ACT Security & Integrity 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A test administrator receives test materials two days before the scheduled ACT test date. How should these materials be stored?
- In a locked, secure location with restricted access until test day (Correct answer)
- In the main office filing cabinet accessible to all school staff
- In the test administrator's personal vehicle to ensure they have them on test day
- In any locked room within the school building
Correct answer: In a locked, secure location with restricted access until test day
ACT test materials must be stored in a locked, secure location with access restricted only to authorized personnel until distribution on test day.
Question 2: What should a test administrator do if they discover that a test booklet has been compromised (e.g., pages are torn or content is altered)?
- Use tape to repair the booklet and allow the student to continue
- Replace the booklet with a new one and document the damaged booklet (Correct answer)
- Allow the student to share a booklet with a neighbor
- Cancel the student's test scores for that section
Correct answer: Replace the booklet with a new one and document the damaged booklet
A compromised booklet should be replaced with an intact one, and the damaged booklet must be documented and returned to ACT with the irregularity report.
Question 3: During the ACT English section, a student loudly protests that the time called is wrong and refuses to stop writing. What is the correct action?
- Allow the student extra time to avoid a disturbance
- Firmly instruct the student to stop, document the incident, and contact ACT if the student continues (Correct answer)
- Subtract points from the student's score immediately
- Remove all testing materials from the entire room
Correct answer: Firmly instruct the student to stop, document the incident, and contact ACT if the student continues
The administrator must enforce time limits firmly, and if the student refuses to comply, the incident must be documented as an irregularity and ACT notified.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of an accommodation that requires prior ACT approval before it can be provided?
- Providing a student with a sharpened pencil
- Allowing a student extended time on all sections (Correct answer)
- Seating a student near a window for better lighting
- Allowing a student to take a water bottle into the testing room
Correct answer: Allowing a student extended time on all sections
Extended time is a testing accommodation that must be pre-approved by ACT before test day; administering it without approval constitutes a security irregularity.
Question 5: A proctor observes a student turning pages in the test booklet to look ahead at future sections during the Reading test. What should the proctor do?
- Ignore it since the student cannot write answers in another section
- Quietly instruct the student to return to the current section and document the observation (Correct answer)
- Immediately dismiss the student from the testing room
- Allow the student to continue since turning pages is not explicitly prohibited
Correct answer: Quietly instruct the student to return to the current section and document the observation
Students may only work in the designated section during the allotted time; looking ahead at future sections is a violation that must be addressed and documented.
Question 6: What is the significance of the unique form codes printed on ACT test booklets?
- They identify the printing vendor for quality control
- They allow ACT to track which test form each student received for security auditing (Correct answer)
- They indicate the difficulty level assigned to each testing room
- They are used solely for inventory management at the distribution center
Correct answer: They allow ACT to track which test form each student received for security auditing
Form codes allow ACT to track which specific test version was given to each student, enabling detection of irregularities and ensuring security accountability.
Question 7: After the ACT test is complete, when is it permissible for a test administrator to discuss specific test content with colleagues?
- Immediately after testing ends for the day
- Only after ACT publicly releases that specific test form
- After one week has passed since the test date
- Never, as all ACT test content is permanently confidential (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Never, as all ACT test content is permanently confidential
ACT test content is permanently confidential and may never be discussed by test administrators, as forms may be reused across administrations.
ACT Security & Integrity 3
A test administrator receives test materials two days before the scheduled ACT test date.
How should these materials be stored?