Last reviewed: August 7, 2026. ACT labels every 2027-28 date as projected. We will update this page when the official calendar and registration deadlines are confirmed.

ACT posts its future national testing calendar on its own registration site, marked as projected.1 That makes these the most reliable 2027-28 dates that exist anywhere, and it also means they come with an asterisk you should understand before you plan around them.

When Are the 2027-28 ACT Test Dates?

The projected 2027-28 calendar follows ACT's standard seven-administration pattern: three fall dates, four winter-through-summer dates, all Saturdays.1

Fall 2027 (projected):

  • September 11, 2027
  • October 16, 2027
  • December 11, 2027

Winter through summer 2028 (projected):

  • February 26, 2028
  • April 8, 2028
  • June 10, 2028
  • July 15, 2028

Registration deadlines for these dates have not been published. In the current 2026-27 cycle, regular registration closes about five weeks before each test date, with a late window (and late fee) running roughly two more weeks.2 Expect the same spacing for 2027-28 once deadlines post.

Projected Versus Final

ACT's own wording is that projected test dates are subject to change.1 In practice, the shape of the calendar is stable: seven Saturdays spread across September, October, December, February, April, June, and July. Individual dates occasionally move by a week when the final calendar is confirmed.

Plan accordingly. Use these dates to decide the season and sequence of your attempts now, and confirm the exact Saturday before you commit money or travel to it. One calendar check in spring 2027 covers you.

Did You Know

ACT's registration deadlines run about five weeks before test day, more than twice as far out as the SAT's two-week deadlines. Families who switch between the two tests miss ACT deadlines most often for exactly this reason. If you plan both tests, the ACT deadline is almost always the one that arrives first.2

Match the Dates to Your Class Year

High school class of 2028 (seniors in fall 2027). September 11 is your realistic last date for November 1 early deadlines, with scores typically starting to post within a few weeks of test day.3 October 16 cuts it close for early rounds and is better treated as a regular-decision date. December 11 serves January deadlines only. The stronger play is finishing a first attempt in spring 2027 on the current calendar so fall 2027 is a targeted retake.

High school class of 2029 (juniors in 2027-28). Your first attempt belongs in spring 2028: February 26, April 8, or June 10. By then your coursework covers nearly everything the test asks, and you keep summer 2028 plus fall of senior year for a retake. If your state administers the ACT in school during junior spring, treat that sitting as your baseline and plan one national date after it.

Class of 2030 and younger. No action needed. When the time comes, start with a diagnostic practice test, not a real registration. Our free ACT practice test guide shows where to get real released material.

Important

Do not map SAT timing onto the ACT. An October 16 ACT sits five weeks after its registration deadline, and scores from October administrations have historically taken longer to process than summer ones. If an early deadline matters to you, September 11 is the date to protect, which means registering in early August 2027.2

The July Date Almost Nobody Plans For

The projected calendar ends with July 15, 2028, and July is the most underused date on the ACT calendar. It sits after AP exams, finals, and graduation season, when a student can give the test full attention. For rising seniors it returns a score with the whole application season still ahead, and for rising juniors it can serve as an early baseline after sophomore year.

One more detail worth knowing: July national testing only became available in New York with the July 2027 administration, so older advice claiming New York students cannot test in July is now out of date.1

Build the Plan Before Registration Exists

Anchor to your deadlines, not to the test. Write down your earliest possible application deadline, then walk backward: several weeks for scores, five weeks from registration deadline to test day. That walk-back is why September attempts get decided in July and August, not September.

Plan two attempts. Most students improve on a second sitting after targeted work on their weakest section. Space the attempts far enough apart to actually fix something, usually two to three months. A spring 2028 first attempt with a summer or early-fall retake is the cleanest version of this for the class of 2029, and our ACT prep guide lays out what to do between the two.

Settle the SAT-versus-ACT question early. The tests reward different strengths, and the only honest way to choose is a timed practice section of each. Start with our SAT versus ACT comparison. College Board has posted its own anticipated 2027-28 calendar as well, which we track on the SAT test dates 2027-2028 page.

Set a target score. A concrete number changes how you prep and when you stop. Our breakdown of what counts as a good ACT score shows how to pick a target from the admissions data of colleges you actually want.

Expert Tip

Add every projected date to your calendar now, each with a reminder five weeks earlier labeled "ACT registration closes soon." ACT's long lead time is the single most common way organized families still miss a date, because the deadline arrives while the test still feels distant.

Fees, Accommodations, and the Fine Print

Exact 2027-28 fees have not been published, and ACT sets fees annually, so confirm current amounts on the registration page when you sign up.2 Fee waivers covering the test cost are available through school counselors for students who qualify, and they can be used for more than one administration.

If you need accommodations, start the request through your school well before your target registration deadline. Approvals go through ACT's accommodations system and can take weeks during busy periods, and an approval from another testing program does not carry over automatically.

What This Page Will Update

When ACT confirms the official 2027-28 calendar, this page will be updated with final dates, every registration and late deadline, and score release windows for each administration. Until then, the fully confirmed current-year schedule lives on our ACT test dates 2026-2027 page, which is the working document for the classes of 2027 and 2028.

FAQ

What are the ACT test dates for 2027-2028?

ACT's projected 2027-28 national dates are September 11, October 16, and December 11, 2027, followed by February 26, April 8, June 10, and July 15, 2028. ACT labels these projected and notes they are subject to change until the official calendar is confirmed.1

Are the 2027-28 ACT dates official?

They are published by ACT on its own registration site, which makes them the best available planning information, but they are explicitly projected rather than final. Use them to choose your testing season and sequence, and confirm the exact dates before registering in 2027.

When do ACT registration deadlines fall?

Deadlines for 2027-28 have not been posted. In the current cycle, regular registration closes about five weeks before each national test date, with a late registration window and extra fee for roughly two weeks after that.2 Expect the same pattern for 2027-28.

Which 2027-28 ACT date works for November 1 early deadlines?

September 11, 2027. Multiple-choice scores typically begin posting within a few weeks of test day, which puts a September score safely ahead of November 1 Early Decision and Early Action deadlines.3 October 16 is tight for early rounds and better suited to regular decision.

When should the class of 2029 take their first ACT?

Spring 2028, on the February 26, April 8, or June 10 date. Junior spring is when coursework coverage, stamina, and retake runway all line up. Students in states with school-day ACT testing should treat that spring sitting as the baseline and schedule one national date afterward.

Is there a July ACT in 2028?

Yes, July 15, 2028 is on the projected calendar. July is a strong, low-conflict date for rising seniors who want a score locked before application season, and July national testing is now available in New York, which was not true in earlier years.1

Footnotes

  1. ACT, Inc. (2026). ACT National Test Dates. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration/test-dates.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  2. ACT, Inc. (2026). Register for the ACT: Dates, Fees, and Deadlines. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  3. ACT, Inc. (2026). ACT Scores: When to Expect Them. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores.html ↩ ↩2