Last verified against ACT's scores and test dates pages:
ACT scores start coming out 5 to 17 days after each national test. For the October 17, 2026 ACT, ACT lists October 22 for online scores and October 27 for paper scores. For the December 12 ACT, online scores start December 17 and paper scores December 22. Writing scores can take longer, and ACT says over 97% of scores are online within 1 to 4 weeks.
Use the finder to get your own date and check it against a college deadline. Below it are the full 2026–27 schedule, what causes delays, and when colleges receive your report.
When will my ACT scores come out?
Pick your test date and how you tested. Add a college deadline to see whether the scores arrive in time.
October 17, 2026 ACT: online scores October 22, paper scores October 27.
Dates from ACT's score release schedule, checked October 23, 2026. These are initial release dates for U.S. national testing; some scores come later. "Tight" means fewer than 7 days between release and your deadline.
Waiting on scores? Find your weak spots now Take a free full-length ACT practice test and see your English, Math, Reading and Science results right away.
ACT publishes an initial score release date for every national test, with separate dates for online and paper testing. These are the dates for U.S. national testing in the 2026–27 school year.
Initial score release by test date (source: ACT scores page, checked October 23, 2026)
Test date
Online scores
Paper scores
Days after test (online / paper)
September 19, 2026
October 6
October 6
17 / 17
October 17, 2026
October 22
October 27
5 / 10
December 12, 2026
December 17
December 22
5 / 10
February 27, 2027
March 16
March 16
17 / 17
April 10, 2027
April 15
April 20
5 / 10
June 12, 2027
June 17
June 23
5 / 11
July 10, 2027
July 15
July 20
5 / 10
There is no November ACT. After December 12, the next national dates are February 27, April 10, June 12 and July 10, 2027. For registration deadlines and late fees on each date, see our ACT test dates page.
Why online ACT scores come out first
Online answers reach ACT as soon as you finish testing; paper answer documents have to be shipped and scanned first. That's why the online release comes 5 days before the paper release on five of the seven 2026–27 dates. On September 19, 2026 and February 27, 2027, both formats share one release date.
If you're choosing a format for a test with a close college deadline, online testing can win you those five days. Online testing isn't offered at every center, so check the options when you register in MyACT.
Writing scores and staged release
Your multiple-choice scores, including your Composite, appear first; the Writing score follows when it's ready. ACT says processing Writing "may take longer" than the multiple-choice sections and gives no fixed number of days.
On the enhanced ACT, the Composite is the average of English, Math and Reading, so you'll know your main score before Writing arrives. Science, if you took it, is reported on its own. The catch is the college report: ACT doesn't send scores to colleges until every score from that test is ready, so a slow Writing score holds up the whole report. To see how essays are graded while you wait, read our ACT Writing scoring rubric guide.
What time do ACT scores come out?
ACT doesn't publish a release time. Scores show up in your MyACT account as they are released, and not every student's scores post at the same moment on release day.
Check MyACT on the release date, and again over the next few days if yours aren't there. Not seeing scores on release day doesn't mean something is wrong: ACT's own figure is that over 97% of scores are online within 1 to 4 weeks of the test date, which is a wider window than the initial release date suggests.
Why ACT scores are delayed
ACT names four common reasons a score comes after the initial release.
Late answer documents. Paper answer sheets from your test center reached ACT later than expected.
Mismatched information. The name, date of birth or other details on your answer document don't match your registration.
A test center irregularity. Something was reported at your center, such as a timing problem or a disruption, and ACT reviews it before scoring.
Extra equating analysis. ACT sometimes needs more analysis to put a test form on the same scale as other forms.
If your scores are more than a few weeks past the release date, log in to MyACT to see whether a message is attached to your test, then contact ACT. Don't register for a retake just because a score is late; a delay isn't a sign of a low score.
When do colleges get your ACT scores?
ACT sends reports once every score from your test is ready, usually on the same day. Colleges you listed when you registered get them automatically.
Free reports: registration includes reports for you, your high school and up to four colleges, if you enter the college codes when you register.
Extra reports: after registration, each additional report costs $20. See ACT's sending scores page.
Superscore: if you've tested more than once, you can choose to send your ACT superscore, which combines your best section scores across test dates. Our ACT superscore calculator shows what yours would be.
Self-reported scores: many colleges let you enter your scores in the application first and send the official report later. Each college's testing page says whether it does.
Colleges also take time to load reports into their systems after ACT sends them. When a release is within a week of a deadline, ask the admissions office what it accepts.
What to do when your ACT scores arrive
Compare your Composite and section scores with your colleges' middle 50% ranges, then decide whether to send, retake or both. Three steps that help:
Find the gap. Use the ACT miss calculator to see how many more questions per section you'd need for your target.
Decide on a retake. Our should you retake the ACT? guide walks through it. The next national ACT is December 12, 2026; regular registration closes November 6, 2026, and late registration (with a $42 fee) closes November 29. Run that date through the finder above to see whether its scores reach your deadlines.
ACT releases the first scores 5 to 17 days after each national test date. Online scores usually come first: for the December 12, 2026 ACT, online scores start December 17 and paper scores December 22. ACT says over 97% of scores are online within 1 to 4 weeks of the test.
For the October 17, 2026 ACT, ACT lists October 22 as the initial release for online testing and October 27 for paper testing. Writing scores can take longer than the multiple-choice scores.
For the December 12, 2026 ACT, ACT lists December 17 as the initial release for online testing and December 22 for paper testing.
ACT doesn't publish a release time. Scores appear in your MyACT account as they are released, so check on the release date and again over the following days if yours isn't there yet.
ACT lists four common causes: answer documents that arrive late, registration details that don't match your answer document, an irregularity reported at your test center, and extra equating analysis. Writing scores also take longer to process than multiple-choice scores.
ACT sends reports to the colleges you chose once every score from your test is ready, including Writing, and usually on the same day. Registration includes reports for you, your high school and up to four colleges; each extra report costs $20.
Usually, yes. Online answers reach ACT as soon as you finish, while paper answer documents have to be shipped and scanned. For most 2026–27 dates the online release is 5 days before the paper release; for September 19 and February 27 they are the same day.