Testing Information

Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) preACT

March 2026

Dear Parents/Guardians of sophomores:

This letter provides important information about required testing and our schedule on Wednesday, April 15 and Thursday, April 16.

Highland Park High School will administer the PreACT Secure to all sophomores on Wednesday, April 15.  Only students with an accommodation that requires two day testing will continue testing on Thursday, April 16  The Illinois State Board of Education requires the PreACT Secure for the class 2028, so we encourage you to ensure that your student is in attendance on this day.

Testing will begin at 8:20 a.m. and end at various times.  Normal morning bus routes will run, and there will be afternoon bus routes for students based on the time they finish.  This document provides information related to end times and bus departure times.  The cafeteria will be open for breakfast and lunch with a limited selection.

Students testing with standard time will test in their Homeroom.  Specific information will be shared by Homeroom teachers closer to the day of the test.  Students testing with accommodations that require an alternate location (not Homeroom) will receive a separate, individual letter providing specific information related to their testing location and their accommodations.  Only accommodations approved by, and on file with, ACT can be utilized for this assessment.  

This year all PreACT testing will be digital.  Students are highly encouraged to use their District 113 issued Chromebook.  While it is possible to use a personal device, HPHS will NOT be able to provide technology support to those students who use a device other than their District 113 Chromebook.  If they decide to take the assessment on a personal device, they must download the TestNav application by following the steps detailed on the Pearson TestNav website.  The TestNav application utilized for testing is installed and managed by our District 113 Technology Department on District issued Chromebooks, so students using Chromebooks do not need to download anything. 

Also, all students must complete the TestNav App Check on their Chromebook before testing.  We will provide opportunities for students to complete this in Homeroom, but some students may still need to complete it by following these instructions.  

There are a few important aspects to note about the digital nature of the assessment.  

• The testing application provides a built in calculator which is available to all students.  Students are permitted to use handheld calculators, however, there are limitations to the types of calculators that can be used.  That information can be found in the ACT Calculator Policy. 
• The application will track and display the timing of the test on each individual student screen.
• Extended time accommodations are built into the application and provided to students automatically. 

There are no classes on Wednesday, April 15 or Thursday, April 16.  If a student does not have to test on Thursday, they do not have to attend school.  On both days, as soon as a student is finished with testing, they may leave. 

Please contact your counselor or Assistant Principal Matt Wallace (mwallace@dist113.org) with any questions or concerns.

Advanced Placement 2026 - Important Ordering Information:

The November 13, 2025 exam ordering deadline has passed. Please review the "Late Registration Request" details below.

What are Advanced Placement (AP) exams? 

Advanced Placement (AP) tests are college-level exams on specific subjects given by College Board. HPHS students who are enrolled in AP courses are strongly encouraged to take the exam in May 2026, as students who score a 3 or above can earn college credit at many colleges and universities. In addition, students who self-study for an exam (that is, they are not currently taking the corresponding AP course at HPHS but are studying on their own) can also sit for the exam. 

AP Exams Formats in May 2026

Like last year, most 2026 AP Exams will be delivered digitally (fully digital or hybrid digital) through Bluebook. The remaining AP Exams will be administered through other modes of testing. Click the link for more information on AP Exams: How Are They Administered?. 

When and where are the May 2026 exams being administered?

• Exams will be administered between May 4-15, 2026 at Highland Park High School. 

Registration for AP Exams

• Students log on to their College Board account. We recommend using your D113 email address (not your parents' email). Students should create an account if they do not have one already.
• Students "join" all their AP courses. AP Teachers have a list of join codes for their particular class and period. 
• Here are instructions for joining an AP class as well as a “Join Your AP Section” video tutorial.
• **By joining each section, you are automatically registered for the AP exam. There are no other steps. Applicable exam fees will be automatically added to Infinite Campus later this fall. 
• If you do not intend to take the test, you MUST complete the “AP Exam Opt Out Request (2026)” by November 13, 2025. There is no cancellation fee if you complete the Opt Out form by November 13, 2025.

