ACT test dates and registration

Undergraduate admissions are defined by many things: crafting college essays, gathering transcripts, and completing standardized exams. The ACT, one of the two main exams taken by high school students, is offered by ACT, Inc., an organization best known for its college-readiness exam of the same name. Over 1 million students take the ACT each year, with participation gradually growing since the start of the pandemic.

For families and students just starting their college search, many questions can arise about the ACT: where can I take the test, and where should I take it? How should I register, and how far in advance should I do so? Am I allowed to retake the ACT?

Registering for the ACT is straightforward, though knowing when to register, how many times to take it, and whether you should sign up for optional test sections requires some strategy.

ACT overview

The ACT is a standardized college admissions test that spans five sections: English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing (which is structured as an argumentative essay). All multiple-choice sections are scored on a scale between 1 and 36, while the ACT Writing section is given a score between 2 and 12.

When people discuss total ACT scores, they’re referring to the composite score: English, Math, and Reading are considered “core” ACT tests, and their scores are added and averaged to produce a score between 1 and 36. Science and Writing are optional and scored separately from the main tests. Students who wish to take the Science and/or Writing portions must select them during registration and pay the required fees.

How long is the ACT test?

In terms of length, the ACT's three required sections take a total of two hours and five minutes. If you choose to complete the optional 40-minute Science section, the test will run two hours and 45 minutes. All five sections, which include Writing, total three hours and 25 minutes.

Here’s a table so you can quickly compare how long each section is, both in minutes and by number of questions:

Knowing how long each ACT section will take will help you build an effective test-taking strategy and manage your time. It’s also important information to evaluate when registering for the exam, as each optional section adds more minutes to your testing appointment.

Other facts about the ACT:

• The Enhanced ACT, the latest edition of the ACT as of 2024, shortened the exam from about three hours to two (minus non-optional sections).
• The multiple-choice tests are now offered in a digital format (fully online), mirroring widespread changes across standardized testing, though paper tests are also available.
• As of now, the Writing test is still administered and completed on paper.
• Despite the online format, the test is not dynamic or adaptable based on performance.
• The level of rigor of the test is not meant to exceed what’s taught in standard, high school classes.

Although both the SAT and ACT are now administered digitally and considered equivalent in measuring academic preparedness, the ACT is unique in including the Science and Writing sections. While optional, these two sections give well-rounded students the chance to showcase their analytical and communication skills to potential colleges.

How to register for the ACT

Registering for the ACT takes only a few minutes. Be sure before you set a test date that you have ample time to study before then, at least three to six months:

1. Create a MyACT account at my.act.org/account.
2. Add your personal information, and check for any inaccuracies. Make sure your name matches the one on your ID.
3. Select your format (digital or traditional paper-and-pencil for the whole exam).
   1. Note that both versions may not be available at every testing site, and only the digital version is available at international test centers.
   2. For digital versions, you can either bring your own device or take the test on a provided computer.
4. Choose your test date and location. The ACT is offered between September and July of the following year at testing sites nationwide.
5. Decide whether you will take any optional ACT sections.
6. Answer any remaining sections or questions (educational background and future plans, voluntary information on disability or family background, etc.). Make sure you enter your high school’s correct information.
7. Pay the registration cost ($68-$97).

After you register, you will be able to upload a photo and access your Admission Ticket via MyACT, which is required for your testing appointment. It’s highly recommended that students register for the test early, well before the normal registration deadline. This ensures that students secure a spot at their local testing site, avoid late fees, and can request accommodations or other assistance ahead of time.

Several states mandate that all students take the ACT, including Alabama, Montana, and Wyoming. If you live in one of these states, you or your student can use those test scores to apply to colleges and universities. No separate registration process or cost is typically required, and you can decide to take either or both of the optional sections, as you would if you registered for the test independently. Exams delivered during school days are always administered digitally.

How much is the ACT? Costs and associated fees

When signing up for your test, knowing the current ACT exam fees can help you plan ahead and manage expenses. The standard ACT registration fee is $68 and covers basic test registration without the optional Science or Writing sections. This includes score reports for you, your or your child’s high school, and up to four colleges of your choice. For just $4, you can add the ACT Science section to your test. If you wish to include the ACT Writing section at registration ($25), the total ACT cost rises to $93 or $97, depending on whether you’re also taking Science.

