Exploring the ACT
DaVinci ninth graders sat the Explore practice assessment, an all-day preview of the real ACT, and talked about how it helped.
Students in the secondary level at DaVinci Academy underwent a mock test, giving them a taste of the real ACT. This Explore assessment measures the knowledge of students in the following subjects: reading, English, science, and mathematics. It also goes through an interest inventory which indicates a career path that student may be heading towards. Tenth grade classes focus on PLAN, another prep test for the ACT, focusing on students’ college readiness.
The test results give feedback on what the students excel in and what needs to be improved. The purpose is to help students plan for high school course work, college, and career. The test calculates one’s interests and academic skills to give them suggestions of career areas they’d be good in. This can help students who may not know what they would like to do, or it could help students see if they’d be able to succeed in the areas they plan to go into.
Since the test is designed to help students, DaVinci ninth graders were asked if they felt the test helped them. One ninth grader said that he felt he is already prepared for the ACT. He is proficient in retaining knowledge in class as lectures or notes are given. For studying, he focuses on tests and is sure that he is prepared for the next upcoming assignments. School environments can impact the education quality of the students who attend, and at DaVinci he says, “The counselors really help students succeed and they encourage you to go further in classes that interest you.”
Zoe Courtier also talked about the Explore ACT: “The circles were frustrating to fill in but it helps you get to know what the real ACT feels like.” She makes sure that she studies, especially in mathematics, and uses systems like multiplication charts. “They help to reduce mistakes on tests and other assignments,” she says.
The Explore ACT is targeted to assist students with academic success and give them an introduction to the actual ACT. Many students were absent the day of the test, which lasted all day on a Friday, but those who attended were given their results this month. Based on the results and opinions of students, they feel that both regular study habits and the school faculty at DaVinci Academy create an environment striving to succeed.
What became of Explore, PLAN and the ACT
Explore and PLAN were already on their way out when this story ran. ACT, Inc. announced in 2014 that it would stop offering both tests and replace them with a newer system called ACT Aspire, which first launched that spring. Some schools found Aspire more expensive than the paper tests they were used to, and ACT later added the PreACT, offered today for grades 9 to 11, with a PreACT 8/9 version for younger students.
The ACT itself has changed too. In July 2024 the company announced a shorter exam with an optional science section. Science became optional on online tests in April 2025 and on all tests in September 2025, and the composite score now averages only English, math and reading. Math questions also dropped from five answer choices to four. Scores still run from 1 to 36.
The four subjects the Explore test covered in 2016, reading, English, science and math, are the same four this article lists, though only three of them now count toward the ACT composite.
For students now using a score to narrow down where to apply, a free college finder can turn a test result into a shortlist of schools.
Questions people ask
What was the ACT Explore test?
ACT Explore was a practice assessment from ACT, Inc., usually taken in eighth or ninth grade. It tested English, math, reading and science and included an interest inventory that suggested possible career areas. It was paired with PLAN, a similar practice test given in tenth grade, as an early preview of the full ACT.
What replaced ACT Explore and PLAN?
ACT announced in 2014 that it would retire Explore and PLAN and replace them with ACT Aspire, a newer assessment system. ACT later introduced the PreACT, which serves students in grades 9 to 11, along with a PreACT 8/9 version for eighth and ninth graders.
Is the science section of the ACT still required?
No. ACT announced a shorter test in July 2024 and made science optional, first on online tests in April 2025 and then on all tests from September 2025. The composite score is now the average of English, math and reading, so the science score does not affect it.
