Understanding ACT Score Release Dates: A Comprehensive Guide

Knowing when to expect your ACT scores is crucial for planning your college applications. This article provides a detailed overview of the ACT score release schedule, factors affecting score release, and what to do once you receive your scores.

ACT Score Release Dates: 2025-2026

Typically, ACT scores are available 2-4 weeks after the test date. However, it can take up to eight weeks in some instances. The ACT releases scores in batches, so not all scores are released on the same day.

Here is an overview of the upcoming ACT score release schedule for the 2025-2026 academic year:

Test Date	When to Expect Scores
February 8, 2025	February 18 - April 4, 2025
April 5, 2025	April 15 - May 30, 2025
June 14, 2025	June 24 - August 8, 2025
July 12, 2025 (except New York)	July 22 - September 5, 2025
September 6, 2025	September 16 - October 31, 2025
October 18, 2025	October 28 - December 12, 2025
December 13, 2025	December 23, 2025 - February 6, 2026
February 14, 2026	February 24 - April 10, 2026
April 11, 2026	April 21 - June 5, 2026
June 13, 2026	June 23 - August 7, 2026
July 11, 2026 (except New York)	July 21 - September 4, 2026

Note: The July 12, 2025, and July 11, 2026 test dates are not available in New York.

Understanding the ACT Delivery Timeline

The ACT score release process involves several steps:

Read also: Comprehensive SAT Guide

Tests are Shipped: After the test administration, answer sheets are securely shipped to scanning centers.
Scanning and Calculation: Scanning equipment calculates students’ raw scores based on the number of correct answers.
Score Conversion: Raw scores are converted into scaled scores on the 1-36 scale to ensure fairness across different test forms.
Essay Scoring (if applicable): Essays are reviewed and scored by two independent graders.
Final Processing and Release: Final scores are processed and released in batches.

Factors Affecting Score Release Dates

Several factors can influence when you receive your ACT scores:

Equating Activities: On certain test dates, ACT conducts "equating activities" to ensure scores represent the same level of skill across test dates. This process may slightly delay score release, potentially taking 3-8 weeks. Delays are particularly common for the February and October test dates, attributed to the specialized equating process employed during these periods.
Writing Test: If you take the ACT with the Writing section, your writing scores will be available approximately two weeks after your multiple-choice scores. Your overall scores won't be officially released until your writing scores are added.
Test Center Issues: Answer documents arriving late from your test center can cause delays.
Inconsistent Information: Providing inconsistent or incorrect personal information on your answer document can also lead to delays. The “Matching Information” you provided on the answer document (name, date of birth, and Match Number) is not consistent with the Matching Information on your admission ticket. Scores cannot be reported until they can be accurately matched to the correct person.
Test Form Information: Incomplete or inaccurate test form information on the answer document, or if the answer document has not cleared all other scoring accuracy checks, can cause delays.
Irregularities: Any irregularity reported at your test center can delay your scores.
Unpaid Fees: Failure to pay all registration fees can also result in delayed score release.

Insights Into ACT Test Score Delays

While ACT strives to release scores by the specified dates, delays happen. These delays can be attributed to many factors, such as technical issues or administrative challenges. It's important to stay informed about potential delays so you can plan accordingly.

Score delays can have an impact on college admissions timelines and scholarship applications. To navigate this situation, monitor official communications from ACT and your preferred colleges or universities. Be prepared to coordinate with admissions offices regarding submission deadlines and any score update policies they may have in place.

Checking Your ACT Scores

To check your ACT scores, follow these steps:

Log in to your MyACT account: From the moment a student decides to register for the ACT, the MyACT account becomes the gateway to managing their test preparation, registration details, ACT score release timeline, and college planning resources. It is designed to streamline college admissions, making the process as smooth as possible for students and their families.
Navigate to the "Scores" Section: Click on the "Scores" link near the left-hand side of the top menu bar.
Select Your Test Date: Click on your test date to view your online score report.

The fastest way to view your ACT scores is to go online to your ACT account. Next, click on "View Scores" for the test date for which you want to view your ACT scores. Once you enter your password again, you'll be taken to a page with your ACT results.

Read also: Understanding Your SAT Results

MyACT Account

Creating and using a MyACT account has several benefits and features that can improve your ACT experience. With a MyACT account, you can:

Access your personalized score insights, including detailed breakdowns of your performance in each section of the ACT.
Explore resources and recommendations tailored to your specific needs, such as study guides and practice materials.
Track your progress over time by tracking your previous test scores and comparing them to your current performance.
Gain access to additional college and scholarship opportunities aligned with your ACT scores and academic goals.

Creating a MyACT account is highly recommended to make the most out of your ACT score reports and access valuable resources.

What Time Are ACT Scores Released?

ACT results are typically released at midnight-12 AM-Central Time. For students on the East Coast, this means that results are available by 1 AM. Those on the West Coast will be able to access them at 10 PM. The ACT scores are released once a day at 12 am (Central Standard Time). Don’t worry, if your scores are unavailable on the first day, they might be available in the next couple of days.

