After you take the ACT, you might feel like a big weight has been lifted from your shoulders. But as the days pass and you still don’t have your test score, the tension starts setting in again. So, when do ACT scores come out? Here’s the short answer: ACT reports that over 97% of scores are available online within 1 to 4 weeks of your test date. Most students see their scores about two weeks after the test, and students who test online usually see them a few days sooner than paper testers.
In this post, you’ll find the exact score release date for every upcoming ACT through July 2027, what time scores actually post, and what to do once your ACT scores arrive.
Table of Contents
When Will ACT Scores Be Available?
ACT releases scores in batches, starting on an official “initial score release” date for each test, usually between one and three weeks after test day. Not every score appears on day one. Scores keep posting in waves as each test is processed and validated, so two friends who tested in the same room can see their scores days apart.
Here are the official initial score release dates, straight from ACT’s score release schedule.
Remaining 2025-2026 ACT Score Release Dates
| Test Date | Online Scores First Available | Paper Scores First Available |
|---|---|---|
| June 13, 2026 | June 18, 2026 | June 23, 2026 |
| July 11, 2026 | July 16, 2026 | July 21, 2026 |
ACT Score Release Dates 2026-2027
| Test Date | Scores First Available |
|---|---|
| September 19, 2026 | October 6, 2026 |
| October 17, 2026 | October 27, 2026 |
| December 12, 2026 | December 22, 2026 |
| February 27, 2027 | March 16, 2027 |
| April 10, 2027 | April 20, 2027 |
| June 12, 2027 | June 22, 2027 |
| July 10, 2027 | July 20, 2027 |
ACT has published a single initial release date for each 2026-2027 test so far. If the current pattern holds, students who test online will likely see scores a few days before that date applies to paper testers, but plan around the official dates above.
Pro tip: If you’re choosing between paper and online testing, the online ACT gets you scores about 5 days sooner. That buffer can matter if you’re squeezing a test in right before a college application deadline.
Why don’t all scores come out on the initial release date? A few things can hold an individual score back: answer documents that arrive late from your test center, “Matching Information” (name, date of birth, Match Number) that doesn’t match your admission ticket, an irregularity reported at your test center, or additional equating analysis on your test record to keep scores fair across administrations. You may see older articles claim that October scores always take 3 to 8 weeks because of equating. That’s outdated. ACT now describes equating checks as something that affects individual records, not a blanket delay for a whole test date.
If you took the ACT with writing, your multiple-choice scores and Composite will appear in your account as soon as they’re ready. Your writing score takes longer because of extra verification steps, and ACT won’t send your scores to colleges until every score from that test date is complete.
Still picking your next test date? Our guide to ACT test dates has the full 2026-2027 schedule with registration deadlines.
What Time Do ACT Scores Come Out?
You may have heard that ACT scores drop at midnight Central Time. That was the old system, and plenty of articles still repeat it. Here’s how it works now: scores start posting on the initial release date and continue to be processed during business hours (ACT is based in Iowa, so think Central Time weekdays).
In practice, that means there’s no magic moment to refresh the page at 12:01 a.m. Check your MyACT account in the morning on the release date, and again later in the day if nothing has appeared. If your score isn’t there on day one, that’s normal. Scores keep rolling out for days after the initial release as each record clears processing.
How Do I Check My ACT Scores?
Your scores will appear in your MyACT account, the same account you used to register. This is the only way to get your scores. Calling, emailing, or chatting with ACT customer support won’t get them released any faster.
To check: sign in at my.act.org and open your score section. If you tested before September 2011, your scores aren’t in MyACT, and you’ll need to contact ACT directly to request them.
One more option to know about: if you believe there’s an error in your score, you can request a score verification for up to 12 months after your test date. ACT will recheck your multiple-choice scoring or have your essay re-reviewed, and the fee is refunded if they find an error.
Once your scores are in, our guide to ACT scores breaks down what each number on your report actually means.
Does the Enhanced ACT Change When Scores Come Out?
