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How Many Times Can You Take the ACT? Tips for Retakes, Score Reporting, Scheduling, and More!
07/03/2024•27 minute read
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How Many Times Can You Take the ACT?
How Early Can You Take the ACT?
Can Colleges See All of Your ACT Scores?
How Many Times in High School?
Expert Tips: When to Take the ACT
Navigating the college admissions process can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to standardized tests like the ACT. One common question that arises is, "How many times can you take the ACT?" Whether you're a high school student aiming for your dream college or a parent supporting your child's academic journey, understanding the ins and outs of ACT retakes can be crucial. In this blog post, we'll explore how many times you can take the ACT, the best strategies for multiple attempts, when colleges can see how many times you took the test, and how to boost your scores.
The journey to college is filled with important decisions, and one of the most significant is how to approach standardized testing. Even in an environment where testing policies are in flux, many test-optional schools still recommend and encourage students to submit scores.
Because taking the ACT multiple times is a common practice that helps students improve performance and their score ranges, it's important to know how many times can you take the ACT, and also how many times should you...
How many times can you take the ACT?
According to ACT.org, the ACT publishers, there is no limit to how many times students can take the ACT test. And, because students can sign up for any National ACT test date, at any time registration is open, there's few limits on the pace you set for your ACT retakes.
How many times should you take the ACT?
ACT.org asserts that it often takes students two to three ACT attempts to achieve their testing goals.
As with many performance-based tasks, creating opportunities for review, practice, and subsequent attempts is a way to try to build core academic skills and hone test-taking strategies, creating a pathway to achieving higher ACT scores.
That said, students and families often ask us if there is a magic number that maximizes your chances of success without causing burnout? Are there downsides or upsides to taking the ACT multiple times?
We'll explore strategies and options more below, but suffice to say for the moment that our strategists generally agree that an intermittent schedule of retakes, with interim periods of practice, study, and review can help a student score in a higher range over time.
Remember though, given overall application timelines and other time commitments, most high school students will get optimal results with two to four ACT attempts, and dwindling benefits from additional retakes.
When should you start taking the ACT, in which grade?
Another important decision involves choosing when to start taking the ACT. 11th grade is common, but the ACT suite offers several options, including Pre-ACT testing beginning in grade 8, as explained later in the post.
Which test scores do you have to (not have to) report?
Generally, each test taker can choose if and when to report scores from a particular test event to which schools, but with some important caveats and exceptions.
Some schools stipulate or recommend reporting all scores if you've tested multiple times, and some schools allow superscores and others don't... making it important to consider a variety of factors related to score reporting, including how policies vary at individual schools, what ACT policy allows, and if superscoring is a viable option.
Putting ACT test insights and strategies into perspective…
Whether you're a student eager to improve your scores or a parent looking to support your child, understanding how many times you can take the ACT, how to use retakes to get the best results, and if and when colleges can see how many times you took the ACT — all of these can impact your ACT planning and strategies.
In this blog post, we'll explore topics like these and share the kinds of nuanced insights and strategies you can use to navigate your ACT journey as wisely and astutely as possible!
How Many Times Can You Take the ACT?
This question makes a good all-around starting point. You may be surprised to discover that ACT places no limit on the number of times a student can take the test.
While approaches to using retakes to boost scores will differ for each individual, only rarely would it likely make sense to take the ACT more than a three or four times.
How many times can you take the ACT in one school year?
The ACT is offered seven times a year, so in theory you could take the ACT as many as seven times in one school year.
If making seven attempts sounds absurd, it kind of is (in our humble opinion). In other words, just because you could take the ACT seven times in one school year, there’s not necessarily any good reason to do so!
As a practical matter for many students, it will be more realistic and almost certainly more productive to take the ACT only one to three times in a school year.
As a point of strategy, you’ll typically want to see the results from the prior test, before registering for a subsequent attempt — in order to know if a retake is still needed and what to study!
Don't forget, when mapping out how many times to take the ACT in one school year, **be sure to take into account the time between test dates, score release windows, and **registration cycles for the subsequent test date.
A Sample School-Year ACT Test Schedule
| Test Date | Regular Registration Deadline (to avoid late fee) | Late Registration Deadline | Standby Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 14, 2024 | August 9 | August 25 | September 6 |
| October 26, 2024 | September 20 | October 7 | October 18 |
| December 14, 2024 | November 8 | November 22 | December 6 |
| February 8, 2025 | January 3 | January 20 | January 31 |
| April 5, 2025 | February 28 | March 16 | March 28 |
| June 14, 2025 | May 9 | May 26 | June 6 |
| July 12, 2025 | June 6 | June 20 | July 4 |
Based on the ACT 2024–2025 National Test Dates Schedule
Most students will find that it makes more sense to skip at least one cycle, or more, between each retake attempt — this ensures adequate time between retakes for productive review and to avoid burnout or discouragement as you go!
