ACT Test Dates 2026–2027: Every National and International Date, Deadline and Score Release

Last updated: 11 September 2026; every date, deadline and fee below was read that day on ACT’s own registration pages. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. See our review methodology.

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Test dates are the one part of ACT planning where a stale page does real damage: register against last year’s calendar and you either miss a deadline or pay $42 you did not need to. Every table below is copied from ACT’s national test date schedule and its international registration page as they read on 11 September 2026, and the fees from its fee page the same day. If ACT changes a date, its pages win; if you are reading this months from now, check the deadline column against them before you rely on it.

ACT test dates 2026–2027 (United States)

Seven national Saturday dates. All deadlines fall at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. “Photo / standby” is the last day to upload the ID photo that prints on your admission ticket, and the last day to request standby testing if you missed both registration deadlines. The final column is the initial score-release date ACT publishes for each sitting; most multiple-choice scores appear then or within the following two weeks.

Two notes from ACT’s own schedule. First, New York gets a July date for the first time in 2027; until now the state’s test-disclosure law kept the July sitting off its calendar, so New York students who read older guides saying “six dates, not seven” should check the July 2027 listing. Second, the enhanced ACT is offered on paper, online at a test centre, or online on your own device at a test centre (ACT calls it BYOD); the dates are the same for all three, but not every centre offers every format on every date, so the format you want can decide which centre you book.

International ACT test dates 2026–2027

Outside the United States, US territories and Puerto Rico, the ACT runs as a two-day testing window on most dates, with morning and afternoon sessions on each day, and the deadlines sit about one week later than the US regular deadline. The September sitting is a single day.

International registration goes through the same MyACT account; you choose “testing outside the US” on the first screen and the international centres and windows appear. International test fees are higher than the US fees below, and ACT’s global page carries the current figure.

The three deadlines, and what each one actually means

• Regular registration deadline. Register and pay by this date and you pay only the test fee. It is also the deadline for requesting accommodations for that date, and accommodations requests cannot be made on standby, so students who need extended time or a different format should treat the regular deadline as their only deadline.
• Late registration deadline. Roughly two and a half weeks before the test. You can still register, but ACT adds a $42 late fee to the test fee, and test centres near you may already be full.
• Photo upload and standby deadline. The Monday before the Saturday test. Every registered student must have a recent, recognisable photo uploaded by now; it prints on the admission ticket and is checked against your ID on test day. It is also the last day to request standby testing.

Standby testing is the safety net if you miss both deadlines. You sign in to your ACT account, request standby for a specific centre and pay $75; on the day, you are admitted only if the centre has a seat and materials left after every registered student is seated, and standby cannot be combined with accommodations. It works more often than students expect at large centres and rarely at small ones. Changing a date after you register costs $49 (the same fee covers a change of test centre or format), and ACT is explicit that once you break the seal on a paper test booklet you cannot request a date change for that sitting, even if you stop part-way through.

ACT fees in 2026–27

The enhanced ACT prices the core test and the two optional sections separately. These are the figures on ACT’s fee page on 11 September 2026:

Fee waivers. ACT’s waiver programme is for 11th and 12th graders testing in the US, its territories or Puerto Rico who meet an economic-need indicator (free or reduced-price lunch, a programme such as GEAR UP or Upward Bound, foster care or homelessness, public assistance, or a family income at or below the USDA lunch thresholds). Eligible students get up to two waivers, each covering the test fee and the Science and Writing add-ons, plus a year of the Official ACT Self-Paced Course (built by Kaplan), the My Answer Key service that shows which questions you missed, free score reports to one high school and up to six colleges, and college application fee waivers. Your school counsellor confirms eligibility and issues the waiver code you enter at registration.

How to register for the ACT

Registration is online through MyACT and takes about half an hour the first time. Have these ready before you start:

• A computer with an internet connection (ACT does not take registrations by phone)
• A recent head-and-shoulders photo of yourself; it prints on your admission ticket and is matched to your ID at the door
• A credit or debit card, or a fee-waiver code from your counsellor
• Your high school code and the colleges you want your first four free score reports sent to (optional at registration, but cheaper than adding them later)

1. Create a MyACT account with your legal name exactly as it appears on the ID you will bring, then verify it by email or text.
2. Choose where you are testing (US or international), whether you need accommodations or English-learner supports, and whether you want Science, Writing, both or neither. You can add or drop the optional sections later for the $49 change fee, so decide now.
3. Pick a date and centre. Search by date or by location; the centre list shows which formats (paper, online, BYOD) and which non-Saturday options each offers. Centres fill from the regular deadline onwards, so registering early is what keeps a nearby centre available.
4. Add your details. High school, planned major, the colleges for your free reports, and, if you like, the optional interest inventory. Skip anything marked optional if you are short on time; none of it affects your score.
5. Upload your photo and pay. Your admission ticket is available in MyACT once the photo is accepted; print it and bring it with a physical photo ID.

Non-Saturday testing. If your religious convictions prevent Saturday testing, ACT offers non-Saturday testing, usually on the Sunday after the national date. The rule is simple: if there is a non-Saturday centre within 75 miles of your home for a date, register for that date and request that centre. The centre search has a “Non-Saturday” filter.

Kaplan ACT: official ACT prep partner → Magoosh ACT: $129, 7-day money-back →

How to choose the right ACT test date

Work backwards from three dates: the earliest application or scholarship deadline you care about, the score-release date for the sitting you are considering, and the day you can realistically start preparing. ACT’s own guidance calls junior year the most common time to test, because most of the coursework the test covers is complete by then, with sophomore year for an early baseline and senior autumn for a final attempt.

