If you’re a high school junior or senior who intends to take the ACT this academic year, know that planning ahead is crucial.
The good news is, every year, ACT, the organization that administers the ACT test, releases all the important dates months before testing takes place. Staying on top of these dates can help you avoid missing deadlines and give you ample time to effectively prepare for the ACT.
On June 23, ACT announced the addition of three new national test dates in September and October of 2020. They fall on September 19, October 10, and October 17.
The full national ACT schedule, at this point, looks like this.
| ACT Test Dates | Registration Deadline | Late Registration (fee required) |
| September 12, 2020 | August 14, 2020 | August 15 – August 28 |
| September 13, 2020 | TBD | |
| September 19, 2020 | TBD | |
| October 10, 2020 | TBD | |
| October 17, 2020 | TBD | |
| October 24, 2020 | September 18, 2020 | September 19 – October 2 |
| October 25, 2020 | TBD | |
| December 12, 2020 | November 6, 2020 | November 7 – November 20 |
| February 6, 2021 | January 8, 2020 | January 9 – January 15 |
| April 17, 2021 | March 12, 2020 | March 13 – Mach 26 |
| June 12, 2021 | May 7, 2020 | May 8 – May 21 |
| July 17, 2021 | June 18, 2020 | June 19 – June 25 |
You can register for the ACT here.
Students from low-income families may be eligible for an ACT fee waiver. If you think you may be eligible, you can get more details here.
ACT state and district testing
Additionally, each year, many states and districts register to offer in-school testing programs, which give students the opportunity to take the ACT, on paper or online, in their classrooms on a weekday rather than on a Saturday.
| District Testing Session | Test Date | Online Testing Window |
| Fall 2020 | October 6, 2020 (initial) October 20, 2020 (makeup) | N/A |
| Early spring 2021 | March 2, 2021 (initial) March 16, 2021 (makeup) | March 2-4, 2021 (initial) March 9-11, 2021 (initial) March 16-18, 2021, (makeup) March 23-25, 2021 (makeup) |
| Late spring 2021 | March 30, 2021 (initial) April 13, 2021 (makeup) | March 30-31, 2021 (initial) April 1, 2021 (initial) April 6-8, 2021 (initial) April 13-15, 2021 (makeup) April 20-22, 2021 (makeup) |
| Late April 2021 | N/A – open to online testing only | April 20-22, 2021 (initial) April 27-29, 2021 (initial) |
If your high school is in a district that administers in-school testing, your school will provide you with updates and registration details. But, if you would like to do further research on your own, more information about state and district testing is available on ACT’s website.
Of course, in-school testing this year may be impacted by COVID-19, as many schools are still not certain when they will reopen. In that regard, ACT is planning to offer a remote proctoring solution, which would allow students to take the test online, at home or at other safe and convenient locations. ACT intends to release more information about its online, at-home test in the coming months.
How to study for the ACT online for free
Right now, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, money is tight. Chances are, you and your parents aren’t jumping to spend money on an expensive ACT tutor. The good thing is, you don’t have to.
There are all sorts of free online resources available that you can use to effectively prepare for the ACT. A full list of those resources, along with details on how to effectively use them, is available here.
How is the ACT scored?
You don’t take the ACT for fun. Of course, the only reason anyone takes it is to boost their chances of getting into their choice colleges. So naturally, you’ll want to know every detail about how it is scored.
Check here to find everything you need to know about how ACTs are scored.
