EXPLORE is an every-student program that assesses the academic progress of eighth graders, helps them explore the wide range of career options, and assists them in developing a high school coursework plan. EXPLORE can function as a stand-alone program or as a point of entry into the American College Testing (ACT) Program's Educational Planning and Assessment System, an integrated series of assessments that includes EXPLORE, PLAN, the ACT Assessment, the Work Keys assessment, and a comprehensive monitoring and reporting system called AIM. EXPLORE contains four multiple-choice tests, English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning, which are designed to measure students' curriculum-related knowledge and the complex cognitive skills important for future education and careers. National norms for these tests are made available. Students who take EXPLORE are also asked to provide information about their interests, needs, current education and career plans, and selected background characteristics. Supplemental materials for parents and students and score reports help make EXPLORE results useful to students and their families, as well as to teachers, administrators, and counselors. (SLD)