Info for the Illinois class of 2026

Information for Illinois class of 2026.

This information does not apply to class of 2027.  By that time, the ACT test will have changed to the Enhanced ACT.  To reduce confusion, I only want to talk about the school day ACT test and not go into details about the enhanced ACT or the pre-ACT.

To reiterate, the class of 2026 will not be taking the new enhanced ACT.  They will, however, be taking the classic ACT, BUT it will be administered digitally through the TestNav platform.  Since I have only worked with students taking the Saturday ACT, I had no idea the school districts could choose to administer the test digitally. To me, classic ACT meant paper ACT. I was wrong.

To be clear, I told Illinois parents that the ACT would be the classic ACT and on paper. This is incorrect. The school day ACT will be administered digitally. I am very sorry for this and for any confusion it caused.

This was a decision made by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

I take issue with one line in this press release. 

This is demonstrably not true.  The skill set students use to get good grades in high school is not the same skill set needed to answer test prep questions.  This isn’t a knock on high school.  High school test questions are designed to make sure a concept is known so it can build on the next concept.

When my son was in 8th grade preparing to go to Northside, we wanted him to test out of Algebra 2 and go into pre-calculus.  To prepare him, I consulted my cousin who taught college calculus.  I had him review the pre-calculus I teach my ACT students.  He said, “Oh, high school doesn’t typically teach conic sections anymore; it’s just not necessary for calculus.”  There is almost always a conic section question on the ACT.  True enough, every CPS student I’ve worked with did not know conic sections.

This isn’t just limited to the Academic Content.  Unlike high school test questions, standardized test questions are designed to get students to get questions wrong even if they know the academics.  I made a video about this a few years ago.  It’s a basic trigonometry question that nearly all of my students struggled with students (even my AP Calc BC) because they weren’t used to the way the question was asked (yes, I am aware that this question is an SAT question, but I have seen this question with just different numbers on the ACT).

In ISBE’s defense, they probably believe this because the ACT’s proprietary test has found that 120 hours using their program results in, on average, a 1-point increase on the ACT.  However, most private tutors help students realize, on average, a 4-point increase on the ACT.  Ampersand Prep's Cognitive Agency program helps students realize, on average, a 7-point increase on the ACT.

The ACT was recently acquired by a private equity firm.  This might partially explain some of the reasoning behind the changes and the hokey way the ACT is conducting business.

The content, questions, length, and scoring will be the same as the paper ACT, it just will be on a screen.  I imagine from the ACT’s and the school districts’ point of view, they consider it the same test.  However, as there are extremely effective annotation strategies that rely on putting pencil to paper, this is rather disappointing. 

I am recommending that students only prepare for either the Saturday ACT or the SAT and not worry about the school day test.  There are two main reasons for this.

The first reason is that it is unfair.  The English, Reading, and Science tests have passages that have several questions pertaining to each passage.  The Math tests sometimes have a passage and a graph that will have several questions.  This is fine on paper, and can actually be advantageous with the good annotation strategy, but digitally, this is a real disadvantage because students must click around from screen to screen.  Your child will likely not be able to demonstrate their true level of college readiness.

While the SAT is digital, this isn’t a disadvantage because each question only has 1 prompt.  Everything the student needs to answer the question is on the same screen as the question, no clicking from page to page required. For the SAT, we use the effective “upside down” question strategy for reading comprehension questions and math word problems.

Neither the annotation strategy nor the “upside down” strategy can be used on the digital ACT.  Since the most important skill for a standardized test (even for math), is reading comprehension, a paper test administered digitally is simply unfair.

The second reason is that school day scores take significantly longer to release.  If your child is planning on using the ACT to apply for college, their score will likely not be released in time to sign up for the June ACT.  So, I do recommend signing up for the ACT now.  Apparently, there is a limited time BOGO offer from the ACT. That the ACT is selling tests two at a time, let alone offering a promo, is bonkers to me.

If your child wants to really try for the school day ACT, I understand that and respect the ambition.  Here are steps they can take to prepare.

First, I recommend purchasing the Official ACT Prep Guide.  Although it advertises 9 online tests, it actually only provides 3. I don't recommend ordering the 2025-2026 version as it will likely cover the enhanced ACT.

Your students can also access free digital materials by making an official ACT account.

Students can also familiarize themselves with the TestNav format on their website.

All test prep is test prep, so preparing for any version of the ACT with ACT questions will help prepare your student.  The handful of digital ACT tests available should be used to familiarize your student with the format. Students can still use the dozens of existing ACT paper tests available to review the content and develop critical thinking.

I am going to take one of these digital tests to see if either the ACT annotation strategy or the SAT “upside down” strategy can be adapted for my students.  I will share this strategy lesson once I have created it.

I am personally very frustrated about this, not only as a parent but as a tutor. Uncertainty can cause anxiety, and test anxiety is one of the biggest hurdles our children face when preparing for college. I will tell you what I told my students 2 years ago when the SAT changed.  The class of 2026 is only competing with the class of 2026 for seats in college. Since everyone is facing the same confusing conditions, the disadvantage disappears comparatively.  Conversely, preparing in times of change will actually be comparatively advantageous as there is always a percentage of the population that thinks things are business as usual.

Test prep, if nothing else, will reduce anxiety by increasing familiarity.

If you want to talk to me one on one, you can set up an appointment. This doesn't need to be a sales call and I am more than happy to make sure your student is set up for ACT & SAT success even if they want to self study.

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