Achievement Testing Mode
All statewide achievement tests (AASA, AzSCI, ACT Aspire, and ACT) are administered online by default. If any school wishes to switch to paper-based testing for any of the statewide achievement tests, the Achievement District Test Coordinator must indicate this change in the Achievement Testing Mode Application in ADEConnect, September 8 - October 3, 2025. Requests for paper-based testing will apply to the entire school. Due to the passing of HB2540, schoolwide requests will require explanation of special circumstances for which paper-based testing is needed. An email will be sent to all Achievement District Test Coordinators when the application is open and to provide additional information.
Please note that all AzSCI paper tests are administered as Special Paper Version tests and require that all student responses be key-entered in TestNav by the Test Administrator prior to the end of the AzSCI test window.
PearsonAccess Next and TestNav
All of the statewide achievement tests, including AASA (Grades 3-8), AzSCI (Grades 5, 8, 11/Cohort 2027), ACT Aspire (Grade 9/Cohort 2029), and ACT (Grade 11/Cohort 2027), will utilize the PearsonAccess Next and TestNav platforms in Spring 2026.
We had previously announced that ACT would transition from PearsonAccess Next to ACT Now in Spring 2026; however, ACT has determined that additional time is necessary before Arizona moves to ACT Now. Therefore, the transition from ACT PearsonAccess Next to ACT Now for the statewide ACT test administration has been delayed until Spring 2027. Arizona's statewide ACT test administration will remain in PearsonAccess Next for Spring 2026.
There are three distinct PearsonAccess Next websites, linked below. TestNav technical requirements are also included below.
Dates that each PearsonAccess Next site will open for the Spring 2026 test administration tasks to begin are listed below:
ACT - November 3, 2025
AASA - December 17, 2025
ACT Aspire - January 14, 2026
AzSCI - January 28, 2026
TestNav Technical Requirements
The new version of TestNav (Version 8.25) has been released.
For the most up-to-date TestNav information, please visit Pearson's
Technical Bulletins webpage. In addition, please visit the following TestNav System Requirements webpages.
Special Paper Version Test Formats
Arizona offers three paper test formats to meet the needs of students who cannot access the test content through computer-based testing. Requests for Special Paper Version tests for AASA, AzSCI, or ACT Aspire must be submitted to ADE for review and approval September 10, 2025 - February 6, 2026. Submissions must include pages of the student's current IEP or 504 Plan that indicate the need for a Special Paper Version of the test.
Braille Test Booklets - The student's IEP or 504 Plan must document the need for braille materials for instruction and assessment. A braille test kit will include directions for administering the braille assessment.
Large Print Paper Test Booklets (18 pt. font on paper sized 14" x 18") - The student's IEP or 504 Plan must document the need for large print materials for instruction and assessment. Please note that this is an enlarged font of the regular print paper test booklet; however, the amount of text and images per page is the same as the regular test booklet. Unless a student regularly has reading and math instructional materials enlarged, the student may benefit from using the Zoom feature in the online test rather than the large print paper test. The student should be provided opportunities to try out the Zoom feature within the TestNav sample tests to determine if online magnification will meet their needs. Using the keyboard buttons CTRL and +, the student can access the Zoom feature and enlarge the entire screen. If the Zoom feature does not meet the student's needs, a large print test booklet may be requested.
Regular Print Paper Test Booklets - A student who cannot access the computer for classroom work due to injury, medical condition, or visual impairments may need a paper test in lieu of taking the test with peers on the computer. The student's IEP or 504 Plan must clearly indicate how the teachers accommodate the student's needs in class and the restrictions the student has when using technology. Examples include no more than xx minutes of screen time per day, must have a significant break after xx minutes, no computer usage at all, etc.
Due to the passing of HB2540, a school district or charter school may administer a Special Paper Version test on request by a student's parent or guardian. The parent may not submit the request directly to ADE but may submit the request to the school, district, or charter. When a school, district, or charter submits the request to ADE, documentation of the parent's request must be uploaded in the request form.
More information about Special Paper Version test requests for AASA, AzSCI, and ACT Aspire will be sent to District Test Coordinators prior to the request window opening.
