One-on-One Testing
General Information About One-on-One Testing
Is it time for you or your student to take a practice test? This page will walk you through how to access and use the materials you’ll need to complete your test.
We offer practice tests under two types of administration: proctored by one of our staff via regularly scheduled Zoom meetings, or self-proctored by the student or a family member on a day of the student’s choosing. The Zoom rooms are hosted every Saturday and Sunday, and testing begins at 9:00am CST. Over the summer, we additionally offer a reduced selection of proctored rooms on Wednesday mornings, also at 9:00am CST.
Once you or your student has been assigned a practice test by a tutor or 1-on-1 Director, you will receive an email containing a few key materials. With those materials at hand, follow the steps on this page to set yourself up for success on test day. The materials and actions required to complete both Zoom-proctored and self-proctored administrations are outlined below. The information on this page applies to both types of administration except where noted.
Getting Started:
What Students Need to Do Before Test Day
For all 1-on-1 testing, you will need access to your MyAcademicApproach profile. You will use your profile to submit your answers for grading.
If you have never logged in to your profile before, here is a short guide to assist you in first-time-account setup: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Afynce_2IfI3FSz7SrE1us9awWMJ0P5hJmq45RXsb3Y/edit?usp=sharing
If you have previously logged in to your profile, you can follow this link: https://www.myacademicapproach.com
On that page, enter your username and password. For most of our students, your username will be your email address. Your password is set by you at account activation (see the guide above).
*For some of our students who may have taken an Academic Approach practice test at their schools, the username and password may have been set by the school. If you are unable to log in, you should try your school email address and the password they provided to you for your most recent testing event. You can also reset your password at any time by clicking “Forgot Password” on the login page.
Once you have logged in successfully, your practice test response form can be found by navigating to “Full-Length Practice Tests”.
You may see multiple response forms on this page. There will be one that matches the name of the test sent to you in the testing materials email. You don’t need to click anything else now—when it’s time to test, you’ll access this form to enter your answers. The proctor or self-proctoring instructions will guide you on test day.
Among the materials in the email you received, there will be a link to your assigned test booklet. This is the booklet you’ll use on test day.
For some of our tests, printing is enabled. However, we are not able to offer printing for all our tests. If your test form allows printing and you want to print your test, make sure to print it before the day of testing to avoid delays. If you prefer not to, are not able to, or the PDF does not allow you to print the test booklet, you’ll need to open the PDF on a device connected to the internet on the day of the test.
You may enter your responses directly into the virtual response form as you test, and the proctor/self-proctoring instructions will instruct you. You may alternatively print the bubble sheet that you received in the testing materials email. If you want to use the printed bubble sheet, remember to print it before test day.
Important Note: If you do not record your answers directly into the virtual response form in your MyAA account during testing, you must copy your answers into that form to submit them. If you do not submit your responses through your MyAA account, your test will not be graded.
If you are joining one of our proctored rooms, you will need to use a Zoom account. Make sure you can log in to a Zoom account prior to test day. Zoom accounts are free, and you can create your own here if you do not already have access to one: https://zoom.us/freesignup/
If you are self-proctoring your test, you will not need access to Zoom.
Test Day: What to Expect
Whether you’re self-proctoring or attending a Zoom room, here’s a checklist to help you settle in for the administration:
Make sure you have a calculator (if your test allows), a piece of scratch paper, a few pencils, a bottle of water, and some healthy snacks.
It is good practice to wear a watch to keep track of time independently of the proctor. There will be a few verbal warnings for time remaining on each section, but time management is completely up to you.
Set yourself up somewhere quiet and free from distraction.
Check that the devices you are using to access your testing materials are connected to the internet (if necessary).
Let everyone in your home know you’ll be testing so they can avoid accidental disruptions.
For the official test administration, you will likely be required to wear a mask for the entire test. It may be a good idea to practice wearing a mask for your practice test to get used to testing with the mask on.
For those students self-proctoring
If you are self-proctoring or you have a family member serving as your proctor, you’re ready to take your test! Get your test booklet and method of recording responses ready, and open the proctoring instructions sent to you in the testing materials email. Follow the instructions to complete your test and submit your responses.
For those students attending the Zoom rooms
If you’re attending one of the Zoom proctored rooms, you’re almost there! The following instructions will help you get connected to the Zoom room for the administration.
First, complete the following:
Log into your MyAcademicApproach account. You do not need to click anything, just make sure you’re logged in and looking at your dashboard.
Access your testing materials. If you printed the test booklet and/or bubble sheet, have them ready. If you are viewing a PDF of your test booklet on a device, have it open to the title page.
Don’t forget to keep a calculator (if allowed for your test), a piece of scratch paper, some pencils, a bottle of water, and some healthy snacks nearby for the breaks.
The testing rooms are open by 8:40am CST on the test date. You can connect to the room by doing the following:
Log in to your Zoom account.
Locate the Meeting Link and Password that were shared with you in the testing materials email.
Paste the Meeting Link and Password into their respective fields on the Zoom app’s “Join a Meeting” page to connect.
Once you have connected to the waiting room, the proctor will admit you and mark your attendance.
Your microphone will be muted for the duration of the test to avoid distracting other students. If you need to contact the proctor for any reason, use the Chat function to direct message the proctor. You are not required to keep your camera on for the test.
Your proctor will guide you through the administration. To most closely simulate an actual administration, you should follow what they say exactly and stop working exactly when they call time.
Submitting Responses
Don’t forget that you must submit your responses via the virtual response form in your MyAA account regardless of how you recorded your answers during testing. If you use the response form in your account during the test, the proctor will tell you when to click submit for each section. If you will be transferring your answers into the response form in your account after testing has concluded, you don’t need to click anything during the test administration. After the test, when you are accessing the virtual response form and entering your answers, remember to click “Submit” at the bottom of each section to ensure your responses are saved completely.
Essays
If your tutor or 1-on-1 Director has assigned you an essay to complete, the essay prompt and printable response paper will be included in the testing materials email. Note that the essay portion of the test will not be proctored via Zoom. All essays must be self-proctored. Refer to the information below to determine the timing of your essay.
ACT – 40 minutes, no breaks
SAT – 50 minutes, no breaks
To complete your essay, print the response paper and the essay prompt. Begin the timer, and follow the instructions on the essay prompt, recording your essay on the response paper. Once you have completed your essay, you should email high-quality images of the essay to mary.fitzgerald@aapproachstg.wpengine.com for grading.
Essays are graded once a week on Sunday afternoons, and your tutor will receive the score and share it with you.
Support
If you are having difficulties connecting to the Zoom meeting room, viewing your test materials, finding your virtual response form, logging into your account, or any other issue over the weekend that requires immediate support, please email DoLisha, our weekend support person, at dolisha.miller@aapproachstg.wpengine.com or call our office (number listed below) to be connected to her.
If you have a question about the process of testing or are encountering any issues with your account or materials during our business hours (Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm CST), you can reach us via phone at (773) 348-8914, or you can email Tommy at tommy.defrancisco@aapproachstg.wpengine.com.
After the Test
Once you’ve submitted your responses to the form within your profile, they’ll be graded by our system within the hour. Your tutor or a 1-on-1 Director will reach out to you with the results.