Additional fees can apply during the ACT registration process, depending on your specific needs:

• Change fee: $49 (If you need to add or remove the ACT Science or Writing section after your original registration, or if you need to reschedule)
• Late registration: $42 (Charged for registering during the late registration window for a national test date)
• Standby testing: $72 (Applies if you register after the late deadline through standby testing for a national test date, and will be refunded to you if you are turned away at a testing site)
• Score reports to 5th and 6th colleges: $20 (Must be paid at the time of registration to send score reports to an additional fifth or sixth college).
• Additional score reports: $20 each (For each extra score report sent to colleges beyond the sixth, which can be purchased after registration)
• ACT My Answer Key (TIR): $36-$44 (Receive a digital copy of your actual test questions, answer choices, and answer key for in-depth review, at a discount if purchased before the test)
• Score verification: $67-$134 (If you want your test scores manually rechecked because you believe there may be an error)

For score verifications, you can either pay $67 for all multiple-choice sections and questions, $67 for writing, or $134 both both. If you meet certain economic eligibility guidelines, you might qualify for reduced ACT registration costs through ACT’s Fee Waiver Program. Taking advantage of this program early can greatly reduce or eliminate your ACT registration expenses.

ACT accommodations

The ACT is committed to accessibility and inclusivity, allowing test-takers with mobility difficulties, learning differences, or language barriers to access reasonable accommodations and make their test experience as smooth as possible. Students who require testing accommodations must submit a request during registration. Afterward, they will need to work with their schools to provide further information to the ACT and the testing site for their specific needs (e.g., providing a 504 plan or IEP as proof).

Accommodations supported by the ACT include:

• Extended time and additional breaks
• Specialized testing formats (audio, large print, Braille)
• Sign language interpretation
• Wheelchair accessibility
• Permission for food, drink, medicine, or other medical necessities
• Changes to the testing environment, such as small group settings or individual testing

Accommodations can either be delivered at national testing sites or through ACT special testing, which allows you to work with your school to have the test delivered in the best format for you, including multi-day test administration. Because the process can take some time, it’s best for students requiring accommodations to register early, preferably before the regular ACT test-taker deadline. Accommodation requests are usually due between 3 weeks and 1 month before the test day, but the earlier you submit, the better.

Final ACT registration checklist

☐ A computer and a stable internet connection

☐ A MyACT account

☐ High school course details

☐ A recent, high-quality headshot

☐ A credit or debit card to complete the payment

ACT test dates

ACT testing dates fall within a specific annual window, between September and July of the next year (September, October, December, February, April, June, and July). Usually, each month will have one nationwide testing date, though some months are skipped. Tests are almost always administered on Saturday mornings, though some non-Saturday testing days are available to accommodate students with religious obligations. Regular registration generally closes about a month before the test date; late registration ends about two weeks before the test; and the deadlines to upload a photo or sign up for standby are set about a week before the exam.

ACT test dates 2026

While ACT exam dates change every year, they generally fall around the same time. Below are the ACT test dates for the 2025 to 2026 school year:

The ACT usually announces test dates for the year in late spring or early summer, so be sure to check the official website for updates.

When should I take the ACT?

While college planning is a years-long process, many high school students earnestly begin applying to schools in the fall of their senior year. That means that, by then, students should have completed their standardized tests and have their scores ready to send to college.

The best time to take your ACT is during the spring semester of your junior year, preferably during the February or April testing period. This provides you with enough time to spend the summer before your test and the first half of your junior year preparing. Taking the exam early also means you can schedule a retake in time if necessary.

What to bring to your AC test day

On test day, bring the following items:

• Your test center ticket, registration form, and any other forms
  • Bringing a paper copy as well as the digital versions ensures that you have back-ups
• Your acceptable ID
• Two #2 pencils
• A permitted calculator
• A watch that does not have an alarm
• Your personal computer or a school-provided laptop, if you signed up to take the test on your own device
• An ACT-approved bilingual dictionary, if necessary
• Water and snacks for breaks

Do not bring cell phones, non-permitted calculators, or any other prohibited items. Be sure to arrive early to avoid stress: many testing sites open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:00 AM, so plan to arrive between 7:30 AM and 7:45 AM.

ACT retake policy

The ACT can be taken as many times as students want, with no limits on retakes. There is no waiting period before you can register for your next exam if you decide to take the test again.

How many times should I retake the ACT?

There’s no perfect “amount” of times a student should take the ACT, though there are some things to keep in mind:

1. On average, most students reach their score goals after two to three attempts, according to the ACT.
2. Multiple attempts can be expensive, especially if you or your student is taking optional sections of the test.
3. Many colleges and universities use a practice called superscoring, which means that they take the highest section scores from all attempts and use those to calculate a final “super score.”
4. However, not every school superscores: some require students to submit all score reports for full consideration, while others only want the results from the most recent attempt.

Regardless of whether a school requires all or select scores, retaking the ACT one or two times will not reflect badly on a student’s application, especially if there are notable score improvements. Most schools only require a single set of scores, so the number of retakes becomes irrelevant. However, if a student takes the test several times with little change in their results, admissions teams that require all scores may take note.

Additional questions

Should I take ACT Science?

