When Do ACT Scores Come Out? ACT Release Dates for 2022-23

In an ideal world, ACT scores would be available instantly on the same day you sat for the exam. For many teens that would alleviate a good deal of stress, nerves, and sleepless nights in the weeks that follow testing day. In reality, ACT test-takers will have to endure a wait that could last anywhere from ten days to multiple weeks. This blog answers the question: when do ACT scores come out in the 2022-23 school year?

When are ACT scores available in 2022-23?

Unlike the SAT which releases the vast majority of their test scores on a single day, the ACT releases their scores on a rolling basis. As individual tests are processed and scored, the results are sent to test-takers.

What follows is a chart of expected administration ACT test dates as well as the window of time when scores are expected to come out.

What time do ACT scores come out?

The ACT organization is located in Iowa which means they are on Central Time. ACT results are typically released at midnight—12 AM—Central Time. For students on the East Coast, this means that results are available by 1 AM. Those on the West Coast will be able to access them at 10 PM. You will receive an email from the ACT when they are posted so there is no need to refresh your ACT account two hundred times.

What day do ACT scores come out?

As you know, ACT exams around the country are administered on Saturday mornings. In general, ACT results come on the second Tuesday or Thursday following the exam.

Why is my ACT score late!?

Directly from the ACT, the following are common reasons for a delay in test results:

• Answer documents from your test center arrived late or your test date was rescheduled.
• The “Matching Information” you provided on the answer document (name, date of birth, and Match Number) is not consistent with the Matching Information on your admission ticket. Scores cannot be reported until they can be accurately matched to the correct person. You provided incomplete or inaccurate test form information on the answer document, or the answer document has not cleared all other scoring accuracy checks.
• An irregularity is reported at your test center.
• You owe any registration fees.

How Do I send my ACT score to colleges?

Students have the chance to indicate which colleges they would like to receive their test scores on test day. Otherwise, you may need to send an official ACT score at a cost of $18 per test date, per report.

How quickly will colleges receive my scores?

The College Board generally sends scores to any selected colleges (you can select up to 6) within the following time frame:

How do I view my scores?

• Your scores will be posted to your MyACT account.
• ACT cannot provide scores by any other means such as email, phone, or fax.

You will see your total score, score by section, and the percentile score in the percentiles for your overall score and subscores. This means you will be able to see how your results compare to other students who took the ACT that same day. The ACT shows percentiles for the entire US as well as within your home state.

What to do while you are waiting 

If you are a sophomore or a junior, the post-ACT time period can be an excellent chance to:

• Study for school-based exams.
• Begin studying for a potential retake of the SAT/ACT.
• Ramp up your college search (we highly recommend our free Dataverse)

When do ACT scores come out? – Other ACT resources on the College Transitions website

We wish all of you the best of luck as you await your ACT results and hope that you hit your target composite score, whether that is a 20, a 28, or a perfect 36! In the interim, you may wish to check out some of our other blogs related to standardized testing:

• How Many AP Courses Should I Take?
• Where Should I Take AP Courses Online?
• When Should I Take the SAT for the First Time?
• What is an SAT/ACT Superscore?
• Should I Apply Test-Optional to College?

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).