Picking an ACT date feels like a scheduling problem. It's really a strategy problem — because the date you choose decides how much prep time you get, when scores land, and whether you still have a retake left when it matters.
So here's the full 2026–2027 schedule, and then the part most calendars leave out: how to actually choose.
The 2026–2027 ACT national test dates
The ACT is offered seven times a year, on Saturdays, typically in September, October, December, February, April, June, and July. Regular registration closes about five weeks before each date, with a late window (extra fee) roughly two weeks out.
| Test date | Regular registration closes |
|---|---|
| September 19, 2026 | Mid-August 2026 |
| October 17, 2026 | Mid-September 2026 |
| December 12, 2026 | Early November 2026 |
| February 27, 2027 | Late January 2027 |
| April 10, 2027 | Early March 2027 |
| June 12, 2027 | Mid-May 2027 |
| July 10, 2027 | Early June 2027 |
How to choose your date
Work backward from two things: your application deadlines and your prep window. Then pick the earliest date that gives you both.
If your student is a sophomore
Aim for a spring date — April or June. No pressure, no deadline. The goal is a real baseline under real conditions, so junior year starts with information instead of guesswork.
If your student is a junior
This is the year the score gets built. A strong pattern: fall date for the baseline, spring date for the real attempt, summer date as the safety net. That looks like September or October 2026, then February or April 2027, with June or July 2027 held in reserve. Scores are back long before senior-year applications open.
If your student is a rising senior
September and October 2026 are your primary targets, and December is the last comfortable date for most early-action and early-decision deadlines. Check scholarship deadlines first — they often land earlier than admission deadlines, and they usually set the real cutoff.
Give the calendar something to hold
A test date on its own doesn't raise a score. What raises a score is the number of focused weeks between today and that date, and how those weeks get spent.
Six to eight weeks of steady, structured work — a few hours a week, on the specific patterns the ACT repeats — moves scores more reliably than four months of drifting through a book. If your date is five weeks out, that's enough to matter. If it's twelve weeks out, that's plenty. Either way, the work starts the day the date goes on the calendar, not the week before.
Pick the date. Then back up eight weeks and put the first study block on the calendar too. That second entry is the one that moves the score.
Common questions
When is the first ACT test date of the 2026–2027 school year?
September 19, 2026. Regular registration typically closes about five weeks before.
How far in advance do you have to register?
Regular registration closes roughly five weeks before each date. A late window with an added fee follows about two weeks out. After that, standby testing may still be available through MyACT.
How long does it take to get scores back?
Usually two to four weeks for multiple-choice scores, often faster for online administrations. Writing scores are released separately.
How many times should a student take the ACT?
Plan on two to three. The first sitting is a baseline. The ones after it are where prepared students collect their points.
Dates and deadlines are set by ACT, Inc. and can change. Always confirm at act.org or in your MyACT account before you register. New York and international sites follow a separate schedule.