Send ACT scores through MyACT after checking what each recipient wants: a report from an individual test date, an ACT Superscore, or self-reported scores followed by an official report later. Those options are not interchangeable, and the college or scholarship’s current instructions should guide your choice.
Ordering a report is also different from the recipient matching it to your application. Leave time for both ACT’s processing and the institution’s own records.
Build a recipient checklist first
Before opening the score-order screen, record the following:
| Field | Why you need it |
|---|---|
| Recipient name and official ACT code | Avoid sending to the wrong institution or office |
| Application year and program | Requirements can vary |
| Accepted report type | Individual test, Superscore, or another specified process |
| Self-reporting policy | You may not need a paid report at the initial stage |
| Deadline | Know whether it refers to submission or receipt |
| Optional-section requirement | Science or Writing may need separate attention |
| Confirmation method | Know where to check that the record was matched |
Do not infer a policy from a friend’s application. Their entry year, program, or applicant category may differ.
If the requirement is unclear, ask the recipient a focused question and keep the answer. A short clarification now is easier than correcting a mismatched report near a deadline.
Understand the available report choices
ACT allows students to send scores from a specific test event or an available Superscore. It automatically sends scores to the high school and colleges selected during registration under the applicable arrangement. Additional reports can be requested afterward. ACT score-sending guidance
An individual test report represents that administration. A Superscore combines eligible best section results under ACT’s rules and includes contributing test information.
Do not treat the choice as “send one attractive number” versus “send everything.” Review the report type and its contents.
What a Superscore does: and does not: settle
The enhanced Superscore Composite uses English, Math, and Reading. Science and Writing do not enter that Composite calculation. The recipient can still have policies about optional sections or multiple attempts. ACT Superscore FAQs
Suppose your best Math score comes from a later test while your best English comes from an earlier one. A Superscore may represent that combination. But a college that requests a specific single-date report may evaluate your record differently.
Use the official MyACT report rather than a hand-assembled screenshot of section scores. Your own spreadsheet is useful for planning, not as a substitute for official reporting when required.
Keep optional sections attached to their reporting context
Do not assume that you can selectively remove an unwanted section from a single-date report. ACT states that scores from a test date are reported together. ACT score-reporting FAQs
If a recipient requires Science or Writing, confirm that your chosen report provides the needed result. If you have scores across different dates, inspect how ACT presents them and ask the recipient what it accepts.
The fact that a section is optional at registration does not automatically make its result invisible after you take it.
Current additional-report costs
As reviewed September 6, 2026, ACT’s score-sending page lists $20 per test date, per report and a $32 archive fee for scores three or more years old. Confirm the actual order summary before paying. ACT report fees
Some reports are included with registration, and eligible fee-waiver students may receive additional reporting benefits. Check those benefits before purchasing duplicate reports. ACT fee-waiver program
For budgeting, count recipients and the report types you actually need. Do not automatically order both a Superscore and every individual attempt for every college unless the instructions justify it.
A careful MyACT workflow
Sign in to the account containing your results and open the scores area. Review the test dates and available reports. Select the requested report type and verify each recipient’s code against the institution’s instructions.
Before submitting, pause at the order summary:
- Is this the intended test date or Superscore?
- Is the recipient correct?
- Does the report include any required optional-section result?
- Are fees and any waiver benefits represented correctly?
- Is your identifying information consistent with your application?
Then save the confirmation or order record. Avoid making repeated orders because you do not immediately see an update in a college portal.
The exact interface can change, so use the current MyACT labels rather than relying on a screenshot-based tutorial from an older site version.
Understand the delivery timeline
ACT says report requests are processed after the test is scored and all results for the selected test option are available. Once ready, reports are usually sent the same day. That is a description of ACT’s sending process, not a guarantee that a college will display the report in your application portal that day. ACT report processing
There are several separate stages:
| Stage | What has happened |
|---|---|
| Test taken | You completed the administration |
| Scores available | ACT finished the necessary scoring and checks |
| Report sent | ACT transmitted the selected report |
| Recipient matched it | The institution connected it to your application |
| Checklist updated | The institution’s system displayed the status |
A delay at one stage should not be diagnosed as a problem at another without checking.
Work backward from the deadline
If a college requires official scores by a certain date, ask how it treats reports that are sent before the deadline but processed afterward. Do not assume “ordered” means “received.”
When planning a new test, use the recipient’s latest accepted administration and ACT’s initial-release schedule. Initial dates are not guaranteed completion dates for every examinee, especially where additional processing is needed.
If the deadline is close, contact the recipient directly about its policy. Sending multiple duplicate reports will not necessarily accelerate matching.
Troubleshoot a missing report methodically
First, confirm that the order was completed and paid or covered by the applicable benefit. Next, check the recipient and report selection. Then compare your name and other identifying information across the ACT account and application.
If ACT shows the report sent but the college portal remains incomplete, ask the institution about matching and processing time. If the report has not been sent, use ACT’s support channel with the relevant order and test information.
Keep sensitive account details out of public posts. A screenshot of an order can contain information you do not need to share widely.
Practice scores are for preparation
The ACT score calculator interprets selected official practice forms. Its output is not an official report you can submit in place of MyACT scores.
SHSPrep’s ACT program includes lessons, targeted practice, and two original full-length mock tests with raw performance results. Use practice results to plan learning, and use verified recipient instructions and official reporting tools when it is time to send scores.