ACT Aspire
ACT Aspire is the statewide high school achievement test for Arizona public school students in the 9th grade cohort. ACT Aspire will be administered to students in Cohort 2030 in Spring 2027.
While ACT Aspire has been discontinued at a national level, Arizona will continue to administer the ACT Aspire Early High School assessments to students in the 9th grade cohort for the life of our contract, with support provided by Pearson and ADE.
Resources
Pearson-hosted ACT Aspire Support Website (visit and bookmark for detailed information, tutorials, manuals, and additional resources)
2026-2027 Achievement Tests Staff Security Agreement - Coming Soon
Contact Pearson Customer Support for ACT Aspire: 1-888-705-9421, Option 4 or Contact Support
Contact ADE's Achievement Assessments team at [email protected].
Spring 2027 Test Windows Coming Soon
Spring 2027 Testing Mode
The Achievement Testing Mode Application will be open in ADEConnect in Fall 2026.
All Achievement testing (ACT Aspire, ACT, AzSCI, and AASA) is, by default, administered to students by computer.
Requests for schools to administer paper tests must be submitted by Achievement District Test Coordinators in ADEConnect during the designated window. Requests must provide an explanation of special circumstances for which paper testing is needed.
No action needs to be taken if school site(s) will administer computer-based assessments in Spring 2027.
The following Special Paper Version (SPV) test formats are available to meet the needs of students who cannot access the test content through computer-based testing: braille, large print, and regular print paper. ACT Aspire SPV tests must be administered during the shorter paper-based testing window, including all ACT Aspire SPV tests that are administered in computer-based testing schools.
SPV test requests must be submitted to ADE for review and approval September 14, 2026 - February 5, 2027.
2026-2027 Special Paper Version Quick Guide - Coming Soon
2026-2027 Special Paper Version Request Form - Coming Soon
ACT Aspire Accessibility Supports Guide
Additional Accommodation Requests must be submitted to ADE for review and approval September 14, 2026 - February 5, 2027.
- Refer to the ACT Aspire Accessibility Supports Guide for details about accommodations that must be submitted and those that do not require a request.
- Speech-to-Text is available as an accommodation for ACT Aspire that may be requested. Speech-to-Text requires a paper test and a 1:1 administration during the shorter paper-based testing window.
2026-2027 Additional Accommodations Request Quick Guide - Coming Soon
2026-2027 Additional Accommodations Request Form - Coming Soon
- To access Exemplars, scroll to the bottom of the screen and select "Exemplars." Next, select the content area, followed by the Exemplar for "Early High School Grade 9 & 10."
- A username and password are not needed to access the Exemplars and Tutorial.
- Online Exemplars are intended to provide students with experience navigating TestNav and interacting with the various test item formats. The online Exemplars are not meant to be scored, and a full answer key is not provided.
Exemplar Booklets - Each booklet describes reporting categories, standards, depth-of-knowledge levels, and correct responses.
Room Supervisor Manual - Online Testing
Room Supervisor Manual - Paper Testing
Spring 2027 ACT Aspire Schedule of Events - Coming Fall 2026
Arizona State Standards Alignment Guide for the ACT and ACT Aspire Early High School
- The ACT Aspire has been removed from ACT's Calculator Policy document, but the policy will apply to Arizona's administration of ACT Aspire for Grade 9 students.
ACT Aspire Spring 2026
May 22, 2026 - Electronic reports available in PearsonAccessnext
June 11, 2026 - Paper copies of score reports delivered to districts and charters
ACT Aspire Student Performance File (SPF) Layout (updated February 2025)
ACT Aspire Summative Reports Index
Interpretive Guide for ACT Aspire Summative Reports