How to Change Your ACT Test Center in MyACT (2026)

You can request an ACT test-center change for the same test date through MyACT when a seat and the required materials or test option are available at the new center. ACT does not allow center changes after the late registration deadline, and you cannot arrive at a different center on test morning and expect the registration to transfer.

The change is complete only when MyACT shows the new center and you have an updated admission ticket. A browser search, phone conversation, or plan to “try the closer school” does not replace the account confirmation.

Before changing: compare the full registration

Save the current ticket or record:

• test date;
• test-center name, address, and code;
• paper, online, or bring-your-own-device option;
• Science and Writing choices;
• approved accommodations or supports;
• arrival and transportation plan.

Then search the desired center inside the existing MyACT registration. The official ACT registration page says center changes depend on a seat and materials being available for the student’s test option on that date.

Step-by-step center-change process

1. Sign in to MyACT and open the current registration.
2. Select the option to make changes to the registration.
3. Choose a test-center change while keeping the intended test date.
4. Search available centers and verify the exact city, address, and format.
5. Review whether any test-option or accommodations detail changes.
6. Review the fee and refund information shown before submitting.
7. Pay and submit the change.
8. Reopen the registration and confirm the new center.
9. Print a fresh admission ticket closer to test day.

If MyACT does not offer the desired center, the location may be full, may not administer that date, or may not support the selected format or accommodations. Do not cancel a usable center until an acceptable replacement is actually selectable.

Current deadline and fee rules

ACT says a test-center change cannot be requested after the late registration deadline. The current ACT fees page lists a $49 change fee covering a test form, test day, or test center change. Fees and deadlines can change, so the amount displayed in MyACT for the actual administration controls the transaction.

If the late deadline has passed, ACT directs examinees to consider standby testing. Standby admission is not guaranteed; it depends on seats, materials, and staff, and carries a separate charge. It is not equivalent to a confirmed center change.

A center-change decision table

Factor	Original center	New center	Why it matters
Confirmed seat	Yes/no	Yes/no	A shorter trip is useless without confirmed registration
Travel time	Minutes	Minutes	Include test-morning traffic and parking
Reliable transport	Plan	Plan	Prefer a lower-failure route over a slightly shorter one
Test format	Paper/online/BYOD	Paper/online/BYOD	A format change can affect device preparation
Options	Core, Science, Writing	Core, Science, Writing	Confirm the intended sections remain attached
Accommodations	Supported	Supported	Approved support may affect location assignment
Cost	Already paid	Change fee	Compare the benefit with the nonrefundable charge

Choose the center with the most reliable complete plan, not simply the smallest mileage.

Worked example

Lena is registered at a center 35 minutes away. A new seat appears at a school 15 minutes away, but the available registration is online bring-your-own-device, while her original booking is paper. She has practiced on paper and does not have a compatible laptop.

Changing centers would also change a meaningful test condition. Lena should either keep the original center or verify that she can prepare a supported device and practice the online interface before submitting. The location choice must include the test format, not just transportation.

What if ACT changes or closes the center?

A student-initiated change is different from an ACT or test-center cancellation. ACT maintains a rescheduled test centers page and sends registration updates by email. A center affected by weather or another disruption may receive a makeup date or new location, but rescheduling is not always possible.

Check MyACT, email, and the official closure information before leaving home. If ACT changes the registration, follow the instructions in that notice instead of independently booking another test.

Accommodations can affect the assigned center

ACT’s accommodations process reviews whether a center has capacity to support an approved plan. ACT may update an examinee to a nearby location that can provide the accommodation. If accommodations are pending or the ticket location changed after approval, contact ACT before making another center change. A general available seat may not be an accommodations seat.

After the change

Open the new ticket and compare it line by line with the intended registration. Confirm:

• legal name and photo;
• test date and reporting time;
• new center name, code, and address;
• paper or online format;
• Science and Writing selections;
• accommodations information;
• transportation and building entrance.

Wait to print the final ticket until close enough to the test that later updates are captured, but do not wait until test morning to inspect it. ACT’s test-day guidance recommends reviewing the ticket in advance.

Use the ACT registration guide for the full account flow, the ACT admission-ticket guide for final verification, and ACT ID requirements to prevent a correct center change from ending in denied admission.

The safe sequence is: verify availability, inspect every attached test detail, submit before the late deadline, pay the displayed fee, and confirm the updated ticket. Until the new center appears in MyACT, the change has not happened.