How Many Times Can You Take the ACT? (And How Many Is Too Many?)

Quick Answer: How Many Times Can You Take the ACT?

Most students end up taking the ACT between two and three times, since that's usually enough to reach a goal score. The exact answer for you depends on your current ACT score, your target score, when you'll be applying to colleges, and which colleges are on your list.

Is There an Official Limit to How Many Times You Can Take the ACT?

No. ACT doesn't cap the number of ACT exams a student can register for, and there's no required waiting period between test dates. Here’s how that compares to the SAT.

*Does not include state and district testing dates

**Does not include School Days testing dates

The ACT used to have a 12-test max limit for each student, but that has been removed. That means, for both the ACT and the SAT, the question isn't about how many times can you take the test, but how many times should you retake the test, and what you can do to make sure you're improving your score each time.

How Many Times Do Most Students Take the ACT?

Most students end up taking the ACT two or three times, and ACT's own guidance says the same thing: on average, it takes students two to three attempts to reach their testing goals. Of course, there are plenty of students who only take the ACT more (or less)!

But generally, PrepScholar recommends students retake the test in a structured way:

First ACT (fall of junior year): The first test helps you feel more familiar with how things happen on test day, from registering to pacing yourself on each section. The score you earn on your first test is a good baseline number to compare to your target score so you can build a better prep plan moving forward. If you’re not sure how to prep for the ACT, PrepScholar’s proven test prep services can help.

Second ACT (spring of junior year): Ideally, this is where you'd see a significant jump in your score based on your prep plan. The goal is to reach or exceed your target score. If you don’t, it’s time to reevaluate your study plan.

Third ACT (summer before senior year or fall of senior year): Students take the ACT for a third time after they've hopefully strengthened all their remaining weak areas and feel confident with the ACT's content and pacing. The score gains between the second and third tests are often smaller but can be significant, especially if you didn’t have a strong test plan in place before.

On the ACT, your composite score is the average of your section scores rounded to the nearest whole number. Improving your score in just one section can be enough to push your whole composite up a point. That makes a targeted retake, where you focus your studying on your single weakest section, slightly more effective on the ACT.

Additionally, the ACT superscores tests. That means alongside your individual test score, the ACT will take your top score from every section across all your tests. So if your chosen colleges accept ACT superscores, retaking the test can be a good way for you to stand out on college applications.

Does Retaking the ACT Actually Improve Your Score?

Usually it does, but you need to be studying effectively. Three things generally impact how much a student improves between ACTs:

Familiarity with the format. Many students are nervous during their first ACT and unfamiliar with the test. Things like the ACT's fast pacing, sitting in an unfamiliar testing center, and testing on a screen if you're taking the online version can result in an official ACT score significantly below the practice tests you took at home. Retaking the ACT can make you feel less nervous, which can raise your score.

Content gaps. After you take the ACT for the first time, you'll get a score report breaking your performance down by section and reporting category. Students who take the time to analyze this information, figure out their weak areas, and strengthen them with targeted studying typically see much more improvement on subsequent ACTs.

Better pacing and error habits. This matters more on the ACT than on almost any other test you'll take, because the ACT gives you less time per question than the SAT does. Focusing on managing your time on test day can result in a higher ACT score the next time you take the test.

The key point to realize here is that these factors improve with strategy and practice. A student who retakes the ACT without changing anything about the way they're studying or taking the exam generally won't see much score improvement.

How Do Superscoring and Score Sending Affect ACT Retakes?

How many times it makes sense to take the ACT also depends partly on how the colleges on your list actually calculate ACT scores. Here's how the ACT handles this:

Superscoring is automatic on the ACT. If you've taken the ACT more than once since September 2016, ACT calculates a Superscore for you with no forms, no fees, and no request needed. It shows up in your MyACT account as soon as your second test is scored. Your Superscore takes your best section scores from across all of your test dates and averages them into a single composite, rounded to the nearest whole number.

