This ACT checklist covers what to bring to the ACT in 2026, whether you test on paper or online. Start with the quick list, then check the details on ID, your admission ticket and calculators so nothing stops you at the door.
The ACT Checklist
Required:
- Your printed admission ticket from MyACT
- An acceptable photo ID (a hard plastic card, not paper or digital)
- Sharpened No. 2 pencils with erasers
- Online testers bringing their own device: a fully charged laptop and its charger, set up in advance
Optional:
- A permitted calculator for the Math test
- A watch with no alarm
- Snacks and a drink for the break
- An ACT-approved bilingual dictionary, if you need one
Leave at home or switched off and out of sight: your phone, smartwatch or fitness band, notes, books, scratch paper, highlighters and colored pens.
What to Bring to the ACT
1. Admission Ticket
Print your admission ticket from MyACT once your photo has been uploaded and approved. ACT suggests checking it early but printing close to test day, in case anything changes. The ticket carries your registration details and, for online tests, your launch code. If you forget it, ACT says you can still be admitted, but for paper tests your scores may be delayed.
2. Photo ID
Bring an original, valid photo ID issued by a city, state or federal agency or by your school. It must be a hard plastic card: paper and electronic IDs aren’t accepted. The name has to match your registration, and the photo has to clearly identify you.
If you don’t have one, bring the ACT Student Identification Form with your photo, completed by a school official or notary (not a relative). ACT won’t admit you with anything else. Birth certificates, Social Security cards, employer IDs, photocopies and digital IDs are all on its list of unacceptable ID.
3. No. 2 Pencils
Bring sharpened No. 2 pencils with erasers. Pens and mechanical pencils aren’t allowed, and neither are highlighters, colored pens or correction fluid.
4. A Laptop, If You’re Bringing Your Own Device
If you registered for online testing with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), you must bring a fully charged laptop and its charger, and set it up beforehand using ACT’s device setup instructions. If your center provides the computers, you don’t need one.
5. A Calculator (Optional)
Calculators are allowed only on the Math test, and ACT says every problem can be solved without one. Four-function, scientific and graphing calculators are fine, but anything with a computer algebra system (CAS) is banned: every TI-89 and TI-92, the TI-Nspire CAS (the non-CAS Nspire is fine), HP Prime, HP 48GII and HP 40G, 49G and 50G models, and Casio’s ClassPad, fx-CP400, Algebra fx 2.0 and CFX-9970G models. Online testers also get the Desmos graphing calculator on screen, but you can still bring your own.
Check ACT’s full calculator policy before test day, bring spare batteries, and see our picks for the best ACT calculators.
6. A Watch
A watch helps you pace yourself, and not every room has a clock. It must have no alarm, and it stays on your desk. Smartwatches and fitness bands aren’t allowed.
7. Snacks and a Drink
You can eat during the break, outside the testing room. Something steady like fruit, nuts or cheese and crackers, plus water, beats anything sugary.
What Not to Bring to the ACT
- Phones and electronics. Phones, smartwatches, fitness bands and anything with Wi-Fi or recording must be off and out of sight, including during breaks. If a device is accessed or goes off, you’re dismissed and your test isn’t scored.
- Books, notes and scratch paper, and any dictionary other than an approved bilingual one.
- Highlighters, colored pens and correction fluid or tape.
- Tobacco in any form.
What to Expect on ACT Test Day
Arrival and Check-In
Be inside the test center by 8:00 a.m. Late arrivals aren’t admitted. At check-in, staff match your photo ID and ticket to your registration photo, and ACT may take additional photos for security.
How Long the ACT Takes
The Enhanced ACT is shorter than the version older guides describe. See our full breakdown of how long the ACT is.
| Test | Time | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| English | 35 min | 50 |
| Math | 50 min | 45 |
| Reading | 40 min | 36 |
| Science (optional) | 40 min | 40 |
| Writing (optional) | 40 min | 1 essay |
The three required tests take 2 hours and 5 minutes; with Science it’s 2 hours and 45 minutes. There’s a short break after the second test, and if you’re taking Writing you get five minutes before the essay. If you registered for Science or Writing but decide to skip it, tell the staff so they can dismiss you at the right time (ACT doesn’t refund it).
When You’ll Finish
ACT publishes these ending times:
| You’re taking | Online | Paper |
|---|---|---|
| ACT | 11:05 a.m. | 11:25 a.m. |
| ACT + Science | 11:55 a.m. | 12:15 p.m. |
| ACT + Writing | 12:00 p.m. | 12:30 p.m. |
| ACT + Science and Writing | 1:00 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. |
A Few Rules Worth Knowing
There’s no penalty for guessing, so answer every question. You can’t leave the supervised area during the break. If you don’t want your test scored, tell the staff before you leave; otherwise it will be. ACT’s test day page has the full rules, and ACT’s scores page explains what happens after.
Wrapping Up
Pack your ticket, ID, pencils and calculator the night before, and charge your laptop if you’re bringing one. Still preparing? Try these free ACT practice tests, check the ACT test dates, or see our best ACT prep books.