The ACT Science section focuses less on hard science knowledge and more on interpreting passages with scientific information and excerpts from research papers. Students with well-developed critical thinking, reading comprehension, and technical skills usually excel on this portion.

Whether you should take this optional section comes down to your strengths, what you plan to study in college, and the career path you’re aiming for. If you’re considering a STEM or medical field, a strong Science score can strengthen your application. It signals that you can think scientifically, analyze data, and handle rigorous coursework, qualities admissions officers look for in more technical majors. Not including a Science score could raise questions if you’re applying to programs in these areas.

That said, if you’re leaning toward a non-STEM major or applying to schools that don’t emphasize the ACT as much, skipping the Science section might make sense. If your strengths are in English and math, focusing your effort there could lead to a stronger overall score. It’s also worth thinking about test stamina: the Science section adds about 40 minutes to the ACT, bringing the total exam time to 125 minutes.

Should I take ACT Writing?

The ACT Writing test consists of a prompt that describes a complex issue, along with three perspectives on the issue for students to analyze, and asks students to share their own perspective in a well-developed essay.

The first step in deciding whether to take the ACT with or without Writing is to review each college’s admissions requirements. Some schools require the Writing section, while others recommend it. If it’s recommended, it’s usually best to treat that as a requirement, especially for more selective programs. Even if only one school on your list asks for it, having a Writing score can save you from needing to retake the entire test later.

The Writing section also helps demonstrate that you’re a strong, well-rounded applicant. It showcases skills that multiple-choice questions can’t capture, such as organizing ideas, building arguments, and communicating clearly. A solid score can help you stand out, particularly for competitive schools or majors that value strong communication.

If your schools do not require Writing, then you may decide to focus your efforts on the multiple-choice sections of the exam, which will save you on testing fees and testing time.

The schools I’m applying to are test-optional. Should I still send ACT scores?

Beginning during the pandemic, many schools made test scores optional to accommodate students who would be unable to access testing sites. The change was also implemented in response to broader discussions about the fairness and objectivity of testing. However, many schools are now reversing course and requiring students to submit either ACT or SAT scores.

Whether you should send ACT scores to test-optional schools depends on your results: if your scores are at or higher than the average for admitted students, your scores will reflect positively on the rest of your application. If your scores are below average, they may hurt your application more than help it.

Overall, taking the ACT affords you the flexibility of applying to schools that either require or don’t require tests, which is why it’s better to take it rather than skip the exam altogether.

When do ACT scores come out?

ACT scores are released one to four weeks after the test date and are available via the MyACT portal. Section scores are released as they’re completed. Writing test results will not be available until all other scores have been released, and paper-and-pencil ACTs will likely take longer to score than digital versions.

Should I take the ACT or the SAT?

The ACT and SAT are accepted by virtually all colleges and universities and considered equally difficult, though they differ in format and the strengths they emphasize. The SAT contains only two sections, Math and Reading & Writing, each broken into four modules, and does not include an essay.

Students who prefer shorter reading passages, a fully digital format, and more “straightforward,” algebra-focused math should choose the SAT over the ACT. What makes the SAT truly challenging is its adaptive format, which increases the difficulty level of the second module of each section based on your performance on the first. The ACT, on the other hand, is best for students who prefer a clear, predictable structure and don’t mind a longer testing time.

How hard is the ACT, and what makes it hard?

The ACT is designed to measure your readiness for college courses and is similar in difficulty to the SAT. Here are some factors that contribute to the challenge of the ACT:

Time constraint

The ACT totals 165 minutes (without writing) and 171 questions, requiring you to answer most questions in about a minute. This can lead to increased test anxiety and mistakes.

Lack of math formulas

The ACT does not provide key math formulas, so you must memorize and know how to apply them.

Advanced math

The ACT includes more advanced math (specifically algebra II and trigonometry) than the SAT, though it appears in small quantities.

Long passages

The ACT Reading and English sections contain long passages that require careful reading and comprehension.

Science section

The ACT Science section requires you to interpret data and draw conclusions, which can be challenging for some students.

Overall, the ACT is similar in difficulty to the SAT but has unique challenges that may affect certain test-takers. However, for analytically-minded students who excel in reading and complex math, the ACT may be a better exam to showcase their abilities.

Closing thought: Sign up for the ACT

Registering for an exam may seem like an easy process, but in reality, many questions and considerations come along with it. For students planning on taking the ACT, the best advice to follow is to register early and plan to take your first exam in the spring of your junior year, in case you need a later retake. Students applying to competitive programs should consider taking both optional ACT sections, as strong scores in these sections will strengthen their applications and demonstrate their skills. Students with accommodations, special circumstances, or who anticipate having trouble paying for the ACT should start the registration process early (over a month in advance) to ensure there are no issues.

With proper planning, registering for the ACT can be a smooth, stress-free process, allowing you or your student to focus on preparing for the test itself.