ACT Test Accommodations

Submit for Approval

ACT is committed to providing appropriate accommodations for examinees who take the ACT test. To request accommodations, you will need to work with a school official, because the accommodations requested should be similar to the accommodations you currently receive in school. Accommodations MUST be approved by ACT before testing.

Note: If your request is not properly submitted, it may not be approved in time for your preferred test date.

Computer-Based or Special Testing

Depending on your approved accommodations you will either test as part of International computer-based testing during the weekend test event or International Special testing which allows for testing in a larger test window.

Computer-Based

Some accommodations (e.g., time and one-half single session testing) may be administered at computer-based test centers. Your admission ticket will display an “Accommodations” label on your admission ticket if approved by ACT, and your seat at the test center is confirmed.

Special Testing

If your approved accommodations cannot be provided at a computer-based test center (e.g., multiple-day testing) you and the school official will work together to make arrangements for testing within the applicable special testing window. Your admission ticket will display a “Special testing” label, with the test window and a note that testing is arranged with the school official.

How to Make a Request

Not in school?

Please see Examinees Who Are Homeschooled or Are Not Currently Enrolled for instructions.

Register to test.

Log into MyACT and complete the following:

Link a valid high school to your MyACT account before you register to allow ACT to communicate your registration to the associated school official in TAA. Consider searching for your high school by postal (zip) code, which may be different than your home address.
Select ‘Yes’ when prompted to confirm you need accommodations after beginning the registration process. If you selected ‘no’, you will need to contact ACT as soon as possible to update your registration if you need to test with accommodations.

Work with your school official to submit your request.

After you register, you will receive an email that you must forward to your school official. You also need to provide a completed Consent to Release Information to ACT (PDF) form.

Your school official must submit your accommodations request in TAA before the published accommodations deadline for your test.

Note: If the accommodations you need were previously approved, you should not submit a new request. Skip this step.

Review the decision notification with your school official.

Your school official will receive a copy of the decision notification. If your request was denied, review your decision notification with your school official. You have until the published accommodations deadline to submit an appeal.

Note: If after 10 business days, you have not received an update from your school official about your accommodations request, please contact them directly.

Approved for special testing? Make arrangements to test!

You are responsible for working with your school official to make arrangements to test within the special testing window. Students approved for special testing usually test at their own school. If your high school cannot administer the test, contact ACT as soon as possible.

Print your admission ticket.

Be sure to upload your photo (if you have not already done so) and review your admission ticket to ensure your registration shows your accommodations. If you are testing at a computer-based test center, check your testing location. In some cases, we may need to change your testing location to provide your accommodations.

What kind of documentation will I need?

ACT Policy for Requesting Accommodations for the ACT Test

Accommodations Dates and Deadlines

All requests, including appeals, must be submitted by the following deadlines for your preferred test date.

Starting with the June 2026 test event, the Special Testing window will be reduced:

Previously: Two-week Special Testing window
New: One-week Special Testing window

All testing must be completed no later than the final day of the new published window.

Computer-Based Test Date	Accommodations Submission Deadline	Special Testing Window
10–11 April, 2026	27 March	10 April–26 April
12–13 June, 2026	15 May	12 June–21 June
10–11 July, 2026	12 June	10 July–19 July

Additional Resources

Arranging Testing with a School Official

Special testing is offered as a window of time to ensure that accommodations that cannot be provided at a computer-based testing center, such as multi-day testing, can be administered. Schools that participate in Special testing are required to follow policies and procedures to help ensure a smooth administration. School officials are directed to schedule small groups of examinees together and coordinate the administration around their other duties.

ACT recommends communicating scheduling requests you may have as early as possible. While school officials will try to support your request, balancing multiple students’ needs, and testing requirements may limit what they can offer.

Finding an Alternate Location to Test ACT Special Testing

If your school is unable to administer ACT Special testing, you may need to find an alternate location to test. ACT recommends contacting local schools or colleges. Once a resource is found, you can contact ACT to update your testing location.

Opting Out of Accommodations

If you are approved for multiple accommodations, you will receive the accommodations that provide the most amount of time and support. If you wish to use fewer or no accommodations when testing, please contact ACT 15 days before your test date.

If you were not approved for accommodations, registered for Special Testing, but still wish to test, contact ACT as soon as possible to update your registration to test without accommodations. Please note that your preferred test center may not be available.

Unexpected Registration Changes

We do our best to minimize the impact to your test experience and provide your approved accommodations. This may result in changes to how or where you are to test. Your test accommodations are not approved until after you are able to print your admission ticket. If your accommodations are approved for a computer-based test center, ACT reviews your registration against available capacity and may update your test location to a nearby test center that can support your accommodations. Please be sure to review the information on your admission ticket and confirm your testing location.

Documents and Guides

Consent to Release Information to ACT Form (PDF)	Must be printed, signed by parent or legal guardian, or examinee if over age 18, and filed at the school.
Preparing for the ACT Test - Special Testing (PDF)	Learning resource for examinees taking the ACT through Special testing.
Preparing for the ACT Test - Scoring Keys (PDF)	Download this guide for instructions on how to score your practice tests and review your performance.
Accommodations Checklist for Non-US Examinees (PDF)	Quick visual reference for the steps to request accommodations.
Available Testing Supports for the International ACT	Assist students, families, and school staff in planning to take the ACT International test with accommodations.
Section Test Timings for Accommodations - National and Special Testing (PDF)	Helpful breakdown of each section's timing for each accommodated timing support provided by ACT.

Your Privacy

ACT will treat all information you provide to support your request as confidential and will use it solely to determine your eligibility for accessibility supports. Details about these supports will be shared only with the testing staff and will not be released to anyone else, including your chosen score report recipients. The only exceptions are for those instances in which an examinee’s related documents and information are the subject of a subpoena or other court order, or an enforceable request from a government entity. ACT Score Reports do not include any specifics about the accessibility supports provided.

Contact Us

If you have a more specific question, please use the Contact Form.

Still have questions?
Call to speak with an ACT representative at (319) 337-1332, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (GMT-6)
Call wait times may vary.