When do ACT® Scores Come Out? 9 insights

I wanted to find out when the ACT® Test released its score to students. Doing this required scraping all 16 of the previous “Official Score Release Thread[s]” from the r/ACT subreddit. My concern was that the data might have some inherent flaws since it’s self-reported. There are quite interesting insights that data presented nonetheless.

Method

I downloaded the entire results of each thread (see below for dates). Every comment was then processed into a CSV file, where I manually reviewed each to determine that the student had received his or her score. I then created a box and whisker plot to demonstrate the data. While reviewing the data to ensure accuracy, I also noticed quite a few important themes.

Results

1. 1. Initial release day: Many students report getting scores on the first official release date, which is typically 10-14 days after the test date. This initial release often happens around 10am-11am Eastern Time.
2. 2. Batches throughout the day: On the release date, scores seem to come out in batches throughout the day, with students reporting getting scores at various times from morning through late afternoon.
3. 3. Staggered release over multiple days: Not all students get scores on the first day. Many report waiting 1-3 additional days after the initial release before receiving their scores.
4. 4. Regional differences:There are some indications that score release timing may vary slightly by region or testing center, with students from the same State often reporting similar release times.
5. 5. Online vs paper tests: For more recent years, computer-based test takers sometimes report getting scores faster than paper-based test takers.
6. 6. Occasional delays: In some test administrations, there are widespread delays reported, with scores taking longer than usual to be released.
7. 7. Writing scores later: For students who took the optional writing section, the writing scores often come out several days to a week after the multiple choice scores.
8. 8. Time of day: While there's variation, score releases tend to cluster around business hours, with many students reporting score availability in the morning or early afternoon.
9. Weekday releases: Scores are typically released on weekdays, most commonly Tuesdays and Thursdays, though this isn't a hard rule.

These trends vary between different test administrations and years. The ACT® Test has also made changes to their scoring and release processes over time, which impacts these patterns. You’ll see in the chart that the data tends to be much more uniform closer to the present day.

Note:

The ACT says "Multiple choice scores are normally available two weeks after each national test date, but it can sometimes take up to eight weeks." Source

Conclusion

Are you waiting for your ACT® Test results? If you want to share your results, or be included in future iterations of this study, please comment anonymously with no identifying details in the comments below. Congrats – you’ve made it so far!