ACT Accommodations: Requests, Deadlines, and Practice Planning

ACT provides accommodations and English Learner supports for examinees who need them, but every request must be approved before test day. The process, the deadlines, and the testing window changed for tests beginning in June 2026. This guide walks through how the process works as of October 2026, what changed, and how to align your practice with an approved accommodation.

What accommodations exist

ACT groups supports into two broad categories: accommodations for examinees with documented disabilities, and English Learner supports. Within accommodations, ACT decides whether you will test through National testing or Special testing based on the supports it approves.

Accommodations that can often be provided at a national test center include extended time within a single session, such as time-and-a-half testing. Accommodations that cannot be provided at a national test center, such as multiple-day testing, are handled through Special testing, usually arranged at your school. ACT does not list every possible accommodation publicly, and eligibility depends on ACT’s review of your documentation.

How to request accommodations

Most students enrolled in a public, private, or virtual school request accommodations through that school. Homeschooled or non-enrolled students follow a separate path on ACT’s site. The steps below reflect the standard process for enrolled students as described by ACT.

1. Start with your school official. Contact a counselor, testing coordinator, special education coordinator, or 504 coordinator. Your school determines who will submit the request in ACT’s system.
2. Link your high school in MyACT. Log into MyACT and connect a valid high school to your account before you register. ACT uses that link to communicate with the school official.
3. Register for the test and select “Yes” for accommodations. During registration, confirm that you need accommodations. If you select “No” by mistake, contact ACT as soon as possible to update your registration.
4. Your school official submits the request. The official requests accommodations on your behalf and uploads documentation. Make sure the request is properly submitted; an incomplete request may not be approved in time.
5. Review the decision with your school official. ACT sends the decision to the school. If you have not heard back after 10 business days, contact your school official directly.
6. If approved for Special testing, arrange the details. Work with your school official to schedule testing within the approved Special testing window. If your school cannot administer Special testing, contact ACT to find an alternate location.
7. Print your admission ticket and verify the label. National testing tickets show an “Accommodations” label; Special testing tickets show a “Special testing” label with the window. Confirm that the accommodation appears on your ticket before test day.

Registration is not required before submitting an accommodations request, but ACT strongly recommends it. Submitting without registering does not guarantee a seat or successful registration later, and all deadlines still apply.

The deadline that changed in 2026

For national test events beginning in June 2026, ACT made two changes. First, the accommodations request submission deadline is now the regular registration deadline for the test date — the same deadline that applies to standard registrations. Second, the Special testing window shortened from two weeks to a nine-day window that includes two full weekends. All testing within the event must be completed by the end of that window.

The table below shows the current 2026–2027 national test dates, the accommodations submission deadline for each date, and the Special testing window. The submission deadline is the regular registration deadline.

Practice with your accommodation

Once ACT approves your accommodations, build at least some of your practice around the exact conditions you will face on test day. The goal is to reduce surprises, not to promise a particular score.

• Use your approved time multiplier. If ACT approves time-and-a-half, take timed practice sections at 1.5× the standard section time. Practice under the same break rules you expect to receive.
• Match the test setting if you can. If you will test through Special testing across multiple days, try at least one full practice across the same schedule and break pattern.
• Keep using official forms with their own scoring keys. An accommodation changes timing or setting; it does not change the need to pair each official practice form with its own key. See our enhanced ACT guide for how section timing and scoring work.
• Track pacing separately. Extended time does not remove the benefit of pacing. Log how long you spend per passage or question so you can identify whether time, accuracy, or fatigue is the limiting factor.

Approval depends on ACT’s review of your documentation, and your school or testing location may impose practical constraints. Treat practice as planning, not a guarantee of test-day performance.

If your request is denied or late

A denied or late request is stressful, but you still have options. Move quickly, because deadlines are hard.

• Denied request: Review the decision notification with your school official. You may be able to appeal or provide additional documentation, but appeals must be submitted by the accommodations deadline for your preferred test date.
• Late request: ACT recommends submitting as early as possible. If you miss the regular registration deadline, your preferred test date may no longer be available; contact ACT and your school official immediately to confirm your options.
• Want to test without accommodations: If you were not approved or cannot meet the deadline, contact ACT to update your registration to test without accommodations. Your preferred test center may not be available.
• School refuses to submit: If your school is unwilling to submit a request, you may request an exception to submit directly to ACT, but you must document the circumstance with ACT’s Exceptions Statement Form.

For the most current deadlines and forms, check the official ACT accommodations page directly. You can also see the full 2026–2027 national test calendar in our ACT test dates guide.