| 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. | ACAT Online and ACAT-N codes purchased after August 1, 2025, will expire 36 months after they are released. Codes purchased prior to August 1, 2025, will expire 72 months after they were initially released. We provide lists of unused codes on request and with all new orders. |
| 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. |