ACT Registration Info

ACT Test Dates and Locations

Students interested in taking the ACT should first determine if their high school holds a dedicated test day. If so, then the student merely needs to be aware of the date for the purposes of preparation (most administrative and registration matters will be handled by school officials). If not, then the student must register for one of the national or international test dates, which are listed on the ACT website along with deadlines for registration and late registration. Students testing in the United States, U.S. territories, or Canada have their choice of seven available dates per year, while students testing overseas have five dates annually from which to choose. Test centers can be found by using the ACT Test Center Locator on the ACT website, which indexes locations by state and city (in the U.S.) or country.

Online ACT Registration

ACT strongly urges all test-takers to register for the exam online. The first step in online registration is to create an ACT Online Web Account. This account allows students to register for the ACT, view their scores, and send score reports to their preferred colleges or universities. The registration process takes approximately 40 minutes to complete. Students will need to provide details on their high school courses, payment information, and a recent photograph suitable for upload.

ACT Registration by Mail

Although it is not the preferred method, ACT also offers registration by standard mail to all test-takers. To register for the ACT by mail, visit the ACT website and complete the Individual Register-by-Mail Packet Request form by entering your name, address, phone number, and email address. Packets generally take 7-10 business days to arrive. Test-takers using mail-in registration should note that test center and college codes must be located and manually entered on the form (this process is done automatically with online registration). These codes are listed on the ACT website.

Registration Policies for Special Circumstances

The following types of test administration are defined as "special circumstances" by ACT, each with its own registration policies: international testing, arranged testing, standby testing, and testing by students 13 years of age or younger. Students taking the ACT outside of the U.S., its territories, or Canada may only register online. Because test availability will vary, international test-takers are advised to select a test center and date before registering. Arranged testing is intended for students who live in a country with no ACT test centers or a U.S. state with no test centers within 75 miles, for students who are confined for medical or legal reasons, or for students who have religious objections to testing on Saturdays. Requests for arranged testing must be completed by a school official and the student and mailed in hard copy to ACT along with supporting documentation. Test-takers who miss the late registration deadline for their preferred date may register for standby testing, which is completed through the student's online ACT account. Test-takers who are aged 13 or younger must register for the ACT by standard mail.

Registration and Service Fees

The standard registration fee for testing in the U.S. is $67.00 for the ACT plus the Writing test or $50.50 for the ACT without the Writing test. The registration fee includes score reports for the student, his or her high school, and up to four colleges or universities. The registration fee for ACT administrations outside of the United States is $150.00 (no Writing test) or $166.50 (with the Writing test). Extra fees are also charged for late registration ($30.00), change of test date ($30.00), change of test center ($30.00), and standby testing ($53.00). Students may purchase fifth and sixth score reports for $13.00 each, and ACT also offers a Test Information Release service (a copy of the questions and answers for a student's ACT administration) for $20.00. Students who have already registered for the ACT are offered a phone registration option for subsequent test attempts. The cost of this phone registration service is $15.00.

Fee Waiver Eligibility

ACT fee waivers are available to some students in the 11th or 12th grade taking the exam in the United States. Students become eligible by demonstrating any one of five indicators of economic need, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's income levels for free or reduced-price lunches, which are based on family income and the number of persons in the household, including the student. Test-takers who live in two-person households, for example, are eligible if their annual pre-tax family income is $30,044 or less. Fee waivers can only be used for standard registration (they may not be used for late registration or to purchase additional services).