Refer to the table below for upcoming ACT test dates. Be sure to note that the registration deadline is about a month in advance of the test date. According to the ACT website registration takes about 40 minutes to complete, so leave plenty of time to register.
| Test Date | Registration Deadline | (Late Fee Required) |
|---|---|---|
| October 26, 2019 | September 20, 2019 | September 21-October 4, 2019 |
| December 14, 2019 | November 8, 2019 | November 9-22, 2019 |
| February 8, 2020 | January 10, 2020 | January 11-17, 2020 |
| April 4, 2020 | February 28, 2020 | February 29-March 13, 2020 |
| June 13, 2020 | May 8, 2020 | May 9-22, 2020 |
| July 18, 2020* | June 19, 2020 | June 20-26, 2020 |
| September 12, 2020 | August 14 | August 15 -August 28 |
| October 24, 2020 | September 18 | September 19 – October 2 |
| December 12, 2020 | November 6 | November 7 – November 20 |
*No test centers are scheduled in New York for the July test date.
COVID-19 Accommodations: The makeup test date for the June 13 national test date will be June 20, and the makeup test date for the July 18 test date will be July 25.
How to Register for the ACT
Register for the ACT by visiting the ACT’s website and registering online. They say this takes about 40 minutes to complete. To register, you’ll need:
- Your high school course details
- Your high school’s code
- A headshot photo
- A credit card or other payment method in order to register.
Review the ACT website for a full list of information you’ll need to register for the ACT.
When Should I Take the ACT?
When you should take the ACT depends on what year of high school you are in and how much studying you’ve done.
When Juniors Should Take the ACT:
For juniors, we recommend taking your first ACT test in the winter of your junior year, taking it for the second time in the spring and if necessary, a third time in the summer or fall. We recommend this approach because it leaves plenty of time for focused studying and retakes in order to get your goal score well before college application deadlines.
In order to be ready to take the test in the winter of your junior year, you’ll probably need to spend some time studying during the summer and fall with a comprehensive ACT prep course like The Olive Book, or something similar. You’ll also want to complete a few timed practice tests to measure how you’re doing. For a deeper dive into how to prepare for the ACT junior year, read: How to Study for the ACT Junior Year
When Seniors Should Take the ACT:
If you’re a senior and still working towards your goal ACT score, check the application deadlines for your schools before registering for the test to be sure you’ll have your scores back in time to send to the schools. Scores are usually available two weeks after your test date, but scores from the October test date are available within 3-8 weeks due to the ACT measuring scores across test forms.
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