Pricing/Payment/Registration Details

• All 2026 AP exams cost $99 per exam if ordered by the November 13, 2025 deadline.
• All students must register for each exam using a join code provided by their AP teacher. 
• By using the join code you are automatically registered to take the test. 
• All fees for year-long courses will be added on your Infinite Campus account after the November 13 registration deadline with payment in full by March 31, 2026.
• AP exams will be free for any students currently on FRAM (Financial assistance program).
• Late Fees (all of these fees are College Board fees).
  • There will be a $40 late fee for each exam ordered and/or registered for after the November 13, 2025 deadline (This fee does not apply to exams for the few courses that are second semester courses). See details below regarding a late test registration request.  
  • There will be a $40 late fee for any canceled exam after the November 13, 2025 deadline (see details below for further information).

Accommodations

• Students “with accommodations” should check their College Board decision letters to make certain that all of the accommodations they are expecting to be tested with are available for AP tests. If they don't have their decision letters, they can log into their College Board account and view or download the letter.
• As always, students may only use accommodations that have been approved by the College Board Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office.
• Accommodation requests should be made by January 2026. For any accommodation questions, please contact Jeff Rubin (jrubin@dist113.org), our District Accommodations Coordinator.

Canceling the exam

• After November 13, 2025, you must fill out the AP Exam Cancellation Request (2026).
• If you cancel your order after the deadline of November 13, 2025, you will need to pay the $40 cancellation fee assessed by College Board. This includes students who drop a class.

Late Test Registration Request

• If you wish to request an exam after the initial ordering deadline of November 13, 2025, please complete the "AP Exam Late Registration Request" form.

Conflict Testing Request for Late Testing 

• Please use the student email address only.
• If a student has a conflict with the originally scheduled test date, please complete one AP Exam Conflict Testing Request (2026) form per exam conflict.
• The reason for requesting a conflict must fall under one of the allowable reasons per College Board (reasons are listed on the form).

Send or Get a Copy of Archived Scores

If your most recent AP exam was over four years ago, your scores are no longer viewable from the online score reporting system. Please contact the College Board directly to request an archived score. Further details can be found on the "Send or Get a Copy of Archived Scores" page.

2025-2026 School Year

SAT:  August 23, 2025

ACT: September 6, 2025

ACT: December 13, 2025

ACT: February 14, 2026

SAT: March 14, 2026

SAT: June 6, 2026

All juniors will take the school based, Illinois State Board of Education required ACT in April of 2026.  Students will take the assessment during the school day and not need to register for this assessment date.

Township High School District 113 students have the opportunity to be recognized by the State of Illinois for earning proficiency in English and one additional language.

• This is a list of the "Approved Assessments" that can be used to qualify.
• This is a list of "Post-Secondary Benefits" for the Seal of Biliteracy. 
• This is a list of "Course Credit for the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy at Public Colleges and Universities in Illinois"
• This is a "Student Guide" to the Seal of Biliteracy. 
• This is a "Parent Guide" to the Seal of Biliteracy. 
• This is a list of "Frequently Asked Questions."

Seal of Biliteracy

Awarded to students whose proficiency level is equivalent to the Intermediate High scale set by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Commendation Toward Biliteracy

Awarded to students whose proficiency level is equivalent to the Intermediate Low or Intermediate Mid scale set in a second language.

Additional Information

Please note, students who take the AAPPL test or an AP Language and Culture exam on their current course of study do not need to schedule additional testing. Scores will be processed and students will be notified in the event that they qualify for either "The Seal of Biliteracy" or "The Commendation Toward Biliteracy" during the Fall or Spring semester.

For those awaiting an ACT/SAT score to qualify, please contact Jeff Handley at jhandley@dist113.org once your score is available. 

For more information or questions, contact Castelia Castellanos at ccastellanos@dist113.org.