As of 2025, your Superscore Composite uses English, Math, and Reading only. Science is no longer part of the composite. Instead, it's combined with Math to produce your STEM score instead. Both legacy and enhanced ACT sittings count toward your Superscore, so older test dates aren't wasted.

You choose which test dates to send. ACT sends scores by test date, and you decide which dates go to which schools. That effectively gives you the same protection SAT Score Choice offers: a test date where things went badly doesn't have to be part of your application. Additional score reports cost $20 per test date per college.

You can't retake just one section. Even though superscoring rewards a strong single-section performance, you still have to sit for the full exam to improve that section. Plan for a full test day, not a quick section retake.

Because superscoring is automatic and section scores carry across test dates, an ACT retake is relatively low-risk. If your Math score drops but your Reading score climbs, your Superscore still reflects your best of each.

But be careful: not every college accepts Superscores, and some may ask to see scores from every test date. Check each college's admissions page before deciding how many times to take the ACT so you don’t inadvertently hurt your chances of admission.

How Many ACT Retakes Is Too Many?

Again, you're allowed to take the ACT as many times as you want, but if one or more of the following is happening, it may be a sign to stop signing up for new ACTs:

Two ACT exams with real prep in between, but your score doesn't move much. At this point, you may have genuinely reached your best score. If you're still not where you want to be, you can take the ACT again, but you'll likely need to revamp your study techniques or use a test prep service that can guarantee a score lift.

You've already reached the 75th-percentile ACT score of your top-choice schools. Your score goal should be based on the 75th percentile ACT score of admitted students at the most competitive college you're applying to. Once you hit that score, it’s often worth focusing on other aspects of your application instead.

The next ACT date conflicts with an application deadline and wouldn't leave enough time for colleges to get your new scores. College submission deadlines are firm, so taking the ACT after the submission deadline passes is a waste of time and money.

The cost is adding up without a clear payoff. Each ACT registration is $70, or up to $100 with the Science and Criting add-ons, plus $20 per additional score report. Taking the ACT repeatedly without a smart prep plan can drive up costs without good returns.

Should You Retake the ACT? A Quick Guide

Should You Retake the ACT If You Already Got a High Score?

Students already scoring well above average (the current national average ACT composite is 19.4) have other questions to ask themselves when deciding how many times to take the ACT.

If you're already scoring high on the ACT (30+), the questions you're missing are likely the hardest ones on the test, and it'll take more time to learn the skills you need to get those right. Moving from a 32 to a 34 is generally harder than raising your score from a 22 to a 26.

In these cases, it's especially important to develop an effective study plan that focuses on your biggest weaknesses.

The one exception is superscoring. If your schools accept Superscores, a focused retake aimed at your weakest section is the best way to raise the overall score and hit (or exceed) your score target.

How Do Application Deadlines Affect ACT Retakes?

Sometimes college application deadlines are the deciding factor in how many times you're able to take the ACT. If schools won't get your new scores before their deadlines, there's no point in taking the ACT again.

We've created an ACT Retake Planner Tool to help you avoid this issue. Simply enter your grade level and application deadlines, and this tool will show you which remaining ACT test dates still leave enough time for scores to reach your schools.

Remember that scores take about 2-4 weeks to arrive after a test date. ACT reports that more than 97% of scores are released within that window, and students who test online generally see theirs sooner than paper testers. If you take the optional writing section, your full report may come later, because all of your scores are released together, so plan ahead.

Here are some other considerations to keep in mind:

Leave 2-3 months of study time between sittings. Taking the ACT a month after you last took it rarely results in a significantly higher score. It’s not enough time for most students to make big improvements.

Know the 2026-2027 test dates. ACT's national test dates for this testing year are September 19, October 17, December 12, February 27, April 10, June 12, and July 10. Registration deadlines fall roughly five weeks before each test date, and late registration costs extra.

For Early Decision or Early Action applicants, deadlines are earlier, often October or November. This typically means you want to take your final ACT the summer before senior year.