May 14, 2025
[IOWA CITY, IA] – More than 100,000 7th-9th grade students from across the country have earned national recognition for their achievements on the PreACT 8/9.
The PreACT Rising Stars program, in its inaugural year, honors students who score in the top half of all U.S. students who take the PreACT 8/9 assessment. That exam provides a preview of the ACT experience, along with a highly reliable prediction of how students might perform on the ACT. The information is critical in helping schools adjust learning plans and demonstrating to students that college could be within reach should they decide to pursue that path.
“More than anything, we want to support conversations between students and their families, educators, and guidance counselors about what’s next after high school, so students feel more secure about their postsecondary options,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “Students who take the PreACT also have the opportunity to share their information with colleges and scholarship agencies, which can increase their chances for early college recruitment and financial support.”
The PreACT Rise Stars program recognizes students at three levels:
- Distinguished Scholars Award, recognizing students who score in the top 5% of test takers.
- Rising Scholars Award, celebrating students who score in the top 6-15% of test takers.
- Early Scholars Award, honoring students who score in the top 16-50% of test takers.
Overall, 105,154 students from 1704 schools in 978 districts earned the recognition. Those students will be alerted by their school via email. Distinguished Scholars Award winners will receive a gold medal and certificate; Rising Scholars Award winners will receive a silver medal and certificate; and Early Scholars Award winners will receive a certificate.
An interactive tool on the PreACT Rising Stars site allows schools and districts to see the cumulative number of winners in each category.
“We created the PreACT 8/9 assessment—and the Rising Stars program—to help identify areas of academic strength and opportunity,” said Adrienne Dieball, ACT’s senior vice president of measurement research and development. “This assessment provides a starting point to postsecondary pathways, helping educators, students, and parents get a better understanding of a student’s college and career readiness earlier in their academic career.”
For more information on the PreACT Rising Stars program, visit https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/preact/rising-stars-awards.html. For more information on PreACT assessments, visit https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/preact.html.
About ACT
ACT is transforming college and career readiness pathways so that everyone can discover and fulfill their potential. Grounded in more than 65 years of research, ACT’s learning resources, assessments, research, and work-ready credentials are trusted by students, job seekers, educators, schools, government agencies, and employers in the U.S. and around the world to help people achieve their education and career goals at every stage of life. Visit us at www.act.org.
Contact: publicrelations@act.org
An interactive tool on the PreACT Rising Stars site allows schools and districts to see the cumulative number of winners in each category.
“We created the PreACT 8/9 assessment—and the Rising Stars program—to help identify areas of academic strength and opportunity,” said Adrienne Dieball, ACT’s senior vice president of measurement research and development. “This assessment provides a starting point to postsecondary pathways, helping educators, students, and parents get a better understanding of a student’s college and career readiness earlier in their academic career.”
For more information on the PreACT Rising Stars program, visit https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/preact/rising-stars-awards.html. For more information on PreACT assessments, visit https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/preact.html.
About ACT
ACT is transforming college and career readiness pathways so that everyone can discover and fulfill their potential. Grounded in more than 65 years of research, ACT’s learning resources, assessments, research, and work-ready credentials are trusted by students, job seekers, educators, schools, government agencies, and employers in the U.S. and around the world to help people achieve their education and career goals at every stage of life. Visit us at www.act.org.
Contact: publicrelations@act.org