ACT Registration Dates and Deadlines (2019, 2020)

ACT Registration Dates and Deadlines (2019, 2020) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips To ensure you have asolid ACT study plan, you must firstfamiliarizeyourself with ACT registration dates.What and when are the most important ACT deadlines?How can knowing these deadlines benefit you as a test taker? In this article, we go over upcoming ACT registration dates and examine the general patterns of ACT registration deadlines. We also discuss the differences in deadlines for late registration, standby registration, and changes to your test reservation before wrapping up with a look athow you can use ACT deadlines to your advantage. When Are ACT Registration Dates for 2019 and 2020? ACT registration dates are typicallyfive weeks and one day before each test. For the February and July test dates (the July date is a new addition to the ACT testing schedule as of 2018), ACT registration dates are usually four weeks and one dayprior to their respective test dates. In other words, eachACT registration deadline falls on a Friday around amonth before eachtest. The table below presents upcoming ACT registration deadlines and test dates for 2019 and 2020. All of these dates have been officially confirmed by ACT, Inc.Note that the late registration deadlines apply to testing sessions in the U.S. and Canadaonly. ACT Test Date Normal ACT Registration Deadline Late ACT Registration Deadline Standby Request Deadline September 14, 2019 August 16, 2019 August 30, 2019 September 6, 2019 October 26, 2019 September 20, 2019 October 4, 2019 October 18, 2019 December 14, 2019 November 8, 2019 November 22, 2019 December 6, 2019 February 8, 2020 January 10, 2020 January 17, 2020 January 31, 2020 April 4, 2020 February 28, 2020 March 13, 2020 March 27, 2020 June 13, 2020 May 8, 2020 May 22, 2020 June 5, 2020 July 18, 2020* June 19, 2020 June 26, 2020 July 10, 2020 **Not scheduled internationally or in New York or California. The normal ACT registration dates are the latest dates on which you can register for the ACT without having topay a latefee.Once a normal registration deadline has passed, you can still register for that test during itslate registration period; however, you'll have to pay a late fee of $30. If you miss the late registration deadline, you can sign up for standby testing by paying a standby fee of $53. The standby period begins immediately after the late registration deadline and continues until exactly eight days before the test date. Standby requests are not guaranteed and are only available on a first-come, first-served basis. But what abouthow early you can register for the ACT? ACT testing years follow school years from fall to summer; thus,registration opens for all ACT test dates in a testing year every July. This means that starting this July, you’ll be able to register for any 2019-2020 ACT test date, from as early as the September 2019 test date to as late as the July 2020 test date. Now that we’ve covered the basics of ACT registration dates, let’s take a look at some of thekey ACT deadlines and fees you'll need to know before signing up for a test session. There goes that two-dollar bill you've been saving since you were 5. Important ACT Deadlines Fees In addition to normal ACT registration deadlines, there are also deadlines for phone registration, late registration, standby testing, and changes to test reservations. The following table presents an overview of these major ACT deadlines and the fees associated with them. Please note that no matter when or how you register for the ACT, you must alwayspay a test registration fee, whichwill be either $50.50 for the ACT without Writing or $67 for the ACT with Writing. (If you qualify for an ACT fee waiver, however, you won't have to pay this fee.) Deadline Fee Normal Registration Typically 5 weeks and 1 day before test date;4 weeks and 1 day before February and July test dates $0 Phone Registration* Same as normal registration deadlines $15 Late Registration (U.S. Canada only) Typically 2 weeks after normal registration deadline;1 week after normal registration deadlines for February and July test dates $30 Standby Request Typically 8 days before test date $53** Test Date Changes No later than thelate registration deadline for your preferred test date $30*** Test Center Changes No later than thelate registration deadline for your test date $30*** *To register by phone, you need tohave previously registered for the ACT. **This fee, along with the registration fee, will be refunded to you if you are not given a seat on test day. ***Late fees still apply if you are submitting your request after the normal registration period has already passed. Next, we'll look at the benefits of knowing ACT registration dates. What Do ACT Registration Deadlines Mean for YOU? So farwe’ve given youa list of upcoming ACT registration datesalong with a detailed overview of ACT deadlines and fees. But what can you actually do with all of this information? For one, knowing ACT registration dates allows you to choose a test date ahead of time and avoid paying any late fees. Whileyou certainly don't need tomemorize all of the ACT deadlines above, knowthis:normal registration deadlines are usually about a month before their respective test dates. As long as you can remember this fact,you’ll always be able toplan out your ACT schedule accordingly and avoid spending more money than you need to on the test. On a related note, if you'relooking to save as much money as possible, try to regard each normal registration deadline as the latest possible deadline. This way you’ll never be tempted to fork out extra money for late registration or standby testing. ACT registration deadlines also give youa rough idea as tohow much study time you’ll have beforeyour test. For example, if you were to register for an ACT test date right before its normal registration deadline, you'd only have amonth or so to study for the test. Even more challenging, let's sayyou were to register for an ACT test date at the end of the late registration period. In this case, you'donly have aboutthree weeks to prepare for the test - and you'd have to pay a $30 late fee on top of that! Although both of these ACT prep plans are technically feasible, three or four weeks isn’t a whole lot of study time. Instead, werecommend spending anywhere fromtwo to six monthsstudying for the ACT. Therefore,it's best to registerat least a month before your desired test date’s normal registration deadline. Doing this guarantees you a minimum of eight to nine weeks for dedicated ACT prep. Ultimately, unless a certain ACT testdate is your last opportunity to take the test before your college applications are due, it'll be best for you to avoid registeringlate! What’s Next? Need help choosing an ACT test date? No matter your grade level or college plans,our full guide toACT test datesoffers premier adviceon how to pinpointthe ACT test date (or dates!) that'll work perfectly for you. Ready to get started?Register for the ACT usingour step-by-step guide! Andif you're home-schooled, we've got you covered, too! Want to learn more about upcoming ACT test dates? Our article on future ACT test dates tells you everything you need to know about taking the ACT in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.