| 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. | Students use any computer with a Windows™ operating system. Minimum specifications are easily met. |
| Results are provided to the department within 10 working 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 7-10 days after receipt of confirmation testing is complete. |
| Students must remain through the full time of 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. |
| Materials must be secured onsite and returned to PACAT whether or not used. | ACAT Online: Departments can distribute authentication codes to remote proctoring 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 and must be reurned. No refunds are given for unused tests returned to PACAT. | Students using a valid authentication code will always get the current ACAT version regardless of the year in which the code was issued. |
| Campuses must order their tests specifically for each campus location or program. They should make sure that each program or remote site knows and uses their correct institution code. | Authentication codes are keyed to individual institution codes. Campuses must order their tests separately for each institution code they have been assigned and distribute the codes to students accordingly. |
| Orders processed less than 10 working days prior to administration are assessed a rush processing fee in addition to expedited shipping costs. Orders received after 12:00 Noon (Central) may not be processed until the following business day. | Orders processed up to the day prior to administration (M-F) are filled by email without a rush processing fee. Orders received after 12:00 Noon (Central) may not be processed until the next business day. |