ACT® Test Dates 2026

When is the ACT® in 2026-27?

These are the official test dates per the ACT®'s website. If you're considering taking the ACT®, register right now because test centers fill up fast.

*No test centers in New York for July dates. July testing arrives for NY learners starting 2027.

When is the ACT® 27-28?

Here are the projected 2027–28 dates with the deadlines worked back from the test date. They're good for the planning-ahead sophomore parent, but they are subject to change until the ACT® publishes them officially.

Source: ACT National Test Dates. Deadlines are 11:59pm Central.

Rule of thumb: the regular deadline closes ~5 weeks before the test date. The late deadline closes 2 weeks before.

Fees

These figures are from ACT.org and are freshly raised. Many stale articles still cite the old numbers.

• Base ACT® (English/Math/Reading): $70.00 (was $68)
• Science add-on: $5 → EMR+Science $75
• Writing add-on: $25 → EMR+Writing $95; EMR+Science+Writing $100
• Late registration: $42
• Standby testing: $75 (refunded if denied admission)
• Change Fee (test date, form, or center): $49
• Score reports to 5th/6th colleges: $20; additional reports $20
• My Answer Key (TIR): $36 before test / $44 after

All fees nonrefundable unless noted. Source: ACT Fees. If cost is a barrier, families who qualify can sidestep these charges entirely — here's how ACT fee waivers work.

When should your son or daughter take the ACT®?

Most students should take the ACT® in the spring of their junior year. At that point, most students have taken the requisite courses to succeed on the ACT®. See my article on when to take the ACT®. The flip side of that question is prep, not the sitting itself — if you're wondering when your child should start ACT® prep, that's a separate timeline worth planning backward from the test date.

That being said, many students wait until senior year to take the ACT® or SAT®. In that case, your son or daughter needs to know when the application deadlines are.

Early Action or Early Decision

Scores need to be in hand by mid-October at the latest. September of senior year is the safe bet; October is the absolute last call. Georgetown and Stanford both publicly cap early applicants at the Sept/Oct dates (PrepScholar). December rarely arrives in time for ED.

Regular Decision

Sept, Oct, and Dec can all work. December is usually the last realistic sitting before January RD deadlines.

Always book a primary date with a retake date behind it. Two sittings before your deadline beats one. Research by the ACT® shows that most students increase their score with multiple test dates. It also helps take the psychological stress off the testing situation if students know they have a back up. Small but real.

Score timing: allow about 2–3 weeks for multiple-choice scores. ACT® now posts on a rolling basis from the initial release date — the old "midnight Central" drop is gone. Online testing returns scores roughly 5 days sooner than paper, which can be helpful if timing is an issue. See my article on when to expect ACT® Scores.

The UC system (which is test blind for now, but that may change) accepts applications between Oct 1 - Dec 1.

If you have the luxury of choosing rather than racing a deadline, the season itself matters too — I break down the tradeoffs in the best time of year to take the ACT®.

Mistakes to Avoid when Registering

If your child makes any of these mistakes when registering, it can throw off the whole planning timeline. If you've never done it before, walk through how to register for the ACT® step by step first.

You need to upload a photo before taking the test

If you miss the photo deadline (~5 days before test day), your registration is auto-cancelled, you're not admitted, and the fee is NOT refunded. You can't even print your ticket without the photo. Most parents have no idea this deadline exists separately from registration. ACT®'s own rejection reasons: photo too dark/light, busy background, face too small/close, blurry, obscured by hair. Don't scan an ID photo (fails quality). Source: Photo Submission Requirements.

Test centers fill up fast

The single biggest registration frustration. In high-demand metros centers fill within 30 minutes of registration opening. Many families in the Bay area register in Nevada, Oregon, Arizona, even Texas. Some international students fly to different countries.

Practical takeaways: create your MyACT account before registration opens; have the photo ready; register the moment it opens; consider registering for 2–3 dates.

One more thing to settle before test day: whether your child tests on a center-provided device or their own. The ACT®'s bring-your-own-device (BYOD) option has its own setup requirements, and sorting it out early avoids a morning-of scramble.

Arranged Testing

If there's no test center nearby, don't let that be an excuse for not taking the test - or taking it multiple times. For US test-takers (including Puerto Rico) if there's no test center within 75 miles of a student's home, the ACT® will arrange testing closer. No center within range → "Arranged Testing." Source: Test Center Locator.

Rare-but-real catastrophes

The big planning snafu is when you don't plan for something to happen, and it happens. These edge cases are rare. But they do occur from time to time, which is part of the reason why I always encourage students to register for 2-3 dates.

Documented cases of ACT® answer sheets going missing in transit (46 students in NJ, 53 on Long Island in 2016 forced full retakes). Pandemic-era day-of site closures with kids turned away from locked buildings. Sources: CBS NY, WCCO.

When I was teaching the ACT®/SAT® in Turkey, one time the truck carrying the answer keys just caught on fire. So the students couldn't take the test.

Again, these edge cases are rare. With the shift to digital ACT®, the new problems will supplant the old ones. Instead of missing answer keys, we have test day equipment malfunctions. When the day finally comes, what's in your control is the prep — here's what to do the night before and morning of the ACT®.