How many times can you take the ACT in high school?
You can take it as many times as you want in high school, typically spanning 10th through 12th grade, but more times, from earlier grades if you want to explore Pre-ACT test options, outlined below.
How Early Can You Take the ACT? What Is the Pre-ACT?
You can take the ACT as early as 10th grade. As a 10th grader, you also have the option of taking the Pre-ACT as a way of testing the test-taking waters so to speak.
Pre-ACT scores are not used for reporting scores to colleges, but they do allow you to get test-taking practice and feedback on academic skills.
Students in 8th and 9th grade also have the option of taking an earlier practice version of the ACT known as the Pre-ACT 8/9. The Pre-ACT and Pre-ACT 8/9 use a similar format, with similar content areas as the regular ACT, but are a bit less challenging and geared toward test takers in grades 8 through 10.
Keep in mind that Pre-ACT tests are only administered by a participating school or school district.
If the Pre-ACT is not offered at your own school, you may be eligible to participate at a neighboring school that offers the test. If not, many schools do administer the PSAT (a pre-SAT test) with some testing formats and academic concepts that overlap with the ACT, making the PSAT a possible alternative at some schools not offering the Pre-ACT.
For a comprehensive overview of Pre-ACT testing options and formats, check out this ACT.org publication on how to prepare for the ACT.
Should You Take the ACT More Than Once?
For most students, the answer is a resounding yes, you probably will benefit by taking the ACT more than once, unless you ace it the very first time!
And, taking the ACT multiple times is common and widely accepted.
When doing ACT retakes, it typically makes most sense makes as part of a structured approach to improving your performance over time, and before it's time to apply for college.
The benefits you get from making several attempts can be twofold:
- First, each attempt is an opportunity to become more familiar and proficient with the test format.
- Second, each attempt gives you feedback about which academic concepts and skills to study and review before your next attempt.
Some students may want to repeat this kind of test-prep cycle two or three times, attempting to score in a higher range each time. This approach makes even more sense for students aiming to apply to more selective and competitive colleges and universities.
Finally, because many schools allow for superscoring (more on this below), the downside to doing multiple retakes is often greatly reduced, while the upside increases.
Can Colleges See How Many Times You Took the ACT?
This is an important question.
- What if a student with multiple retakes doesn't want to share a score they got in a really low range?
- How can you be confident that a college will evaluate your application based on your highest ACT score, rather than defaulting to the most recent attempt, regardless of how you scored?
While a good question, the answers are a bit nuanced...
- No, they can't see all of your scores: In most cases colleges will not see all of your test scores, because ACT policy is that you decide which colleges you want to send which score report(s) to.
- Yes, they can see all of your ACT scores: In some cases, but not very many, a college will either require you submit all of your ACT scores, or they may recommend or encourage that students submit all of their ACT scores — so yes, there can be cases where a school will see all of your ACT scores, or encourage you to share all of them. (Keep in mind that even though a school may require or ask for all score reports, they may still offer to rely on each student's best composite score, and may also allow superscoring.)
- It depends... If you want a college to superscore, you'll need to submit any and all relevant score reports, meaning you can not pick and choose just individual section scores, but need to send all scores for each test event that you want used for your superscoring, across two or more attempts.
We always recommend to students and families that they fit ACT strategies to test policies at the specific schools the student plans to apply to, whenever possible. Go online to check admissions policies at schools you're applying to. Here are examples from Georgetown and UPenn:
“Georgetown University does not superscore ACT results. Instead, the admissions committee evaluates the highest composite score from a single test sitting submitted by the applicant. If multiple ACT scores are submitted, each will be considered in the application review process. Note that students must submit all test results to Georgetown, but the admission committee will focus on your highest scores from a single test day.”
- Admissions Office, Georgetown University
“Although we permit Score Choice, we encourage students to submit their entire testing history for both ACT and SAT exams.”
- Admissions Office, University of Pennsylvania (Penn)
Understanding score reporting and superscoring
- You choose which colleges see which scores: ACT will only send scores for test events based on your requests.
- How to send scores: Tell ACT who to send scores to when you register for your test, or anytime after a test is completed.
- Caveats: Some schools, not many, require or recommend that students send in all of their ACT scores if they've done retakes.
- For superscoring: you must send all of the relevant scores from all of the relevant test events:
For sending a Superscore: ACT does not compare your reporting categories when selecting the best score. If you want to send a specific score and its associated reporting category, you’ll want to send a report from an individual test event.
Why superscoring is your friend
- Higher Composite Score: By combining your best section scores, you can achieve a higher overall score than any single test date might reflect.
