Do ACT Scores Expire? Sending and Using Old Scores in 2026

ACT scores do not have a universal expiration date after which they become invalid. ACT can send college reports for test events from September 2011 to the present through MyACT. However, scores at least three years old carry an archive fee, high-school report availability is narrower, and the college, licensing body or program receiving the score may refuse results older than its own limit. “ACT can retrieve it” and “my program will accept it” are different questions.

What happens as an ACT score gets older

Age or date of score	ACT reporting consequence	Your next check
Recent test	Available in MyACT after release	Recipient's reporting instructions
3+ years old	ACT lists an additional archive fee	Whether retesting costs less or provides better evidence
From September 2011 onward	ACT says it can be sent to valid college-code recipients	Recipient's maximum score age
Before September 2011	Not automatically available in MyACT; contact ACT	Retrieval process and destination acceptance
High-school recipient	ACT limits additional high-school reports to the past five school years	Whether the school actually needs an official report

These distinctions come from ACT's current score-sending page and score help page. Fees can change, so use MyACT for the current checkout total rather than relying on a screenshot.

A retrievable score can still be too old for its purpose

ACT maintains the score record, but a recipient decides whether that score is current enough. This matters most for adult learners returning to education, transfer applicants, teacher-training programs, military or employer requirements, and placement decisions.

Ask the destination this exact question:

For applicants entering [term/year] through [program/applicant type], will you accept an ACT from [month/year], and must it be sent officially from ACT?

That wording is better than “Do ACT scores expire?” because it supplies the policy owner with the date and use. Save the written answer or official URL.

Three old-score scenarios

Scenario 1: a 2023 score for fall 2027 admission

ACT can report the score. The student should still check the 2027 first-year policy, scholarship rules and any program-specific recency requirement. If the 2023 score remains accepted and competitive, age alone does not force a retest.

Scenario 2: a 2014 score for an adult degree-completion program

ACT can generally send a post-September-2011 event, with the applicable archive fee. But a decade-old result may not reflect current academic readiness. The program may prefer placement testing, recent college coursework or a new ACT. Confirm before ordering the report.

Scenario 3: a pre-September-2011 paper-era result

The score will not simply appear in a modern MyACT account. ACT instructs these testers to contact it about old scores. Before paying or spending time on retrieval, ask the recipient whether it will accept the result.

Decide whether to retrieve or retake

Use this comparison:

Retrieve the old score when…	Consider retesting when…
The recipient confirms it accepts the date	The recipient sets a recency limit the score misses
The score already clears a published requirement	Current practice is materially stronger
A deadline is too close for a new test and old results are valid	The old score understates later coursework or skills
Report and archive costs are lower than a useful retest	Several destinations need a newer measure

Do not retake merely to make the date look recent. Retest when the new evidence can change a decision and you have time to prepare. Makon's guide to ACT retakes explains attempts and superscoring.

How to order an older ACT score

For events available in MyACT:

1. Sign in to the account connected to your score history.
2. Locate the individual test event or superscore.
3. Choose the correct recipient using its official ACT code.
4. Confirm whether the recipient wants a single-date result or accepts a superscore.
5. Review report and archive charges before payment.
6. Save the confirmation and check delivery against the recipient's deadline.

If the account does not show a score it should show, avoid creating multiple conflicting accounts. Use ACT support. For tests before September 2011, ACT explicitly directs students to contact the organization.

Makon's ACT score-sending guide covers recipient codes and official delivery, while the score-release guide applies to a new attempt.

Current scores and old four-section Composites

Beginning with current ACT administrations, the Composite uses English, Math and Reading; Science is optional and reported separately. A valid older Composite may have been calculated from English, Math, Reading and Science. ACT does not erase the historical score or retroactively turn it into a new-format single-date Composite.

If you become eligible for a current superscore, ACT's rules explain how best section scores from eligible legacy and enhanced events may be combined. The current superscore instructions should control—not a hand calculation copied from an older four-section article.

Makon action: Before ordering anything, put the test month/year, recipient, purpose, deadline, maximum accepted age and report type in one row. Ask the recipient to resolve any blank. Only then compare the old-report price with the value and timing of a retest.

Frequently asked questions

Is an ACT score invalid after five years?

Not automatically. The five-school-year limit on ACT's page concerns additional reports to high schools, not a universal expiration of all college reports. A college or program can still impose its own rule.

Can colleges see an old ACT score?

They see scores delivered or disclosed according to the application process. ACT says college-code recipients can receive test events from September 2011 to current, subject to its reporting rules.

Should an adult use an old ACT score?

Only after the program confirms acceptance. A newer test, placement assessment or recent college work may better represent present skills. Makon's ACT guide for adults covers that choice.