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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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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:
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.
This is an important question.
While a good question, the answers are a bit nuanced...
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:
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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:
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...
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 |
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:
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 |
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.
By providing yourself with a longer runway, you can increase opportunities to benefit from your ACT test feedback:
What Makes Crimson Different
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.