Now that you have weathered the storm and finished taking your exam, it is time to find out the official ACT score release dates.
It would be a tense time ahead, but hopefully, knowing the exact dates when it will be released would allow you to compose yourself.
Table of Contents
How long is the wait time for the ACT?
Your student report card is accessible through your online ACT web-account; and it usually comes out in about two to eight weeks max after your test day.
Some students are able to view their scores two weeks after they took the exam while others have to wait more than two weeks in order to know their scores.
But do not worry, the ACT tries its best to get the scores published online as early as possible. So every once in a while, you can check your online account and your score might already be available there.
If you took the writing test, you normally have to wait more than four weeks after your test date for your overall score.
According to the ACT, scores are processed and reported weekly, usually each Wednesday and Friday.
What about the other score report?
When you go to the ACT website, you would find that they have stated the delivery timelines for different report cards.
For your easy reference, we have listed it below.
Student Report Card
This report card is delivered to your online ACT web account. You can view your ACT scores as well as other college and career planning information.
Timeline: 2 – 8 weeks since your test date. (If you took the writing test, then there would be an additional two weeks to your minimum wait time)
High School Report
This type of report card is delivered to your high school address. Like the student report card, it also contains your ACT scores as well as other college and career planning information. Your high school mainly put this report card along with your transcript, which in turn will be sent to the college where you applied.
Timeline: 2 – 8 weeks since your test date. (If you took the writing test, then there would be an additional two weeks to your minimum wait time)
College Report
When you listed for the exam, you might have remembered that there is a part in the questionnaire that asks you whether you want to send your ACT report card to certain colleges or not.
If you tick this box, then the college or university that you picked would also receive your ACT scores as well as your grades in high school. Apart from that, it may also include predictions about your performance in certain programs.
Timeline: Varies based on the recipient (college or universities) and the time of order
ACT score release dates for 2020
| National test date | Multiple-choice scores first posted online |
| September 12-13, 2020 | September 28 – November 6 |
| September 19, 2020 | October 5 – November 13 |
For international and non-US students, the official ACT score release dates are as follows
| International test dates | Multiple-choice scores first posted online |
| September 11-12, 2020 | September 28, 2020 |
| October 9-10, 2020 | October 14, 2020 |
| April 16-17, 2021 | April 21, 2021 |
| June 11-12, 2021 | June 16, 2021 |
| July 16-17, 2021 | July 21, 2021 |
Is there any way to see your scores sooner?
At the moment, there are no options that would speed up the process of scoring your tests.
You would just have to wait a few days to view your ACT scores.
What time do the scores come out?
Your ACT scores are released in batches through your MyACT account (web account) and it is usually posted once a day at around [12:00] AM, CT.
If your test score is still not posted on that particular day, you will just have to give it a few days before it can be reflected in your web account.
When do ACT scores come out?
Generally, scores are often released on the second Tuesday (or onwards) after you took the exam. Since you probably took the exam on a Saturday, you have to count at least 10 days after your testing day.
What to do if your score has not been released yet?
If you are unable to receive your scores during the timeline we have stated above, then chances are you may be facing one of these issues
- Your answer documents arrived late or your test date has been rescheduled
- You provided an inconsistent information in your answer document and admission ticket
- You provided an incomplete or inaccurate information in your answer document
- Your answer document has not cleared all other scoring accuracy checks
- Irregularity reports from your test center
- You still have an outstanding balance in your registration fees
Keep in mind that some scores may take longer to process than others.
If you have waited more than two weeks since the maximum expected time (8 weeks), then it would be best to file a report and contact someone from ACT immediately.
Will anyone be able to see the essay you wrote?
If you took the writing test, an image of your essay would be sent to your high school and your college of choice for viewing. It will remain available for access up to one year after you graduate from high school.
They would receive your writing score and the image of your essay along with your multiple-choice score.
Can you send your multiple-choice scores without sending your writing scores?
No, your multiple-choice scores will only be released when your writing scores have been accounted for. Your ACT score for a specific test date can only be reported after your writing scores have been processed.
You have to keep in mind that the scoring process for the writing test takes longer than the multiple-choice section.
So if you take the writing test, expect at least four weeks to view your writing score.
