At PrepScholar, we constantly review the best data to inform you about future test dates. If you know the future registration dates and test schedule, you can create your study plan and stay organized, allowing you to lessen your stress and reach your target score.
In this article, I’ll give you the the ACT test dates for 2018-2019 and explain the factors to think about when choosing your test date.
ACT Test Dates for 2018-2019
Here are the anticipated test dates, registration deadlines, and score release dates for 2018-2019. The test dates are confirmed by the ACT; the other dates are our projections based on historical data.
| Test Date | Deadline | Late Deadline | Score Release* |
| Sept 8, 2018 | Aug 3, 2018 | Aug 17, 2018 | Sept 18; Oct 2, 2018 |
| Oct 27, 2018 | Sept 21, 2018 | Oct 5, 2018 | Nov 6; Nov 20, 2018 |
| Dec 8, 2018 | Nov 2, 2018 | Nov 16, 2018 | Dec 18, 2018; Jan 1, 2019 |
| Feb 9, 2019 | Jan 4, 2019 | Jan 18, 2019 | Feb 19; Mar 5, 2019 |
| Apr 13, 2019 | Mar 8, 2019 | Mar 22, 2019 | Apr 23; May 7, 2019 |
| June 8, 2019 | May 3, 2019 | May 17, 2019 | June 18; July 2, 2019 |
| July 13, 2019 | June 14, 2019 | June 21, 2019 | July 23; Aug 6, 2019 |
*= Refers to online score release. The first date is when multiple choice scores come out, and the second one is when complete scores are available.
How Accurate Is the Table Above?
All of the dates are projected and subject to change. The final schedule will be released within roughly a year of the test dates. However, based on previous years’ dates, this schedule should be close to accurate. The score release dates are the least precise, but they should be within a week of the projected dates. Keep in mind that there's some inconsistency when multiple choice scores come out and not everyone receives them at the same time.
How to Choose Your Test Date
These are some of the major factors to consider when selecting your ACT test date:
Know Your Deadlines!
Take the ACT before your earliest college application deadlines. If you apply regular decision, the December test in your senior year will be the last test you can take for most colleges. If you apply early, the last test you can take may be in October or November of your senior year.
Also, if you're hoping to get any scholarships that consider your ACT score, you’ll need to have your test score before the scholarship deadlines.
How Many Times Do You Want to Take the ACT?
Because most students increase their scores when they retake the ACT, you should give yourself an opportunity to take the test multiple times. Generally, we suggest first taking the ACT in the fall of your junior year. Then you can retake it in the spring of your junior year and the fall of your senior year if necessary.
How Long Do You Plan to Study?
When selecting your test date, figure out how long you’ll need to study and ensure you’ll be able to sufficiently prepare before you take the test. If you take both the September and October tests without doing any studying in between, your score probably won’t improve much.
Do You Have Conflicts With Any Test Dates?
Check to see if you have any potential conflicts on or around any of the ACT test dates. Maybe the February date is on the same day as your orchestra concert. Or perhaps you want to avoid the June test date because you’ll be focused on your finals.
Even if it's challenging to find a time when you can fully dedicate yourself to the ACT, you should try to pick the best test dates for you.
What's Next?
Still not sure when you should take the ACT? Find out if you should pick the next available date.
Even if you know when you want to take the ACT, learn more about where you should take it.
Finally, read about our tips for signing up for the ACT.