- Informed Decisions: Knowing that superscoring is an option can help you decide when to take the ACT, how many times to take it, and which scores to report.
- College Policies: While many universities accept superscored ACT results, some do not. It’s crucial to check the score reporting policies of each college you’re applying to well in advance.
What does superscoring look like?
Let's imagine you took the ACT three times, once in September, February, and June of your junior year. Here are the scores you earned:
| Test Date | English | Math | Reading | Science | Composite Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 26 | 24 | 29 | 26 | 26 |
| February | 29 | 26 | 32 | 29 | 29 |
| June | 28 | 30 | 30 | 33 | 30 |
Of the three attempts, the highest composite score you earned was 30, on the last test date in the example above.
However, with superscoring permitted, the college will use the following string of scores:
English: 29 (February)
Math: 30 (June)
Reading: 32 (February)
Science: 33 (June)
- The average of all four of the highest section scores results in a superscored ACT composite score of 31 (in lieu of 30).
- While the scores in English and Reading both went down slightly on the last test attempt despite improved scores in math and science, thanks to superscoring the student was still able to raise their composite score overall.
- Furthermore, since all of the relevant scores were reported on the February and June test reports, the student would not need to send the September test scores to any college, unless explicitly required.
In summary, understanding how score reporting works when you take the ACT multiple times can help you make strategic decisions to maximize your ACT composite score and enhance your college applications.
How Many Times Should You Take the ACT in High School?
We suggest you don’t take it more than you need to, but that you do consider taking it more than once, even three or four times, if it’s part of a commitment and plan to improve your performance on subsequent attempts.
We also agree with a broad consensus about not overdoing it when it comes to test taking: it doesn’t typically make sense for a student to make more than three or four attempts total, as the return on effort and investment tends to diminish.
If you’re still not scoring in the desired or hoped-for range after three attempts, consider getting guidance from outside experts — if you haven’t done so already — such as guidance counselor at your high school and/or a qualified Crimson Education ACT tutor, or a personalized Crimson admissions strategist.
Getting feedback from an experienced admissions advisor can be very helpful at this stage, while getting help sooner can pay even more dividends — especially if you have aspirations to get into a highly selective college or university down the road.
When Should You Take the ACT the First Time?
Most students don’t take the ACT the first time until after completing all 9th and 10th grade courses, in order to be well prepared for their first attempt.
If you’re on an accelerated learning trajectory starting from 9th grade or before, you may feel ready to make a strong enough first attempt during your 10th grade year, rather than waiting.
Taking the test early, for practice, is another approach. Some students may take the test in 10th grade, or look for an opportunity to take the Pre-ACT, as a way to get practice and feedback early on to help them prepare for subsequent attempts. Pre-ACT tests include a Pre-ACT 8/9 test for 8th and 9th graders.
Expert Tips: When to Take ACT Tests for Best Results
What are the best times to take the ACT in High School? Given all the different options and test dates offered each school year, it’s an excellent question…
Typically, each individual student needs to determine the best times to take the ACT in high school. As you consider your options, you’ll want to be sure to take into account the following:
- personal circumstances, academic load, and time commitments for a given school year or test cycle
- your ACT score-range aspirations, college admissions goals, and other components of your academic profile
If you take the ACT as a 10th grader, it could be a good time, as you may have more time to study for the test. But, if you haven’t yet finished 10th grade, it may be harder to score in the range you want. This is why most students wait until 11th grade to start taking the test, even though 11th graders often have more demanding academic schedules, adding a different kind of challenge.
Take a personalized approach and weigh the pros and cons as you compare potential testing schedules and roadmaps... Reach out to a Crimson Strategist for an exploratory call and free feedback...
Best Times to Take the ACT: Weighing the Pros & Cons
| Test Year Options | PROS | CONS |
|---|---|---|
| 9th Grade | Early exposure, feedback, and practice | Lack of test readiness academically unless you’re already on an accelerated academic pathway |
| 10th Grade | Have some additional time before your 11th grade attempt(s) to do academic study and review informed by an initial 10th-grade score report Use your score report to inform choices you make when registering for 11th grade courses and electives | You may get some scores in lower ranges due to not having finished 10th grade Scoring in the low range, as a result of only being in 10th grade, may cause stress or result in a student feeling overwhelmed |
| 11th Grade | You’ll have a more solid academic foundation if you wait until the fall of 11th grade or even the winter, to take the test It’s a good year to test with a large swath of peers so you can compare outcomes and form productive study groups… It’s still early enough to take multiple attempts before you need to start submitting college applications in 12th grade | Time commitments may be a challenge — many juniors are loaded up with rigorous AP or IB courses and/or extensive extracurricular activities You’re leaving less time for retakes, especially if you need a long runway to score in the desired range and/or you’re planning to apply to some schools on an early action or early decision timeline |
| 12th Grade | Keeping the door open to an additional senior-year attempt could help you get a final score boost You’ve had time to make some prior attempts and deploy different strategies to raise your scores | Your ACT testing will overlap with college applications and more advanced high school courses Scores may come too late for some of your applications, especially for schools with earlier deadlines or schools you’re applying to early action or early decision |
Potential ACT pathways: planning for retakes
Path 1: The Road Most Traveled
Recognizing that many students take the ACT more than once, a typical path from your first test to getting your highest scores might look something like this:
- Fall of Junior Year: This is a popular time to take the ACT for the first time. It allows you to establish a baseline score, identify areas of improvement, and plan your subsequent preparation accordingly.