Understanding Your ACT Score Report

Your ACT score report includes:

Composite Score: An average of your four section scores (English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science).
Section Scores: Individual scores for each of the four sections, ranging from 1 to 36.
Writing Score (if applicable): A separate score for the optional Writing section.
Percentile Ranks: Information on how your scores compare to other students who took the ACT on the same day. You will see your total score, score by section, and the percentile score in the percentiles for your overall score and subscores. This means you will be able to see how your results compare to other students who took the ACT that same day.
High School Report: The High School Report is a comprehensive overview of a student's academic journey through high school. It is typically prepared and sent by the high school's guidance counselor or administrative office and includes a student's transcript, which details their coursework, grades, and often their class rank and GPA. Beyond the numerical data, the High School Report provides context for the student's academic achievements within the framework of the school's curriculum, highlighting the rigor of the courses taken relative to what is available at the school.

What to Do After Receiving Your ACT Scores

Once you receive your ACT scores, consider the following steps:

Read also: Understanding Your SAT Results

Evaluate Your Scores

Assess your scores: Check if they are satisfactory enough for you or if you want to take another test.
Determine Your Target Score: Your ACT target score is determined by the average ACT scores of the schools you want to get into.
Understand What Is a Good ACT Score? The ACT can make or break your college application. Learn what a good ACT score is for you based on the schools you’re applying to.
What Is the ACT Score for 2024? The ACT is scored from 1-36 (36 being the best). Your composite score, the average of your section scores, is your official ACT result. Colleges may also look at individual section scores or your STEM score (the average of your Math and Science scores).
What Score Is 70% on the ACT? A score of 23 or higher on the ACT Composite means you have scored better than 70% of test takers, putting you in the 70th percentile of testers. While difficult, this score isn’t impossible if you implement proper strategies to tackle the ACT.
What Is a Good ACT Score for Harvard? A composite score of 34 is a good score for Harvard. It falls within the average score for Harvard students, making it highly competitive. However, Harvard employs a holistic review process for admissions, meaning that ACT scores are only one of many factors considered. A wide range of elements beyond ACT performance influences the admissions decision.

Send Your Scores to Colleges

Select Score Recipients: When you register for the ACT, you can choose to send your scores to up to four colleges for free. Students have the chance to indicate which colleges they would like to receive their test scores on test day. If you selected schools to receive your scores on your ACT registration, ACT will send the scores directly to up to four colleges for free.
Additional Score Reports: After that, you can use your ACT account to send the scores to schools for $19 per report/per school. If you didn’t select four schools during registration, you’ll still have to pay the fee-you don’t get these reports for free retroactively.
College Report: Your ACT scores continue to provide value even after you enter college. Academic advisors and program directors use your college ACT report to: Determine accurate course placement to match your abilities, Offer tailored academic advising based on your strengths and weaknesses, Identify any additional support or resources you may need to thrive.

Consider Retaking the Test

Retake if Necessary: Many students take the ACT more than once. In fact, ACT reports that test-takers typically take the exam 2-3 times to reach their goal score. If you’re not happy with your scores, you might want to consider retaking the ACT.
Analyze Your Performance: Utilize ACT My Answer Key, an official service that shows you exactly which questions you got right and wrong on your test.
Focus on Improvement: Just make sure you dedicate time to improving your biggest problem areas. Ask yourself some honest questions about how prepared you were and what you can do differently next time. Do you need to learn (or relearn) more math or grammar? Did you understand what the questions were asking? Did you have timing issues? Could you have made a lot of sloppy mistakes?
Plan Your Retake: If you really think you did poorly on the ACT, my best advice would be to continue your ACT prep even before you see the results. If you’re going to retake the ACT, you don’t want to fall out of the habit of studying. Even if you’re relatively confident in your test performance, you may still want to go ahead and sign up to retake the test. Even students who score well the first time may still retake the ACT. When you do get your scores, you can begin to focus your prep on the areas where you struggled.

Score Choice

Score Choice Options: ACT Score Choice is a program that allows you to select which schools see your scores from certain test dates. In other words, it’s up to you which scores to send to which schools.
Withholding Scores: If you plan to apply to mostly or all test-optional colleges, you might consider withholding your ACT scores from them if you didn’t do as well as you hoped to - or if your scores are considerably lower than the average scores of admitted applicants. This way, your lower-than-expected scores won’t count against you in the admissions process.

Important Considerations

Test Date Changes: Once you break the seal on your test booklet, you cannot later request a test date change, even if you do not complete all your tests.
Refunds: If you decide you do not want to test on another test date, your registration fee and any additional fees (such as late fee or test center change fee) are nonrefundable.
Canceling Scores: ACT reserves the right to cancel test scores when there is reason to believe the scores are invalid. Outside of State testing and District testing, you may request to cancel scores for a particular test date.

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