ACT Test Dates 2026–27

All dates below come from ACT's official test-dates and scores pages. Registration deadlines close at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on the date shown. Score dates are ACT's initial release dates for multiple-choice scores.

Work backward from your earliest college deadline, not forward from whenever you feel ready.

• Plan on two attempts. ACT lets you test as many times as you want, and its superscore averages your best English, math, and reading scores across all your tests. A first try in the fall or winter of junior year leaves room for a spring or summer retake.
• Leave buffer before deadlines. Initial scores post 5 to 17 days after the test dates above, and colleges still have to receive them. For a November 1 application, the October 17 date is tight. December results arrive after November 1 and November 15 deadlines.
• Online scores often come back first. On five of the seven 2026–27 dates, ACT's online score release is five or six days earlier than paper. If speed matters, check whether a center near you offers the online test.
• Give yourself 8–12 weeks of prep before your first date, including at least two timed practice tests. Start with one of our free ACT practice tests to see where you stand.

Miss the regular deadline and you can still register until the late deadline, but you'll pay a late fee. After the late deadline, ACT lets you request and pay for standby testing, and seats are not guaranteed. Don't count on it.

Need to move your test? ACT charges a change fee each time you switch dates. For the current amount and ACT's other fees (registration, late registration, standby, optional add-ons), check ACT's official fees page before you register. If cost is a barrier, ask your school counselor about ACT fee waivers.

You'll see your multiple-choice scores, including your composite, as soon as they're released in your MyACT account. ACT says scores from the online test are usually available sooner than paper scores, and that more than 97% of scores are available within 1–4 weeks of the test date. ACT doesn't send scores to colleges until all your scores from that test date are ready, including writing if you took it.

• New York: ACT says July testing will be available in New York starting in 2027, with test centers added to registration through spring 2027.
• Can't test on Saturday for religious reasons? ACT says non-Saturday testing may be available. Check ACT's registration instructions for how to request it.
• Planning further ahead: ACT has posted projected 2027–28 dates: Sept. 11, Oct. 16, and Dec. 11, 2027, then Feb. 26, Apr. 8, June 10, and July 15, 2028. ACT notes these are subject to change, so confirm them before you plan around them.

Not sure the ACT is the right test? Start with our ACT overview, which covers the current format, scoring, and the optional science section.