ACT Test Prep for Spring 2020
There is a significant amount of ACT preparation and commitment to test prep that is required in order for students to reach their full ACT test score potential. Preparing for the ACT test starts with knowing when the tests are administered and what the registration deadlines are for each exam date and creating a test prep plan around those key dates. You can find national ACT test dates below for Spring 2020, along with their registration deadlines.
SPRING 2020
NATIONAL ACT EXAM DATES
February 8, 2020
April 4, 2020
June 13, 2020
July 18, 2020
2020 TEST REGISTRATION DEADLINES
February 8th exam: January 10, 2020 registration deadline
April 4th exam: February 28, 2020 registration deadline
June 13th exam: May 8, 2020 registration deadline
July 18th exam: June 19, 2020 registration deadline
How much does the ACT cost?
The cost to take just the regular ACT, which is comprised of sections on English, math, reading, and science, is $52.00. The cost to take the regular ACT plus the additional writing section is $68.00. The ACT will charge additional fees for services such as changing your test date, changing the type of test your student will take, registering late, and signing up for standby testing. You can learn more about ACT pricing and fees on their website here: ACT Test Costs
What if I don’t register before the registration date listed?
If you miss the registration deadline, it probably is not the end of the world. The ACT opens a late registration period for approximately two weeks after the standard registration deadline has passed. The cost to register late for an exam stays the same, but the ACT assesses an additional $30 late registration fee. Other than this additional fee, the only other potential difficulty you may run into is testing centers being full.
Where are ACT tests given?
There are many national ACT testing locations throughout the country. Most often, testing locations include high schools, colleges, and universities. To find a testing location that will be convenient for your child, you can check out their website here: ACT Test Center Locations
What if my preferred ACT testing location is full?
If your testing center is full, you have the option of signing up for a wait list, which the ACT calls “Standby Testing.” There is an additional fee for signing up for standby testing, and there is no guarantee that your student will get to take the ACT that day, but the ACT does refund your fee if your student does not end up testing. How this works is your student will go to the testing center as if he or she is going to take the exam, and if students who are registered for the test do not show up, positions open up for students that are on the standby testing list. Open spots are rewarded to students based on their position on the standby testing list, so, similar to regular ACT registration, time is of the essence when signing up for standby testing.
How long does it take to get ACT scores back after a test?
ACT scores for the 4 main sections of the test begin to be reported 10 days after the exam date. Students can check their online ACT accounts starting 10 days after their test to see if their scores have been released yet. Students will be able to see their composite score (the average of all 4 section scores), as well as their individual scores out of each section. All sections are scored on a scale of 1-36. The scores for the writing section of the ACT take longer to be released, as these have to be scored by humans. Writing scores begin to be reported 2 weeks after an exam date. The writing section is scored on a scale of 1-12.
How many times can students take the ACT?
There is no limit to the number of times that a student can take the ACT exam. Many students will end up taking the ACT two or three times before they are happy with their scores.
When should students start thinking about the ACT?
We recommend that students start to think about the ACT at the end of their sophomore year of high school or the beginning of their junior year of high school. For students planning to enroll in colleges the fall after they graduate from high school, they generally can take the ACT through September or October of their senior year of high school and still have time to send their test scores off with their college applications. For more on ACT test prep timing, check out our ACT Test Prep & College Applications Timeline for Success.
How long should students spend preparing for the ACT?
By beginning to think about the ACT at the end of sophomore year or beginning of junior year, students are giving themselves a year or more to plan and prepare for the ACT. We recommend that students spend between 4-8 weeks studying leading up to the ACT exam dates, but the real answer to this question really depends on your current situation and your goal situation. You don’t want to study nonstop for a full year, but focusing for a month or two leading up to the test has shown great results for students who put in the time commitment. Students looking to increase their test scores by 8 points will need MUCH more time spend studying and preparing than students hoping to raise their scores 2 points. Check out our equation to help you determine how much time you should spend preparing for the ACT.
How do students decide what their ACT goal score should be?
A big reason that the ACT is so important is that it provides a consistent data point which colleges can use to compare student applicants from all across the world. Students should consider where they hope to go off to college and what the ACT scores of students at those colleges look like. For example, a student who hopes to attend the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul should aim for an ACT score that at least falls within the average of those of current St. Thomas students: 24-29. This will increase the probability of a student being accepted to the school, as the admissions team will see that they are academically a good fit. Additionally, many schools offer merit-based scholarships to students who receive certain ACT scores or fall within certain thresholds of ACT score and GPA combinations. What does that mean? That means certain ACT scores could save you money on tuition. That is huge! Make sure to do your homework and know whether this is how colleges you will apply to structure their financial aid. It might be worth taking the ACT a 4th time if you can raise your score 2 more points and save yourself $16,000 over the course of 4 years. Check out more about the TWO BIG REASONS that students should care about their ACT scores.