What is a good ACT score?
A good ACT score would depend on your frame of reference.
The highest score you can get is 36 and the lowest is 1. The current average score is 21.
For some students, scoring 23 (slightly above average) on their ACT is already a good score; while for others, a 23 score is just not enough to get them admitted into their dream school.
So before you take the exam, it would be best to have a few school options in mind so that you would know what ACT score range you should target.
A good rule of thumb is to have a score that is above the 50th ACT percentiles.
Things to do after you received your test scores.
Since you finished the exam already and graduation is just around the corner, we have listed some of the things you can do while you wait for your test results and think of the best high school graduation gifts you would ask from your parents.
Determine whether you need to retake or not
Now that you have your score, the next step is to determine whether your ACT score is enough to get you to your school of choice.
Keep in mind that even if you score above the average, it may still not be competitive enough to get you admitted to certain colleges or universities.
Your decision to retake would ultimately boil down to your school of choice for college.
If you are not planning on enrolling into elite or ivy league schools, then scoring slightly above the average already makes you a competitive applicant to other schools.
However, if you score way below the average, then you might consider retaking the test. Having a low score would make you a less competitive applicant and you would only have a few schools to choose from.
Besides, colleges would not look down on you if you take the ACT again.
There are even some colleges that superscore ACT so it would not matter if you took the ACT a few times.
It would not matter how many times you take the ACT. At the end of the day, admission counselors will only be looking at the test score you submitted to them.
If you know that you could have done better in the exam, then there is no harm in taking the test again.
Even if you score lower on your second try, you can still choose to submit the first one.
Send your test scores to colleges
If you choose to send your scores to colleges during your ACT registration, then ACT would send it to a maximum of four schools for free.
However, if you did not tick this option during your ACT registration and you now want to send your scores to other schools, you have to pay $13 (per report) to ACT so that they can send out your score.
It is worth noting that the timeline for when your scores will be received by colleges is different.
If your writing scores are still not in, then ACT would not send your scores to colleges until all has been accounted for. The normal wait time for reports with writing score is four weeks after your test date.
Should this be the second or third time you took the ACT, you can just specify the time and location of the test date that you want to be reported and send out.
Prepare other college application requirements
Some of the key components of your college applications are your test scores, transcript, recommendation letter, and application essay.
At this point, you now have one less problem since you already got your ACT scores.
For your transcript, your high school is usually the one who sends it to the college where you applied.
As for your recommendation letter and application essay, you would be the one to request for it and write it, respectively.
You can ask your school counselor, teacher, or even family members who they think can put in a good word and write a great recommendation letter for you.
For your application essay, you can look at several examples online to get inspiration. Keep in mind that application essays are important because it allows admission counselors to learn more about you.
So as much as possible, be honest, creative, and at the same time, showcase your strengths and what makes you unique from other applicants.
What if there is an error in your score report?
When you receive your score report and you only found out that you supplied incorrect information (i.e. middle name, surname, birthday, etc.), then you can just write to ACT and have them corrected.
You need to submit a request within three months after you receive your score report and attached a copy of your Student Report describing the error and the change you are requesting.
You may have them corrected for free, and you can write your request to this address:
ACT
P.O. Box 451
Iowa City, IA 52243-0451
Conclusion
We have listed the official ACT score release dates and discussed several things to take note of while and after you wait for your score.
Just to quickly recap, we answered some of the basic questions you might ask regarding the ACT score release dates like
- How long is the wait time for the ACT?
- What about the other score report?
- ACT score release dates for 2020
- Is there any way to see your scores sooner?
- What time do the scores come out?
- When do ACT scores come out?
- What to do if your score has not been released yet?
- Will anyone be able to see the essay you wrote?
- Can you send your multiple-choice scores without sending your writing scores?
- What is a good ACT score?
- Things to do after you received your test scores.
- What if there is an error in your score report?
If you still have not taken the ACT yet, you can read some of the articles we have written to help you prepare for the exam.
- How to study for the ACT: 9 Tips to help you score higher on the exam
- 7 ACT prep book to help you score higher
- 5 Websites that provides ACT practice tests
- Understanding the ACT calculator policy
Todd VanDuzer
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