ACT Registration 2026: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

ACT Registration 2026

The ACT is conducted by ACT Inc. and managed in India through Prometric and partner test centres. Registration is open year-round on the MyACT portal. Indian and other international candidates can register only online.

The regular registration window closes about 5 weeks before each ACT test date. A late registration window of 2 weeks follows, with a USD 42 (around ₹4,000) late fee.

The ACT 2026 test dates for Indian students are 14 February, 11 April, 13 June, 11 July, 19 September, 17 October and 12 December.

Note: The ACT exam was redesigned in 2025. The test is now 125 minutes long with 44 fewer questions. Math now has 4 answer choices instead of 5. The Science section is optional.

ACT Registration Online Step by Step

ACT registration is a fully online process completed on the MyACT portal. The full registration takes 30 to 45 minutes if your documents are ready.

1. Visit act.org: Open the official ACT website and click on Register for the ACT. New users are redirected to the MyACT signup page.
2. Create a MyACT account: Sign up with your email ID, full name as on passport, date of birth, and phone number. Verify your email through the activation link.
3. Complete the student profile: Add high school name, expected graduation year, current grade, and parent contact details. These fields are mandatory.
4. Select test type and date: Choose between ACT with Writing or ACT without Writing. Pick one of the 7 test dates available in 2026.
5. Choose a test centre in India: Filter by Country = India. The list shows centres in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and a few other cities.
6. Upload your photograph: Upload a recent passport-size headshot. It must be a clear front-facing portrait with no hats or sunglasses.
7. Select up to 4 free score recipients: Add the universities to which ACT should send scores at no cost. Each additional recipient costs USD 20.
8. Pay the ACT fee: Pay USD 188.50 to USD 218.50 (around ₹18,000 to ₹20,000) depending on test type. International debit and credit cards are accepted. See the full ACT fee breakdown for India for all charges including Writing, late and rescheduling fees.
9. Download the admission ticket: After payment, ACT sends a confirmation email with the admission ticket. Print the ticket and carry it on test day.

Important: Mobile registration is not permitted for ACT in India. You must use a desktop or laptop with a stable internet connection.

ACT Registration Offline. Is It Available in India?

ACT does not support offline or paper-based registration for Indian or international students. All international candidates must register only through the MyACT portal at act.org.

Paper registration packets are available only for US-based students who cannot register online. Indian students must use the online portal even if they are taking the paper-based ACT at an Indian test centre.

For comparison, the SAT also follows an online-only registration model through the College Board portal. Students choosing between SAT and ACT can refer to the SAT registration process for parallel guidance.

Documents Required for ACT Registration

Indian students must keep the following documents ready before starting ACT registration. Missing or mismatched documents are the most common cause of registration rejection on test day.

ACT Registration Fee Payment Methods

The ACT fee in India must be paid in USD at the time of registration. ACT does not accept INR directly. Indian banks charge a foreign exchange conversion margin of 2 to 3 percent on top of the base fee.

• Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB
• Debit cards: Visa, Mastercard with international transactions enabled
• Online wire transfer: Allowed for high-value test packages but not standard for individual registrations
• PayPal: Accepted for international students

The ACT fee summary for India for 2026 is given below. Late registration and rescheduling carry additional charges.

Source: ACT Official Fees Page

University Application Deadlines to Align with ACT Registration

Indian students taking ACT typically target US, UK, Canada or Australia undergraduate intakes. Register for ACT 2 to 3 months before your earliest application deadline. The table below shows the top study abroad country deadlines.

Most US universities have early decision deadlines on 1 November and regular decision deadlines on 1 January. Your ACT scores must reach the university by these dates. Register for an October or earlier ACT test to ensure scores arrive on time.

How to Reschedule ACT Registration

ACT allows rescheduling of the test date or change of test centre through the MyACT portal. Both changes are subject to a USD 49 (around ₹4,700) change fee. There is no separate fee for switching only the centre versus only the date. The change is applied to your same registration record.

1. Log in to your MyACT account at my.act.org.
2. Open Your Tests section and select your active registration.
3. Click Change Test Date or Change Test Centre.
4. Pick a new available date or test centre in India from the list.
5. Pay the USD 49 change fee through the same payment method.
6. Receive an updated admission ticket on your registered email.

Rescheduling must be done at least 4 weeks before the original test date. Changes within 4 weeks are not allowed except under medical or emergency conditions with proper documentation. The new test date must fall within the next 12 months of the original booking.

Common rescheduling scenarios for Indian students include slot availability in their home city, university application deadline shifts, and conflicts with other ACT test dates on the same weekend as Indian board exams.

How to Cancel ACT Registration

ACT does not offer a full refund for cancellations. If you cancel or do not appear on test day, the base test fee is not returned. Only the Writing section fee (USD 28) is refundable if you cancel at least 1 week before the test date. Refunds are processed in USD back to the original payment card.

To request a cancellation, log in to MyACT and use the Withdraw from Test option. Refund processing takes 4 to 6 weeks for international candidates. The forex margin charged at the time of payment is not refunded by ACT or the Indian bank.

For most Indian students, rescheduling is a better option than cancelling. The USD 49 rescheduling fee is far less than losing the full USD 70 to USD 100 base fee.

Common ACT Registration Errors and Fixes

Indian students often face the following issues during ACT registration. Knowing them in advance helps you finish registration in one session.

• Name mismatch with passport: Your MyACT name must match your passport exactly. Use the spelling shown on your passport, including spaces and middle names. Last-minute name corrections require ACT support tickets and may delay your admission ticket.
• Passport expiry within 6 months: ACT centres reject candidates whose passports expire within 6 months of the test date. Renew your passport before registering.
• Photograph rejection: ACT rejects photos that are blurry, side-facing, or have hats and sunglasses. Use a fresh studio passport photo. Selfies are not accepted.
• Payment failure: Indian banks block international USD transactions by default. Enable international transactions on your card 24 hours before registering. Use a card with enough credit limit, including 18% GST and forex margin.
• Slot full at chosen centre: If your preferred test centre is full, pick the next nearest city or switch to a different test date. Slots in Bangalore and Mumbai go first.
• MyACT login issues: If you forget your password, use the Reset Password link. Multiple failed login attempts lock the account for 24 hours.

ACT registration is straightforward but India-specific issues like passport validity and forex enablement cause most last-minute failures. Plan 2 to 3 months ahead, keep documents ready, enable international transactions on your card, and you should finish registration in one sitting. Track the late registration deadline to avoid the USD 38 surcharge. Most score-sending choices should be locked in at registration to use your 4 free reports.