bein your entire life, it makes sense to start planningearly.

Your counselor, teachers, or parents can help youthink through your plans. But it’s up to you to put itall together. Here are some good ideas to get youmoving in the right direction.

Get More InformationTry to find out more about occupations thatinterest you.

ASK your teacher, counselor, librarian, or a parentwhere you can find books, pamphlets, orcomputer-based information on occupations.

SEARCH the Internet for information aboutpossible occupations that interest you. Twowebsites are listed in the next column.

GATHER firsthand information about careers youare considering. Talk with people who work incareers that interest you. Ask them what a typicalday is like, how they prepared for the career, whatthey like and dislike about it.

TALK with teachers, parents, and other adultsabout occupations related to the subjects you like.You may get some new ideas about occupationsyou might like. Your teachers also may be able toput you in touch with former students who can tellyou how they prepared for their careers.

FIND OUT how to best prepare for the future youwant. Learn about the entry requirements for anoccupation you are thinking about. Are they in linewith your plans for education after high school?How might you need to adjust your educationalplans to fit this career possibility?

Websites for Career InformationFor descriptions ofhundreds of occupations, plus informationon salary, entry requirements, relatedoccupations, and related college majors, goto www.explorestudent.org.

Find information about occupations in the Air Force, Army, Marines, and Navy atwww.todaysmilitary.com.

For information on occupations and theoutlook for future openings, go to theOccupational Outlook Handbook atwww.bls.gov/ooh.

Libraries are also a good source of careerinformation.

Building YourSkillsThe back of your Score Report provides some ideasfor building your skills and knowledge in the differentsubject areas. The descriptions and suggestions arebased on your own scores and are intended to helpyou strengthen your skills and understanding in

important ways in each subject area. You will definitelywant to discuss these ideas with your counselors,teachers, and parents so that you can work togetherto get the most from your courses and reach thegoal of being “college ready.” You can also reviewthe answers you gave to each of the questions onACT Explore. Refer back to your test booklet tocheck on those questions you answered incorrectlyand which response was correct.

Because of particular testing arrangements in some districts or states, the information on the back of yourScore Report may be given in the format below.

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CourseworkPlanningReaching your goals requires careful planning.Use this Coursework Planner to organize thecourses you will need and want to take next yearand beyond. Ask your teacher or counselor forhelp.

Step 1 It helps to keep your career preferences inmind as you plan your courses. In the Your CareerPossibilities section of your score report, you wereasked to think about Career Areas having jobs youmight like best. Look at the box below. Circle theletters of two or three Career Areas that interestyou most right now. (Career Area titles and lettersare shown on page 8 of this booklet or on page 1of your score report.) Below each letter is acolumn of checkmarks. Circle every checkmarkunder the Career Area letters you chose.

For example, if you prefer Marketing & Sales andFinancial Transactions, circle the letters B and F,and circle every checkmark under B and F.

Step 2 Each subject area has a row ofcheckmarks. Circle every subject area title thathas a circled checkmark anywhere in its row.These are the subject areas most closely relatedto your career preferences.

For example, if you prefer Career Areas B and F,you would circle English, Mathematics, SocialStudies, Communications, and Business &Computers.

Step 3 Your Coursework Planner begins on page12. Find the subject areas you circled below andcircle these same subject areas on your Planner.

Step 4 Ask your teacher or counselor about thekinds of core courses you should be taking. Writeeach course in the box next to its subject area. Besure your plans are on track to meet therecommended minimum number of core courses inhigh school: 4 years of English and 3 years ofMathematics, Social Studies, and Science.

Core courses not only prepare you for college, butthey teach the skills you will need wherever yougo. Note that one or more of the core courses arealso related to your career preferences.

Step 5 Ask your teacher or counselor aboutcourses you are required to take next school year.Write each course in the box next to its subjectarea.

Step 6 Ask your teacher or counselor aboutelective courses that you can take. Consider takingcourses in subject areas you circled—the onesrelated to your career preferences.

Repeat these steps for each year of courseplanning you do. An example of a completedCoursework Planner for one year is shown onpage 14.

Subject Areas A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZEnglish/Language Arts 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Mathematics 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Social Studies/Sciences 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Science 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Health and Fitness 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Foreign Languages 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Arts 4 4 4

Music 4 4

Communications 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Agriculture 4 4

Business & Computers 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Family & Consumer Sciences 4 4 4 4

Industrial Arts & Technologies 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Career Area Letters

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English/Language Arts (for example: Writing,Literature, Journalism, Poetry)

Mathematics (for example: General Math, Algebra I,Algebra II, Business Math, Calculus, Geometry,Statistics, Trigonometry)

Social Studies/Sciences (for example: History,Geography, Government, Economics, Psychology)

Science (for example: General Science, Biology,Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics)

Health and Fitness (for example: First Aid, Health,Physical Education)

Foreign Languages (for example: French, German,Spanish)

Arts (for example: Art Appreciation, Dance, Drawing,Graphic Arts, Painting, Photography)

Music (for example: Band, Chorus, Music Appreciation, Orchestra)

Communications (for example: Drama, Speech)

Agriculture (for example: Agribusiness, Animal Science,Landscaping, Horticulture)

Business & Computers (for example: GeneralBusiness, Bookkeeping, Computer Literacy, ComputerScience, Keyboarding, Office Practices, Sales &Marketing)

Family & Consumer Sciences (for example: GeneralFamily and Consumer Science, Child Care, Clothing,Foods, Interior Design)

Industrial Arts & Technologies (for example: AutomotiveTechnology, Construction Technology, Cosmetology,Drafting, Electronic/Mechanical Technology, Allied HealthTechnology, Metal Technology, Wood Technology)

Coursework Planner for Grade ____Make as many copies as you need to plan your courses.

