| ACAT Pencil and Paper | ACAT Online/ACAT-N |
| Questions are presented 10-14 on a page. | Questions are presented one at a time. |
| Students use standard bubble sheets. For some students accuracy on this medium can present a challenge. | Students use any computer with a Windows™ operating system and Internet Explorer™, Firefox™, or Google Chrome™ web browsers. Minimum specifications are easily met. |
| Results are provided to the department approximately 10-14 days after receipt of the answer forms by PACAT. | Departments can allow students to see their scores immediately on completion of the test. Departments can also elect to receive scores by e-mail when students finish testing. Complete reports are sent approximately 7 days after receipt of confirmation testing is complete. |
| Students sit through the full time limit for the test. | ACAT Online: At the discretion of the proctor, students may leave when they are finished.
ACAT-N: Students may complete and exit the test at any time until the limit is reached. |
| Departments can send tests to remote sites by mail for students who are not on their main campus. Materials must be secured onsite, retrieved, and returned to PACAT. | ACAT Online: Departments can distribute authentication codes to remote sites by email. There are no materials to be returned.
ACAT-N: Departments distribute authentication codes and self-administration instructions to individual students. There are no materials to be returned. |
| Paper ACATs expire on May 31 of each year and cannot be used after that date. No refunds are given for unused tests returned to PACAT. | Authentication codes do not expire. Students using a valid authentication code will always take the current version of the ACAT. |
| Multi-sited campuses must order their tests specifically by campus location or must insure that each remote site knows and uses the correct code. | Students from multi-sited institutions select their campus code from an on-screen list that appears when they begin the test. Codes are generic and can be used by any site. |
| Orders placed less than 10 working days prior to administration are assessed a rush processing fee in addition to expedited shipping costs. | Orders received by 10 a.m. (CT) on the day prior to administration (M-F) are filled by email without a rush processing fee. |