• Leave a month between scores and deadlines. ACT says more than 97% of multiple-choice scores are online within one to four weeks, and it publishes an initial release date per sitting (see the table above). If you added Writing, allow longer: essay scores are processed separately and colleges receive nothing until every score from your test date is ready. For a 1 November early-action deadline, the 19 September sitting is safe, 17 October is a gamble, and 12 December is too late.
• Leave two to three months for preparation. Register for the date, then count backwards. A junior aiming at the 10 April 2027 test should be working from a plan by early January; our ACT tips and tricks page covers how to structure it.
• Plan a retest before you sit the first one. ACT’s retesting page reports that students who first score between 13 and 29 gain about a Composite point on average when they test again, and colleges that superscore take the average of your best English, Math and Reading across attempts. Pairing February with June, or April with July, gives you the retest without touching senior autumn.
• Check the format your centre offers. Online testing has a built-in calculator and on-screen timer; paper does not. If you have practised one way, book a centre that offers it rather than switching on test day.
• Check your state’s school-day date. Many states and districts give the ACT free on a weekday in spring; if yours does, that sitting counts like any other and may make a paid Saturday date unnecessary.

What the 2026–27 ACT looks like

If your date tables came from an older guide, the test itself has changed too. The enhanced ACT rolled out online in April 2025 and on paper in September 2025: the core test is English (35 minutes, 50 questions), Math (50 minutes, 45 questions) and Reading (40 minutes, 36 questions), 2 hours 5 minutes in all; Science is a 40-minute, 40-question optional section that no longer counts toward the Composite; and Writing remains an optional 40-minute essay. Our how long is the ACT page has the full timeline, our what is a good ACT score page explains how the Composite and STEM scores are read, and if you are still deciding between the two tests, our SAT vs ACT comparison sets the two 2026 tests side by side (SAT dates live on our how long is the SAT page).

Prep that fits the calendar

Start with ACT’s free official practice tests and, if you qualify for a fee waiver, the year of Kaplan’s official self-paced course that comes with it. Beyond that, these are the three paid options we recommend, with prices read on 11 September 2026; we earn a commission if you enrol through our links, which does not change your price.

Start Magoosh ACT before the 17 October deadline →

For the wider field, see our guide to the best test prep courses. Whichever you choose, book the test date first: a deadline on the calendar is the most reliable study aid there is.

Frequently asked questions

When is the next ACT test date?

As of 11 September 2026 the next national ACT is Saturday 19 September 2026, but its regular and late registration deadlines (14 August and 1 September) have passed, so it is reachable only by standby testing requested by 14 September for a $75 fee. The next date with open late registration is Saturday 17 October 2026: the regular deadline is 11 September and late registration ($42 extra) runs to 29 September. After that come 12 December 2026, 27 February, 10 April, 12 June and 10 July 2027.

How many times a year is the ACT offered?

Seven times a year in the United States, on Saturdays in September, October, December, February, April, June and July. Internationally it is offered on the same seven occasions but as two-day windows (Friday and Saturday) with morning and afternoon sessions. Your school may also give the ACT on a weekday through state or district testing, which is separate from these national dates.

What is the ACT registration deadline?

Each test date has three deadlines, all at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. The regular deadline is about five weeks before the test and carries no extra charge; the late deadline is about two and a half weeks before the test and adds a $42 late fee; and the photo-upload and standby deadline is the Monday before the test, after which nothing can be changed. For 17 October 2026 those dates are 11 September, 29 September and 12 October.

How much does the ACT cost in 2026?

$70 for the core test (English, Math and Reading), $75 with the optional Science section, $95 with the optional Writing essay, and $100 with both. Late registration adds $42, changing your test date, centre or format costs $49, standby testing is $75, and score reports beyond your first four colleges are $20 each. Eligible 11th and 12th graders can use up to two fee waivers that cover the test, the add-ons and a year of Kaplan’s official self-paced course.

When do ACT scores come out?

ACT says more than 97% of multiple-choice scores are online within one to four weeks of the test date, and it publishes an initial release date for each sitting: 6 October for the 19 September 2026 test, 27 October for 17 October, 22 December for 12 December, 16 March for 27 February 2027, 20 April for 10 April, 23 June for 12 June and 20 July for 10 July. Writing scores take longer, and colleges receive nothing until every score from that test date is ready.

Can I take the ACT on a Sunday?

Only for religious reasons. ACT offers non-Saturday testing, usually on the Sunday after the national date, exclusively to students whose religious convictions prevent Saturday testing. If a non-Saturday test centre exists within 75 miles of your home for a given date, you register for that date and request that centre; the rest of the registration is the same.

Which ACT date should a junior take?

ACT’s own guidance calls junior year the most common time to test, because most of the coursework the test covers is finished by then. A February, April or June junior-year sitting leaves room to retest in July, September or October of senior year before early-action deadlines in November. Take the date that gives you at least two months of preparation and lands scores a month before the earliest deadline you care about.

How many times can you take the ACT?

ACT’s retesting page says there is no limit to how many times students can take the ACT, and you may register for one sitting per national test date. Retesting pays: ACT reports that students who first score between 13 and 29 gain about one Composite point on average when they test again, and colleges that superscore use the average of your best English, Math and Reading scores across every attempt. Two or three sittings is the normal range; more than that rarely moves the Composite.

Related ACT and SAT guides

• ACT to SAT conversion — compare an ACT score against an SAT score before you pick which test to register for.
• How long is the ACT?
• ACT tips and tricks
• What is a good ACT score?
• SAT vs ACT (2026): which test should you take?
• How long is the SAT? (with 2026–27 SAT dates)
• Best test prep courses online
• When do SAT scores come out? (2026–27 release dates)