Have you ever wished you could see the answer key after you finish a standardized test? With ACT Test Information Release (TIR), you can! This service allows you to request a copy of your test questions and answers. If you took the ACT with the essay (the Writing test) you’ll also get the scoring rubric and the scores assigned to you by two readers.
However, there are some limitations on this service. Obviously the ACT needs to carefully control the release of any official test questions. Questions that one student receives could also appear on another student’s test. If question sets and answer keys from a recent ACT exam get leaked to the public, students could cheat by memorizing questions and answers they may see on their own exams!
At the same time, the ACT wants to be fair to people who take the exam. Test takers should have a chance to see why their exam received the score it did. Examinees should be allowed to review what they got wrong and right, and check the answer key to see just how their score was calculated.
The ACT’s solution is to offer the Test Information Release service on a limited set of testing days.
When is ACT Test Information Release Available?
The ACT offers TIR service for exams taken in June and December. You can see the specific TIR testing dates for the current school year on the official ACT Test Information Release page.
You’ll get your Test Information Release sooner if you order it before your test, but if you choose to do so after, you have to order it within five days of your test date if you order online or six months of your test date if you order by mail. If you order TIR before the test, you’ll receive a test booklet and answer key four weeks after scores are released. Or, if you order it after you take the ACT, you’ll receive it three to five weeks after your order is received.
What Information is Included in an ACT Test Information Release?
An ACT TIR includes the following:
- A copy of the multiple-choice test quesitons that the student answered during the exam
- A list of the answers the student gave
- An answer key
If a test-taker who requests a TIR also took the optional ACT Essay test, the TIR will additionally contain:
- The original essay prompt
- The essay scoring rubric
- The scores given to the ACT essay by two different ACT scorers
How Much Does the ACT Test Information Release Cost?
ACT Test Information Release costs $20. The ACT fee for TiR is paid at the time you register for the ACT on a qualifying TIR date. (If you pay a TIR fee for a non-TIR test date, the fee will be automatically refunded.)
Paying the TIR fee does not automatically get you a Test Information Release. You also need to fill out and mail in the official ACT Test Information Release request form.
How Do I Use the ACT Test Information Release Report?
Test day is a BLUR. You can gain really valuable insights by going through the exact test you took later on. This service is something I highly recommend to all students who can use it in time to prepare for a retake. For example, by going through the test booklet and your answers, you can determine:
- Did you make silly mistakes?
- Is there a pattern in questions you missed?
- Was your timing off anywhere?
In addition, it’s highly unlikely you remember all of the questions from your test. You can “retake” your test for more practice with official, recent ACT tests!
Still have questions? Kristin explains more about the TIR in the video below.
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