Core Area Courses

General Courses

Specialized Courses

Subjects Courses

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English/Language Arts (for example: Writing,Literature, Journalism, Poetry)


Social Studies/Sciences (for example: History,Geography, Government, Economics, Psychology)

Science (for example: General Science, Biology,Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics)


Foreign Languages (for example: French, German,Spanish)


Music (for example: Band, Chorus, Music Appreciation, Orchestra)






Coursework Planner for Grade ____Make as many copies as you need to plan your courses.

Core Area Courses

General Courses

Specialized Courses

Subjects Courses

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English/Language Arts (for example: Writing,Literature, Journalism, Poetry) English 1


Algebra 1

Social Studies/Sciences (for example: History,Geography, Government, Economics, Psychology) Geography

Science (for example: General Science, Biology,Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics) Biology


Physical Education 1 (Semester 1)Health (Semester 2)

Foreign Languages (for example: French, German,Spanish) Spanish 1


Music (for example: Band, Chorus, Music Appreciation, Orchestra) Band 1




Intro to Business Computers



Example Coursework Planner for Grade____If courses will differ per term, be sure to indicate this on the planner.

Core Area Courses

General Courses

Specialized Courses

Subjects Courses

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A Message to ParentsA college education has many benefits. Collegegraduates have more opportunities available tothem, including more job options and higherearning potential.

Being prepared for college means taking the rightcourses in high school. All students need to take atleast the minimum high school core curriculum—4years of English, and at least 3 years each ofmath, social studies, and science. It is important toalso make sure the courses your son or daughtertakes are rigorous college prep courses and thathe/she puts in the work to do well in thosecourses.

Compare your son’s or daughter’s scores to thoseof other students and to the College ReadinessBenchmark Scores. This can give you an earlyindication of his/her likely readiness for college.There is still time to address areas whereimprovement is needed. But it’s important to usethat time well. Be sure to review the back of yourchild’s ACT Explore Score Report, particularly thesuggestions for improving his or her skills.

Getting the best education possible is animportant key to your child’s future. ACT Exploreorganizes the important information you need toconsider in helping your child develop educational plans to meet his or her goals. Formore ways to use the ACT Explore Student ScoreReport, visit www.explorestudent.org.

Checklist for Parents Encourage your child to take challenging

high school courses.

Talk to your child about careers, college, andlife after high school.

Establish a regular study time each day.

Try to provide a good, quiet study setting.

Discourage phone calls, visitors, TV, andother distractions during study time.

Talk to your child about what he/she islearning. Ask questions. Listen to theanswers.

ACT endorses the Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education and the Code of Professional Responsibilities in Ed-ucational Measurement, guides to the conduct of those involved in educational testing. ACT is committed to ensur-ing that each of its testing programs upholds the guidelines in each Code. A copy of each Code may be obtainedfree of charge from ACT Customer Services (70), P.O. Box 1008, Iowa City, IA 52243-1008, 319.337.1429.

Un mensaje a lospadres de familiaUna educación universitaria ofrece muchosbeneficios. Los titulados de una universidad tienen asu disposición más oportunidades, que incluyen másopciones de empleos y un mayor potencial deingresos económicos.

Estar preparado para ir a la universidad significacursar las materias apropiadas en la preparatoria.Todos los estudiantes necesitan cursar como mínimoel plan de estudios con las materias fundamentalesde la preparatoria - 4 años de inglés y por lo menos3 años de matemáticas, estudios sociales y ciencias.Es importante también que estén seguros que lasmaterias que su hijo o hija cursarán sean cursosrigurosos, como preparativos para la universidad yque él o ella se esfuerce en todas las materias quecursará.

Compare la puntuación de su hijo con la de otrosestudiantes y con la Puntuación de preparación parala educación superior. Esto le dará una ideaanticipada de la preparación de su hijo para laeducación superior. Aún hay tiempo para abordar lasáreas que el estudiante necesita mejorar, y esimportante que lo aproveche bien. Asegúrese derevisar el reverso del reporte de calificaciones de laprueba ACT Explore de su hijo, particularmente lassugerencias para mejorar sus destrezas.

La obtención de la mejor educación posible es unfactor importante en el futuro de su hijo. ACT Exploreorganiza la información importante que necesitaconsiderar para ayudar a su hijo a desarrollar planeseducativos que le permitan lograr sus metas. Sidesea aprender más maneras de usar el Reporte decalificaciones ACT Explore del estudiante, visitewww.explorestudent.org.

Puede descargar esta guía traducida al español enwww.act.org/explore/pdf/UsingResultsSp.pdf.

Lista de verificaciónpara los padres defamilia Anime a que su hijo o hija curse materias

desafiantes durante la preparatoria.

Hable con su hijo o hija acerca de las carreras,la universidad y la vida después de lapreparatoria.

Establezca un horario de estudio a la mismahora todos los días.

Procure proporcionarle un entorno paraestudiar que sea bueno y silencioso.

No permita las interrupciones con llamadastelefónicas, visitas, la televisión ni cualquierotra distracción durante el horario de estudio.

Hable con su hijo o hija acerca de qué es loque está aprendiendo. Hágales preguntas.Escuche sus respuestas

© 2013 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved. 19928 *022070140* Rev 1

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