ACT Test Accommodations and English Learner Supports

We’re expanding access to ACT My Answer Key for Special testers through additional availability!

Examinees who take the ACT test through ACT Special testing can now request ACT My Answer Key in MyACT for any date My Answer Key is offered.

With this expanded model, the Special testing program will operate differently starting in June 2026 in a few key areas, as accommodations request window deadlines and testing windows shorten, to support the new offering. Specific dates and deadlines are outlined on this page.

ACT My Answer Key

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, as 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.

National Testing or ACT Special Testing

If you are located in the US, US Territories, or Puerto Rico, depending on your approved accommodations you will either test as part of ACT National testing during the weekend test event or ACT Special testing which allows for testing in a larger test window.

National Testing

Some accommodations (e.g., time and one-half single session testing) and all English Learner (EL) supports, may be administered at national test centers. Your admission ticket will display an “Accommodations” label on your admission ticket whenEL approved by ACT, and your seat at a national test center is confirmed in the applicable room type.

Special Testing

If your approved accommodations cannot be provided at a national 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

Homeschooled or not in high school?

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

Step 1

Register to test.

Log into MyACT and complete the following:

  1. Link a valid high school to your MyACT account before you register to allow ACT to communicate with the associated school official in TAA. Consider searching for your high school by zip code, which may be different than your home address.
  2. 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 with a completed Consent to Release Information to ACT (PDF) form.

Need additional help? You can also review the step-by-step video: So You’ve Registered for the ACT with Accommodations, Now What?

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.

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.

Note: If you're approved to test in the ACT National testing, you won’t need to make alternate arrangements. Your test location is provided on your admission ticket.

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 national test center, check your testing location. In some cases, we may need to change your testing location or format (BYOD, online or paper) to provide your accommodations.

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 accommodations request submission deadline will be the regular registration deadline.
  • The Special testing window will shift from a 2 week window to a shorter, nine day window which will include two full weekends for test administration. All testing within the event must be completed by the end of the week.
National Test Date Accommodations Submission Deadline Special Testing Window
February 14, 2026 January 27 February 14 - March 1
April 11, 2026 March 24 April 11 - April 26
June 13, 2026 May 8 June 13 - June 21
July 11, 2026* June 5 July 11 - July 19*

*National Test Centers and ACT Special testing are not available in New York for the July test event.

Additional Resources

Based on your approved accommodations, ACT will place you in either National or Special Testing.

ACT Special testing is offered as a window of time to ensure that accommodations that cannot be provided on a National test day, such as multi-day testing, can be administered. Schools that participate in ACT 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.

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, or asking a test center that already administers ACT National testing. Once a resource is found, you can contact ACT to update your testing location.

If you are unable to find an alternative testing center, contact ACT immediately.

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 more than 2 weeks before your test date.

If you were not approved for accommodations 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.

We do our best to minimize the impact to your test experience and provide your approved accommodations. This may result in changes to your test format or test option. Your test accommodations are not approved until after you are able to print your admission ticket. If your accommodations are approved for a national 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.

Writing test changes - If you are approved for accommodations that are only for the writing section and you are not registered for the writing test, you will be moved to a National testing center.

Test format changes – If you are approved for accommodations that do not depend on a particular test format, changes to your test format may occur to provide your approved accommodations.

In the rare circumstance that the site you registered for does not support the BYOD option, you may have to be moved to the regular online option (test center provided device) or paper. Both options will be the shorter, updated ACT test.

Temporary arrangements are also available for situations such as a broken limb. Contact ACTAccom@act.org for a request form.

Find out more about ACT research investigating the performance and experiences of students testing with accommodations and language supports.

Documents and Guides

Allowable ACT Accommodations and English Learner (EL) Supports - Online Testing (PDF) Provides a breakdown of accommodations available and the test type in which they are provided (either National or Special testing)
Allowable ACT Accommodations and English Learner (EL) Supports - Paper Testing (PDF) Provides a breakdown of accommodations available and the test type in which they are provided (either National or Special testing)
Preparing for the ACT Test - Special Testing (PDF) Learning resource for examinees taking the ACT through Special testing.
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.
Student Pre-Test Checklist (PDF) Checklist for students taking the ACT test
Using a Screen Reader - Online Testing (PDF) General recommendations for using screen readers on the 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 (Central)
Call wait times may vary.

Are you an Educator or School Official? Visit Accommodations and English Learner Supports for Educators for more information regarding requesting accommodations and English Learner supports.