Additional Accommodations Requests
The following additional accommodations requests must be submitted to ADE for review and approval. The window for submitting these additional accommodations requests is September 10, 2025 - February 6, 2026. Please note that hearing devices / hearing assistive technology requiring a Bluetooth connection no longer need to be submitted to ADE for review and approval. Guidance for testing with Bluetooth-enabled hearing devices will be provided in the Achievement Assessments Accommodations Manual (coming soon).
AASA and/or AzSCI
- American Sign Language (ASL) form of the test
- Computer-based test in a paper-based testing school
- Assistive Technology that is not included in the Achievement Assessments Accommodations Manual
- Testing accommodations requested due to a student injury as described in the Achievement Assessments Accommodations Manual
ACT Aspire
- American Sign Language (ASL): Full Translation - This accommodation requires a paper test, one-to-one test administration, and must be administered during the shorter paper-based testing window.
- Please note: The American Sign Language (ASL): Directions Only accommodation does not require a request be submitted to ADE.
- Computer-based test in a paper-based testing school
- Speech-to-Text - This accommodation requires a paper test, one-to-one test administration, and must be administered during the shorter paper-based testing window.
ACT Updates
Schools may utilize both ACT test windows in order to assess all Cohort 2027 students. Schools are encouraged to administer ACT during the first test window and may also use the second test window, as needed, to complete any makeup testing, Please note that the ACT test windows are two distinct test windows. Any students with approved accommodations for testing over multiple days must complete testing within the same test window in which they begin testing.
Schools administering ACT online may use any of the online test days to complete testing. Schools administering ACT on paper may only administer paper tests on the designated paper test dates but may use the additional online test dates for makeup testing.
Any schools that choose to administer the ACT during only the second test window will not have an additional ACT test window to use for makeup testing. Test window selection must be made by test coordinators in ACT's PearsonAccess Next platform in November 2025.
ACT Enhancements
The ACT Enhancements will be in effect for the Spring 2026 statewide ACT test administration and are summarized below.
- Science will continue to be included as part of the Arizona statewide ACT test administration. This will allow students to receive an ACT STEM score on their reports. Students in the 11th grade cohort (Cohort 2027) will also take AzSCI in Spring 2026.
- Writing will continue to be included as part of the Arizona statewide ACT test administration in Spring 2026 and is required for students to receive an ELA score.
- Beginning in September 2025, the ACT composite score will be comprised of the English, Math, and Reading test scores for all ACT tests administered, including national, district, and state testing. Therefore, the composite scores reported for the Spring 2026 statewide assessment will include English, Math, and Reading scores only. Science will no longer be included in the ACT composite score but will continue to be included in the ACT STEM score.
- Schools will have the flexibility to administer Science and Writing on a different day than English, Math, and Reading are administered, if needed. When using this flexibility, all test units must be completed within the same test window. Schools may also continue to administer all test units on the same testing day, if preferred. ACT and ADE will provide additional information about this testing flexibility soon.
- English, Math, and Reading must be administered on the same day.
- Schools testing online may administer Science and Writing on a subsequent day in the same testing window.
- Schools testing on paper may administer Science and Writing on the Wednesday following their Tuesday standard-time paper administration.
- The ACT enhancements include fewer test items overall and more time per test item. Additional information is available on ACT's Test Enhancements webpage. An on-demand webinar is also available, as well as a Comparison of the Legacy and Enhanced ACT Test.
- New full-length practice tests reflect the enhancements and additional sample questions. ACT also provides additional free test prep resources.
- Arizona's ACT cut scores will remain unchanged.
ACT Webinars - Save the Date
ACT and ADE have scheduled the following webinars for test coordinators in preparation for Spring 2026 testing. All District Test Coordinators with Cohort 2027 students are expected to attend each webinar or view the webinar recording after it is posted on the
ACT-hosted website. Important updates for 2025-2026 testing will be presented. Webinar registration links are coming soon!
- Accommodations - October 22, 2025, 9:00am
- Test Administration #1 - November 5, 2025, 9:00am
- Test Administration #2 - February 18, 2026, 9:00am
