When Do ACT Scores Come Out? Full 2025-2026 Schedule

Knowing when ACT scores come out is critical when preparing to apply to college. Typically, you can expect to receive your ACT scores 2-4 weeks after your test date.

In addition to including your ACT scores in your college applications, you can use them for dual enrollment and to apply for scholarships that require high test scores.

Here is an overview of the upcoming ACT score release schedule so you know when to expect your scores.

According to ACT, the organization that administers the exam, most test-takers can access their ACT scores online through their MyACT account 2-4 weeks after taking the exam.

Below are the score release dates for all official ACT test dates in 2025-2026.

Most students get their ACT scores 2-4 weeks after their test. The earliest you could get your scores is 10 days after your test, while the latest is eight weeks after your test.

Here’s a simple breakdown of when to expect your ACT scores:

On select test dates, ACT does what it calls “equating activities” to ensure scores represent the same level of skill across test dates. If you take the ACT on an equating test date, expect your scores to take slightly longer to come out — 3-8 weeks after your exam.

“It’s very likely that you’ll get your score well before eight weeks,” says Ben Paris, a test prep expert and tutor with over three decades of experience. “Still, if other people who took the test on the same day you did already received their scores, you can contact ACT and ask them if there’s a reason for the delay.”

ACT will email you when your scores are available to view online. You can also log in to your MyACT account to check whether your scores are available.

While you might feel anxious to get your scores, try to relax as much as possible.

“Give yourself credit for completing the test, and then chill out,” advises Paris. “There’s nothing you can do to affect your score, so focus on other things.”

Not everyone gets the ACT score they want, especially the first time around. Here’s what you can do if you’re not happy with the score you earned.

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.

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,” says Paris. “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?”

There are tons of free ACT prep resources you can use in your studying. Alternatively, you could opt for an online ACT prep course.

Paris recommends utilizing ACT My Answer Key, an official service that shows you exactly which questions you got right and wrong on your test.

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.

A less-than-great ACT score doesn’t guarantee you’ll get rejected from colleges. Take your time to make the rest of your application shine. For example, focus on writing a standout essay.

This way, schools can see other indicators of your skills and achievements.