Upcoming skill for Amazon Alexa from ACTNext will offer innovative approach to engage and prep students for the ACT test

IOWA CITY, Iowa—High school students will soon be able to use Alexa, Amazon’s cloud-based voice service, to help guide them through the ACT test process at home and even receive test prep coaching through ACT Academy, ACT’s free online learning tool and test practice program.

ACTNext, ACT’s innovation research arm, announced today it will introduce an ACT skill for Alexa, which will be available on all Alexa-enabled devices including Amazon Echo.

The skill, which is slated for beta testing and public release later this year, will be demonstrated at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 2019 Conference & Expo in Philadelphia on June 23-26. ISTE conference attendees, who include teachers, administrators and technology professionals, will be able to participate in a demonstration of the new system and can sign up to be a beta tester.

“The skill will feature a voice-based AI-assistant, bringing information about the ACT test and personalized guidance to students and parents directly into the comfort of their homes in sync with the digitalized world they are used to,” said Dr. Alina von Davier, ACT senior vice president for ACTNext. “We are very excited to bring this innovative new service to Alexa.”

Through the program, students will be able to conversationally learn more about why, when, where and how to prep for the ACT test by asking Alexa.

• Before registering for the ACT, students may ask Alexa what the test measures, when and where they may take it, and how much it costs.
• Following registration, Alexa will be able to remind them of pertinent information such as their test date and location, photo upload deadlines, what to bring on test day, acceptable calculators and test taking tips. 

The skill will connect to ACT Academy, ACT’s free online personalized learning tool and test practice program designed to help students prepare for success on the ACT and in college and career.

Students can use Alexa to enhance their ACT Academy experience which can help maximize study time, make personalized recommendations to brush up on weak academic areas and increase their core academic knowledge.

ACT Academy’s personalized feedback and resource delivery is powered by the Recommendations and Diagnostics (RAD) engine developed by ACTNext.