- Spring of Junior Year: By taking the ACT again in the spring, you’ve given yourself time to build on your initial score and continue to refine your skills.
- Fall of Senior Year: If you plan to apply early to colleges, taking the ACT in the fall of your senior year ensures your scores are available as application deadlines approach.
Path 2: Getting an Early Advantage — Starting in 10th Grade
- Allows you to get a head start and some initial feedback early on. Useful if it’s not convenient or possible to take the ACT in the fall of your junior year and you don’t want to put it off.
- Opportunity to get feedback ahead of 11th grade. For some students this offers a way to take advantage of free time in the summer for intensive study and review, if desired.
- An alternative could be to take the PSAT as a way to get into the running for a National Merit Scholarship while also getting some exposure to standardized test formats along with early feedback on your math and reading skills. Keep in mind however that the ACT has a slightly different subject breakdown from the PSAT:
| Subject Areas Assessed | ACT/Pre-ACT | PSAT |
|---|---|---|
| English | Yes | No |
| Reading | Yes | Yes |
| Writing | Optional for ACT (not included with Pre-ACT) | Yes |
| Math | Yes | Yes |
| Science | Yes | No |
Path 3: Practice Makes Perfect (the Long Runway Approach)
In this approach you start taking the ACT as early as 9th grade — by taking the Pre-ACT 8/9 — in order to take a proactive approach in each subsequent school year to improve your test taking and core academic proficiencies.
Although most 9th graders haven’t had the necessary instruction needed to perform well, starting early and creating space to retake the test many times is a way to use your results iteratively, across multiple attempts.
For some students, the test feedback may also help guide what core courses to take, what electives, and maybe even which extracurricular or enrichment activities to get involved with, going into and through high school.
ACT researchers have found that many students who start with lower scores can make exceptional gains during high school — leading to significant improvements in ACT performance when it's time to test in the 11th or 12th grade.
“Each year, some 7th graders take the ACT test, primarily as part of talent search programs. Many of these students go on to take the ACT again in 11th or 12th grade… On average, [these] students had an ACT Composite score gain of 9.4 points across the four- to five-year period.”
- Jeff Allen, Statistician in the Research division at ACT
By providing yourself with a longer runway, you can increase opportunities to benefit from your ACT test feedback:
- Accelerating your academic learning and taking bridge courses to earn college credits, possibly saving you some time and money in college
- Having ample time to identify and remedy areas of academic weakness
- Being more confident you’ll meet any scholarship and admissions deadlines, especially any that are earlier than expected
- Potentially qualifying for honors programs or competitive, merit based pre-college programs or top extracurriculars
What Makes Crimson Different
Final Thoughts
Navigating the complexities of the ACT can be challenging, but understanding how many times you can take the test and the right approach to maximizing the benefits of retakes coould significantly enhance your college application. While the ACT is offered seven times a year, it's generally recommended to take it one to three times annually, allowing for substantial study and review between attempts.
Taking the ACT multiple times can help improve your scores, but it's crucial to have a strategic plan. Most students find diminishing returns after three or four attempts, so it's important to balance your efforts. If you're not achieving your desired scores after two or three tries, seeking guidance from experts like high school counselors or qualified ACT tutors can provide valuable insights and personalized strategies.
Engaging with an experienced admissions advisor can offer tailored feedback and help you make informed decisions about your test-taking strategy. With expert advice, you can optimize your preparation, maximize your scores, and ultimately boost your chances of getting into your dream college.
Don’t hesitate to seek the support you need to navigate this crucial aspect of the college admissions process with confidence and clarity. Just go here to find a form you can use to schedule an initial consultation with a friendly Crimson Strategist.
Key Resources & Further Reading
About the Contributor
Crimson Education Strategists
Our Crimson strategists are top graduates from the world's most prestigious universities, including Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Oxford, and Cambridge. They bring their firsthand experience and deep insights to stay ahead of the curve in college admissions, providing you with the most up-to-date strategies for success.
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