If you’re taking the test now, you’re taking the enhanced ACT: a shorter test where Science is an optional add-on, Math has four answer choices, and you can test on paper or online. Good news here. The score release process works the same way as the tables above show.
Two enhanced-ACT details do affect your timeline:
- Testing online gets you scores sooner. ACT receives your answers the moment you finish, while paper answer documents have to be shipped and scanned first.
- Optional sections don’t delay your Composite. Your English, math, and reading scores (and Composite) post as soon as they’re ready. If you added writing, that score follows later, and complete reports to colleges wait until everything is in.
I Have My ACT Scores: What Now?
Your scores are in! It can be an exciting moment or a disappointing one. Either way, you have two basic moves: send your scores to colleges, or retake the test.
Send Your ACT Scores
Your registration fee includes score reports for you, your high school, and up to four colleges, as long as you provide the college codes when you register. You can add a 5th and 6th college choice for $20 each before test day.
After that, additional score reports cost $20 per test date, per report. There’s no retroactive freebie: if you skipped the four free reports at registration, you’ll pay the fee to send scores later. The upside of waiting is that you see your scores before colleges do.
When you do send scores, you choose what colleges see. You can send the scores from one specific test date, or send your superscore (your best English, math, and reading scores across test dates). Want to know how your score stacks up first? Check the average ACT scores by state.
Retake the Test
If your score isn’t where you want it, you’re in good company. ACT reports that 43% of test takers take the test more than once, and more than half of them improve their scores.
You don’t have to wait for your scores to start planning a retake. If you walked out feeling like the test didn’t go your way, keep your prep habits going while you wait. Momentum is easier to maintain than to rebuild.
Two tools that help with a retake decision:
- ACT My Answer Key lets you order a copy of the questions, your answers, and the answer key from certain national test dates ($36 if ordered before the test, $44 after). It’s the single best diagnostic of what went wrong.
- A structured prep program keeps your retake focused on your weak areas instead of re-studying everything. Magoosh ACT prep gives you video lessons and practice questions targeted to exactly that.
Pro tip: Before committing to a retake date, take a free ACT practice test to see whether your test-day score reflects your real ability or just a rough morning.
ACT Score Release FAQ
Still have questions about how ACT score release works? Here are answers to the most common ones.
Does Score Choice affect when I get my scores?
No. ACT lets you decide which test dates’ scores each college sees, and that choice doesn’t change when scores are released to you. One thing to remember: the free reports you set up at registration go out to those colleges automatically once your scores are complete.
When are my writing scores available?
Later than your multiple-choice scores. Writing goes through extra verification steps, so expect your essay score to follow your Composite. Colleges won’t receive any of your scores from that test date until the full record, including writing, is ready.
Do US test takers get their scores earlier?
No. ACT doesn’t prioritize one region over another. International testing runs on its own test dates and is fully computer-based, and ACT says multiple-choice scores from international administrations normally post within about a week of the test (though they can take longer). Wherever you test, your scores appear in the same MyACT account.
Why do ACT scores take so long?
Think about the scale: more than a million students take the ACT every year. Every answer document has to be received, scored, and validated. Paper tests have to physically travel to ACT first, which is why online scores post sooner. Essays get human-verified scoring. And some individual records get extra equating analysis to keep scores fair across test forms. Given all that, 1 to 4 weeks is reasonably fast.
It’s been weeks and my scores still aren’t out. What should I do?
First, don’t panic: over 97% of scores arrive within 4 weeks. The usual culprits are late-arriving answer documents, Matching Information that doesn’t line up, a test center irregularity, or equating analysis. Keep checking MyACT. If you’re well past the 4-week mark with no score and no explanation, contact ACT customer support with your test date and registration details.
A Final Word
Asking yourself, “When do ACT scores come out?” can be exhausting as you refresh your MyACT page. But now you know what to expect: scores start posting 1 to 4 weeks after test day, online testers see them first, and a quiet day-one is completely normal. While you wait, the most productive move is deciding what you’ll do with the score once it lands, whether that’s sending it off proudly or planning a sharper retake. And if a retake is in your future, Magoosh’s ACT prep is here to help you make the second round count.
