You should start to look at test dates the fall of your Junior year, planning for the spring. After a couple of months of Junior year, you\u2019ll be familiar with your course load, and any extracurriculars or sports you\u2019re involved in. This will help you determine how much time you have to prep for the ACT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you plan to play spring sports, for example, you should keep that in mind when you choose a test date. You\u2019ll need to fit adequate prep time into your busy school and sports schedules. How much prep you\u2019ll plan for depends on your individual goals for the ACT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So you did your best to plan ahead, but something still came up and you can\u2019t take the ACT you registered for. That\u2019s okay, we\u2019ll roll with it. You have 2 options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Change your ACT date<\/li>
- \u201cCancel\u201d your ACT<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
How to Change Your ACT Date<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
If you can\u2019t make the date you registered for, but you still intend on taking the ACT, you should just change your date. The fee you already paid can carry over to a new test date, but there will be a $25 test date change fee that you\u2019ll have to pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Important: Make sure you register for your new date before its registration deadline!<\/strong> Otherwise, you\u2019ll have an additional $27.50 late registration fee to tack on to the test date change fee. As I said, deadlines are strict, and ACT will capitalize on them. Not even an angry call from your mom will sway them into offering a full refund or bending the rules of the registration date. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.testgeek.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/istockphoto-1313635874-612x612-1.jpg\")
Good luck getting that refund, Karen. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n It may seem like you\u2019re paying for the new test in full, but the original date you signed up for will be refunded to you, so really it\u2019s just the date change fee in the end. I didn\u2019t say it was efficient, I\u2019m just trying to ease your mind from the anxiety of that initial double charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To change your ACT date, you should log in to your ACT account (where you registered for the initial test), and find your test date. You can change the date you\u2019re registered for, pay any applicable fees, and then you\u2019ll be good to go for the next one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3 Reasons to Change Your ACT Date<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- You have an unavoidable event on the day you were supposed to test<\/strong>. \u2013 I\u2019m not talking about you want to go see Star Wars 46 (or whatever they’re on now) with all your friends instead of taking the ACT. Literally, who wouldn\u2019t? I mean you have a funeral, sports tournament, prom, dance recital, etc. conflicting with your ACT date that you can\u2019t miss.<\/li>
- You don\u2019t feel adequately prepared for the test you\u2019re registered for.<\/strong> \u2013 If you think you\u2019ll do poorly because you haven\u2019t had the time to prepare as you\u2019d like, it may be best to postpone your test date until you can prepare enough. Remember to leave time for retakes, always keep registration and application dates in mind!<\/li>
- You\u2019re sick and won\u2019t recover by your test date<\/strong>. \u2013 You get the flu the week before your ACT and just don\u2019t have it in you to use your brain yet. Understandable, brain fog is real. The $25 fee to change your date really isn\u2019t a big deal in the long run, especially if testing a month later will put you in a much better headspace to succeed.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.testgeek.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/flex-1024x684.jpg\")
oooh flexible. Just like your ACT date! (somewhat)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n How to Cancel Your ACT<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
We use the term \u201ccancel\u201d lightly. Sure, you can cancel the test in your calendar and not show up on test day, but you won\u2019t receive a refund for the ACT registration fee you already paid. All the more reason to take your registration date seriously and really think about what you\u2019re getting yourself into, as it won\u2019t be something you can demand a refund on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only refunds you may be eligible for on the ACT are if you paid for answer services, the writing test, or extra score reports. To get these refunds you can either email your unused admission ticket to ACT registration (act-reg@act.org<\/a>) with the subject line \u201cREFUND\u201d or snail mail it with \u201cREFUND\u201d written on it. It can take 8 weeks to see that money back, so you should only cancel a test if it\u2019s absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3 Reasons to Cancel Your ACT<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- You already have the score you want<\/strong> \u2013 Say you were excited (and rich) and registered for a bunch of ACT dates at once, anticipating taking it many times. Then you scored a 36 before you could take all the tests. First of all, congrats on being rich and smart, you\u2019ll go far in life. Second, I\u2019m sorry those test dates you don\u2019t need are mostly non-refundable. If you already have the score you want and there\u2019s no need to retake, you could definitely just not show up to your next scheduled date(s) and just cut your financial losses.<\/li>
- You don\u2019t need to take the ACT anymore<\/strong> \u2013 With Covid especially, many schools are going test blind or test-optional. If your school of choice falls on this list, you may want to save yourself the anxiety of taking the ACT, which is fine, it just won\u2019t save you any money.<\/li>
- You decided the SAT was a better fit for you \u2013 <\/strong>Personally, I\u2019d argue you should still take the ACT too. If you don\u2019t want to waste your time and would rather focus on your SAT, you can definitely no-show your scheduled test. However, both test for essentially the same things, so you may surprise yourself with a good score even if you\u2019re only doing SAT-specific prep.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Final Thoughts<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- You don\u2019t need to take the ACT anymore<\/strong> \u2013 With Covid especially, many schools are going test blind or test-optional. If your school of choice falls on this list, you may want to save yourself the anxiety of taking the ACT, which is fine, it just won\u2019t save you any money.<\/li>
- You don\u2019t feel adequately prepared for the test you\u2019re registered for.<\/strong> \u2013 If you think you\u2019ll do poorly because you haven\u2019t had the time to prepare as you\u2019d like, it may be best to postpone your test date until you can prepare enough. Remember to leave time for retakes, always keep registration and application dates in mind!<\/li>
- You have an unavoidable event on the day you were supposed to test<\/strong>. \u2013 I\u2019m not talking about you want to go see Star Wars 46 (or whatever they’re on now) with all your friends instead of taking the ACT. Literally, who wouldn\u2019t? I mean you have a funeral, sports tournament, prom, dance recital, etc. conflicting with your ACT date that you can\u2019t miss.<\/li>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.testgeek.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/4-Points-ACT-Banner.png\")
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