Accommodations
ACT is committed to serving examinees with documented disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations appropriate to the examinee's diagnosis and needs. ACT has established policies regarding documentation of an examinee’s disability.
If you currently receive accommodations in school due to a professionally diagnosed and documented disability, see the ACT Policy for Accommodations Documentation (PDF), which will prepare you and guide you through the process of requesting test accommodations on the ACT test.
Requesting Accommodations
1. Create or log in to an existing account
- Register for the ACT test
- Indicate need for accommodations
- Select the type of accommodation you need
| Accommodation Testing (Can you do both of these? If so, you will test with accommodations at a test center.) | Special Testing (If at least one of these apply, you will test at your home school or special test site arranged for you.) |
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2. Upon completion of your registration, you'll receive an email with instructions on how to work with your school to submit a request. Forward this email to your school official along with a completed Consent to Release Information to ACT (PDF) form. This email initiates the process.
3. Your school official will submit your request to ACT. ACT will review the request and email the Decision Notification to your school official. Your school official should contact you within two weeks of submitting your request.
Note: The registration deadlines for testing with accommodations are the same. Find upcoming test dates and deadlines on the Registration page.
All accommodation requests should be submitted by your school official by the published registration deadlines for your preferred test date.
Accommodations Checklist (PDF)
For immediate answers to commonly asked questions, download FAQs for Students and Parents (PDF).
Examinees Admission Ticket
International Center-Based Testing (Accommodations):
Examinees approved to test at an International test center will see an “Extended Time” label on their admission ticket once accommodations are approved by ACT and the examinee’s seat at a test center is confirmed. The specific accommodations will continue to be communicated to the examinee and his/her school official via the ACT Decision Notification.
International Special Testing:
Examinees approved to test via Special Testing will see a “Special Testing” label on their admission ticket once accommodations are approved and the examinee’s registration is confirmed by ACT. The specific accommodations will continue to be communicated to the examinee and his/her school official via the ACT Decision Notification. In addition, ACT will continue providing Special Testing test coordinators with the specific approved accommodations for examinees assigned to test at their school via the Special Testing Roster, and corresponding Confirmation letters will be sent to the examinees.
Special Testing Windows
Special testing is available during the designated two-week testing windows below.
| Test Date | Testing Window |
|---|---|
| December 11-12, 2020 | December 11-27, 2020 |
| February 5-6, 2021 | February 5-21, 2021 |
| April 16-17, 2021 | April 16 - May 3, 2021 |
| June 16-17, 2021 | July 16 - August 2, 2021 |
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 accommodations. Details about your test accommodations 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 accommodation-related documents and information are the subject of a subpoena or other court order, or an enforceable request from a government entity.
Resources for Students and Parents
| File Name and Link | Description |
|---|---|
| Preparing for the ACT Test - Special Testing (PDF) | Provided free of charge specifically for examinees taking the ACT through Special testing who plan to use an alternate format test. |
| Parent/Student FAQs for the ACT Test Accommodations (PDF) | Answers to commonly asked questions by parents and students who request accommodations through TAA. |
| 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. |
| Center-Based vs. Special (PDF) | Download this infographic for a quick reference as to which type of accommodations to select. |
| Accommodations Checklist for Non-US Examinees (PDF) | Quick visual reference for the steps to request accommodations. |
| Exceptions Statement Form and Checklist (PDF) | Examinees who do not currently have an official accommodations plan, IEP, or 504 plan can submit the Exceptions Statement Form to support their request. |
| Extended Time Testing Policy FAQ (PDF) | Frequently asked Questions and Answers about ACT’s updated extended time testing policy |
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.
