MyACT Troubleshooting Guide

Troubleshooting Guide

February 18, 2021

Each student taking ACT State/District testing will need a MyACT account to complete non-test information.

Accessing a MyACT account can vary depending on each student’s possible prior access to an ACT online

account and the student may encounter different scenarios or messages when trying to complete their non-test

information. Please refer to this when assisting students and provide this document to them if needed. If school

staff has any questions, please contact us using the contact us form for state and district testing staff.

Queuing

ACT has implemented a queuing system to help with access in MyACT.

When students go to MyACT to sign in, if the access threshold has been

met, they will receive a pop-up letting them know how many students

might be ahead of them and anticipated wait time. The queuing system

will allow the next group of students into the system each minute and

they will go directly to the sign in screen. Please instruct students not to

exit from this page as they may lose their place in the queue. It will be

possible for students in the same room to have different spots in the

queue.

Creating MyACT Accounts

• Students creating accounts will need access to text or email for

verification purpose.

• Verification emails are sent from identity-s[email protected] with

the subject Action Required: Activate ACT Account. Students

should check spam/junk folders if they don’t see it in their inbox.

• Students creating MyACT accounts will have 24 hours to use their verification email/code.

• Students who do not have a personal email or cell phone can use a parent account.

• MyACT will time out after 60 minutes of inactivity.

If the student...

Then the student should...

Is creating a new MyACT

Account for the first time.

Note: If using a school email,

consider having it updated to a

personal email before

graduating.

1. Go to MyACT.org

2. Select Create MyACT account.

3. Select I'm new! Let's get started.

4. Enter the prompted information to create a new MyACT account.

5. Use this MyACT account to enter non-test information.

Had a previous ACT Student

web account but does not yet

have a MyACT account.

1. Go to MyACT.org.

2. Select Create MyACT account.

3. Select I registered or tested before.

4. Select I have accessed my scores online before.

5. Enter the user ID and password from the previous account.

6. Enter the prompted information to create a new MyACT account.

7. Use this MyACT account to enter non-test information

Is logging in to an

existing MyACT account.

1. Go to MyACT.org.

2. Enter the login credentials to the MyACT account.

3. Use this MyACT account to enter non-test information.

Is wanting to create an account

to find their scores.

1. Go to MyACT.org.

2. Select Create MyACT account.

3. Select I registered or tested before.

4. Select I have never accessed my scores online.

6. Enter the prompted information on the Find Your Scores screen to create a

new MyACT account. If they do not know their ACT ID, school official can

access this information in success.act.org.

7. Select Continue.

Has a last name on

the MyACT account that does

not match what the school uses.

1. If the name in PearsonAccess

is incorrect, contact the student's school

test coordinator to update the last name.

• The name change in PearsonAccess

will occur overnight and be in

effect by 8am.

2. Once the last name matches, use this MyACT account to enter non-

test information.

3. If the name on the MyACT account is incorrect (e.g. misspelling, typo):

create a new MyACT account using the correct name that matches the Non

Test Instructions for Student form.

The last name on the student’s

Non-Test Instructions for

Student form is misspelled.

1. If the Test Coordinator has corrected it in PearsonAccess

after the form

was printed, have the student use the correct spelling.

2. If the Test Coordinator has not corrected it in PearsonAccess

, they need

to do so. The update will process overnight and be in effect by 8am. The

student should use the correct spelling when creating the MyACT account.

MyACT Account Troubleshooting

Below are some scenarios that a student may encounter when trying to access a MyACT account and steps to

resolve them.

If the student...

Then…

Enters an email address and

receives message “the email [email

address] is taken.”

An account with that email address currently exists. If the email address

belongs to this student, the student should go to the log in screen and click

Forgot Password.

If the email account belongs to someone else, the student will need to use

an alternative email that can be accessed for verification purposes.

Students should check spam/junk folders if they do not see the email

shortly.

Has tested before but has not

accessed a MyACT account.

The student will need their ACT ID. It can be found:

• On the student’s paper score report

• In Success.ACT.org by the school counselor

• By contacting ACT using this contact us webform for students.

Note: the student’s ACT ID is not the same as the student’s student code.

Has a MyACT account but has

forgotten the password.

The student will go to the log in screen and select Forgot Password. The

student will need access to their email to be able to reset password. If that

email address is no longer accessible, contact ACT using this contact us

webform for students.

Students should check their spam/junk folders if they do not see the email

shortly.

Has a MyACT account but has

forgotten the User ID.

The User ID is the email address used to create the account.

Did not receive the verification email.

Verification emails are sent from identity-s[email protected]. Whitelist this

address and check spam/junk folders.

Already has an account in MyACT.

The student does not need to create a second account. They may use the

existing MyACT account to submit non-test information. They should

complete step 4 of the Non-Test Instructions for Student and skip step 5.

Mistakenly uses the ACT ID in the

Enter Student Code Field.

The student will receive an error saying the student code is not found. The

ACT ID is not the same as the student code. The student code can be

found in the top right corner of the Non-Test Instructions for Student form.

Error Messages in MyACT

Below are common error messages that a student may encounter when trying to enter the student code and steps

to resolve them.

Message

Details

Next Steps

This student code has

already been matched

to your account and

cannot be used twice

The student code has already been used by

this student.

If a student hasn’t completed non-test

information, click on the Continue option

in the Don’t Forget Your Unfinished

Registration banner.

Student Code is

Already Claimed

This either means:

1. The code was used by another student.

2. The non-test window has closed.

Contact ACT for assistance by using this

Student Code Not

Found

This either means:

1. Last Name and student code do not

match ACT data.

2. Student code is not in ACT database.

1. Compare data in PearsonAccess

information with Non-Test Instruction

Student form.

2. If data was added or updated in

PearsonAccess

, wait overnight for

ACT systems to update.

3. Have student try again.

Unexpected Error,

Please Try Again

An unexpected error has occurred.

Wait and have students try again.

Student Code Usage

Below are some scenarios that a student may encounter when entering the student code and providing the non-

test information.

Scenario

Action

After the Non-Test Window

Closes…

Student has NOT used their Student

Code

Student can use their Student Code

up to 2 days after testing to enter

their non-test information

If student attempts to use student

code after the 2 days post-testing,

they will receive error message “This

student code has already been

matched to your account and cannot

be used twice”. If they do not

receive this error message, they can

complete the non-test information

questions.

Student has ENTERED their student

code, but hasn’t completed the non-

test and college choices

Student will see the Continue

Registration banner at the top of the

home page. Student can complete

their non-test information.

• Continue – will take the student

back to where they left off.

• If student attempts to click on

student code, they will receive

the message “Student Code is

Already Claimed”

The Continue Registration banner

will be removed, and the student will

see the Scores Pending or Scores

option.

Student has FINISHED the non-test

information

After submitting non-test

information student will have the

options to Update Responses or

Edit Score Recipients.

Update Responses and Edit Score

Recipients options will be removed,

and student will see the Scores

Pending or Scores option.

Non-Test Profile Complete, Interest Inventory Incomplete

Students who completed the non-test profile portion and did not select any college choices will see the following

screen. To complete the Interest Inventory, the student will need to click on Plans and complete their Interest

Inventory, this is called out in the How to Use Your Student Code for State and District Testing video.

Students who completed the non-test profile portion and selected college choices will see the following screen.

Those students will need to click on Launch Interest Inventory to complete their information.