Many colleges and universities still require the ACT (or SAT) from their applicants. Did you know the ACT could also help you qualify for grants and scholarships? It’s not a test you should just “wing.” Preparing for the exam can help you get into your dream college and potentially win free money. Here are some steps to help you sign up for and study for your ACT.
How To Sign Up for the ACT
You can sign up for the ACT on the ACT.org website. Make an account and register for your selected testing date. You’ll also find more information about the ACT, fees, available exam dates, and more on the website.
Here’s a look at the 2025 and 2026 upcoming test dates:
| Test Date | Registration Deadline | Late Registration Deadline | Standby Deadline |
| Apr 5, 2025 | Feb 28 | Mar 16 | March 28 |
| Jun 14, 2025 | May 9 | May 26 | June 6 |
| July 12, 2025* | Jun 6 | Jun 20 | July 4 |
| Sep 6, 2025 | Aug 1 | Aug 19 | August 29 |
| Oct 18, 2025 | Sep 12 | Sep 30 | October 10 |
| December 13, 2025 | Nov 7 | November 24 | December 5 |
| February 14, 2026 | January 7 | January 21 | February 6 |
| April 11, 2026 | March 6 | March 24 | April 3 |
| June 13, 2026 | May 8 | May 27 | June 5 |
| July 11, 2026* | June 5 | June 24 | July 3 |
*No tests available in New York in July
Through July 2025, the ACT costs $65. Students can add on the writing section for an additional $25 and/or the science section for $4. There are extra costs for late registration, standby, test date changes, and more.
While you can absolutely start preparing for the ACT before you sign up for a test date, knowing your “deadline” can help you create a schedule for the coming weeks or months.
How To Study For the ACT
Use this quick guideline to create your plan to ace the ACT.
1. Start Early
As soon as you know you’re taking the ACT, start preparing! This isn’t a test you can memorize facts for. You can’t learn the material in a single night. In fact, cramming might actually cause you to do worse on the test than you would have with no studying at all due to the stress and lack of sleep.
You have a lot of ground to cover to ace the ACT, so starting early gives you time to review all of the information, make adjustments as needed, and avoid the all-nighter stress.
2. Create a Schedule
Next, you’ll want to create a schedule to account for studying, practice ACTs, and breaks. You’ll likely have other commitments to think about, including high school, extracurriculars, scholarship applications, and college applications, so keep those in mind when deciding how much you want to work on ACT prep each night.
If you start early enough, try to aim for two hours, two nights a week – or four hours. As your test date approaches, you can ramp up your study time to six hours. If possible, you eventually want to get at least 10 hours a week, or two hours a day.
3. Set Goals
A “good score” on the ACT is subjective. For most students, a perfect 36 is out of reach – and you really don’t need that to get into most colleges. Even Harvard University and other competitive schools don’t require a perfect ACT or SAT score from their students.
Instead, think about what a good score means for you. Reviewing what your dream colleges are looking for in prospective students is a good start. Continuing with Harvard, most accepted students from the recent admissions cycle earned between 34 and 36 on their ACT. At Vassar College, a majority had a 33, 34, or 35 composite score. And at the University of West Florida, many accepted students had between a 20 and a 26.
You might also want to consider scholarship and grant requirements. For example, the Florida Bright Futures program requires you to have above specific ACT and SAT scores to qualify.
In addition, think about what you’d like to score. Even if your dream college tends to accept students who earn a 26, is that what you’d personally like to aim for? Or would you like to aim higher?
No matter what you set as your goal, just make sure it’s S.M.A.R.T: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. It’ll help you stay on track. And remember, you can always start small and move up from there as you reach your goals. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Meeting smaller goals can help you stay motivated! For instance, if you’d like a 30 ACT composite score, but scored a 22 on your first practice test, try aiming for 25 first. Once you hit that, you can move it to 27 and then 30.
4. Take Practice Tests
The ACT isn’t like other exams. You can’t memorize the material. The only way to improve your score is to take practice tests. You can take this right at home, too. There are plenty of free practice exams online, but you can also opt for paid versions, including books and tutoring services.
When it’s time to take a practice test, pretend you’re taking the real exam. Remove distractions, silence your phone, let your family know you’ll be practicing, and set timers for each section. As you move through the exam, follow those timers. Don’t flip back to previous sections or forward to new portions. If you have left over time, use it as you would if it was the real test – review your answers. And don’t forget your scheduled breaks!
Taking these steps simulates the real exam, meaning you’ll get a real picture into how you’d perform on the ACT if you took it today.
5. Note Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Once you’ve completed your first practice exam, don’t immediately sit down to take another! You want to review the results. Score the test. What areas did you excel in? Where did you struggle? Did you do well overall on the math portion but had trouble with select sections?
However, if you’re having trouble with answering all the questions within the time limits, one of the best ways to improve your results is actually to keep taking practice exams. Answer the easy questions first and skip the hard ones. Return to the hard ones later. If you find you’re running out of time, guess!
As you become more familiar with the layout and the types of questions, you’ll test faster.
Use any extra time at the end of the section to review your answers.
6. Study
Your practice ACT results give you direction for moving forward. You’ll want to focus harder on the weaker areas than your stronger ones. There are plenty of prep materials online and off. You can reach out to tutors, use official sources, read study books, use flash cards, and download ACT prep apps. Several resources even have “a question a day” or similar that you can tackle in just a few minutes.
Did you know that simply reading in your free time can help you perform better on the ACT? Whether it’s nonfiction, horror, fantasy, or something else, reading actively improves your reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills. To take it even further, ask yourself questions to engage more with the material.
Think about what study methods work best for you and go from there.
7. Ask for Help
It’s okay to ask for help! Whether you have a simple question or need assistance with an entire section, there are people who can help you. Start with your teachers and peers. Many high schools have ACT/SAT study programs to help you prepare, or you can find a study buddy or tutor. If you have the money, you can also hire a tutor online or locally.
And, of course, you can ask your parents! While they didn’t take the exact same ACT you did years ago, they might still be familiar with the exam and remember what study tactics worked for them. Plus, they can help with your overall studying – you don’t need to do your flashcards all alone!
8. Take Breaks
Putting your nose to the grindstone all day, every day won’t do your ACT score any favors. Taking breaks will help your mind reset and refresh, increase your energy and productivity, and improve your focus. And I’m not just talking about scheduled breaks during your practice ACT tests – take breaks during your allotted study time and take days off. Studying seven days a week or for hours at a time is a good way to face burnout.
9. Get Ready to Take the Exam
About a week out from your ACT test, you’ll want to start winding down your studying. ACT prep is a marathon, not a sprint. Going hard this week won’t improve your score by much, if any. Give yourself plenty of time off.
The night before your ACT, get everything ready. Gather everything you need, including your approved device, admissions ticket, snacks, and calculator. Lay out comfortable clothes–I recommend layers. If it’s too hot in the testing room, you can always take a layer off.
10. Reward Yourself
As you meet your goals with your practice tests, reward yourself! Whether it’s a candy bar, a day off, a present for yourself, or something else, they can improve your productivity and motivation. As you keep improving your score, up the reward!
Remember: The ACT isn’t something you can cram for. It’s a marathon. Starting early gives you plenty of time to identify your weaknesses and strengths and take action to improve your score. Create a schedule with reasonable goals to help you stay on task and keep you motivated.
To set goals, consider what your dream colleges are looking for in a student. One way to find out more about accepted students’ ACT scores is through College Match. It’s completely free and easy to get started!
