ACT Test Dates: How to Choose One

The ACT follows a fixed national test date calendar each year, with Saturday testing offered seven times during the 2026-2027 cycle. The date you pick affects when your score reaches colleges, how much time you have to prepare, and whether you have room left for a retake before application deadlines close.

This guide covers the full 2026-2027 test date calendar, registration and late deadlines, the difference between national Saturday testing and school-day testing, and how to line up a test date with your application timeline.

Annual National Test Date Cadence

ACT National (Saturday) testing runs seven times during the 2026-2027 cycle, according to the ACT National Test Dates Schedule. The dates run from September through the following July, spread across the school year.

• September 19, 2026
• October 17, 2026
• December 12, 2026
• February 27, 2027
• April 10, 2027
• June 12, 2027
• July 10, 2027

National test dates apply to test-takers in the United States, US territories, and Puerto Rico. Non-Saturday testing is sometimes available for students unable to test on Saturday for religious reasons, depending on the test center. The July 2027 date opens to New York test-takers for the first time.

Regular and Late Registration Deadlines

Each test date carries three deadlines: a regular registration deadline, a later deadline with an added fee, and a final deadline to upload your photo or request standby testing. All deadlines close at 11:59 pm Central Time.

Registering after the regular deadline adds a $42.00 late fee on top of your test fee. Missing the late deadline closes registration for the date entirely, leaving standby testing as your only remaining option, requested by the standby deadline shown above and subject to seat availability. Standby testing costs $75.00, refunded if you are denied a seat or your registration is cancelled for lack of a photo. For the full sign-up walkthrough, see our guide to ACT registration.

Testing Fees

Fees depend on which sections you register for and whether you change your registration after signing up.

Science and Writing add-ons are allowed to be added or removed through the late deadline for your date, per ACT Fees. Your first four college score reports are included in the registration fee. A 5th or 6th report costs $20.00 each, must be requested online before test day, and is refundable if you do not test.

National Saturday Testing vs School-Day Testing

National test dates are individually registered through a MyACT account and administered on a Saturday, or an approved alternate day for students with religious conflicts, at a test center you choose.

School-day and state district testing works differently. ACT partners directly with state education agencies to administer the exam during the school day or on a designated weekend, separate from the individually-registered national Saturday test centers, according to ACT State and District Solutions.

Registration mechanics for school-day testing, including who signs up the student and whether an individual MyACT account is required, vary by state and school. Check with your school counselor, or read our state and district testing guide, for the process at your school.

Choosing a Date Around Application Deadlines

Work backward from your earliest college application deadline. Compare it against the initial score release date in the table above, and leave extra buffer for colleges to process and record the score.

If a college sets a fixed deadline for receiving scores, register for a test date whose initial score release lands well before it. Leaving a second date open behind your first choice gives you a retake option without missing the deadline.

Registering during the regular window, ahead of the late deadline, keeps your fee lower and protects your seat at your preferred test center. Late registrants risk a filled center and a longer drive on test day. Once your date is set, review the test day checklist for required ID and banned items.

Check your current score level before you register a date. Take a free, no-signup practice test on our ACT exam page to see where you stand and how much prep time you need.

Spacing Dates for a Retake

If you plan to retake the ACT, leave enough room between test dates to review your results and work on weak areas.

Scores for the September 19, 2026 test post around October 6, 2026, about two and a half weeks later. Registering for the next date, October 17, 2026, means deciding whether to test again before your score arrives.

A gap of two to three test dates gives you time to see your score, review missed questions, and target weak areas before you register again. Read our ACT retake and superscore guide for how colleges combine scores across attempts.

Sources

• ACT National Test Dates Schedule 2026-2027
• ACT Fees
• ACT State and District Solutions