ACT High School Codes and How To Find Your School

The ACT is one of the two standardized tests that high school students can take in order to apply for college. When you register for the ACT test online, you will need to have some materials available by your side so you can fill out the registration form efficiently. One of the things you will need is information about your high school code, which every high school has. Finding out your high school code for ACT registration is easy as long as you know where to look.

Tip

You can find your high school code using the ACT high school code search page on the ACT website.

When Do I Need to Register for the ACT?

The date by which you need to register for the ACT depends on which date you want to take the test. The ACT is given seven times throughout the school year, and most high school students will take it in the spring semester of their junior year and again in the fall of their senior year if they want to improve their score.

To know when to register for the ACT, you must first know which test you want to sign up for. Usually, the registration deadline is about a month before the test. For instance, for the ACT given on February 9th, 2019, the registration deadline was January 11th, 2019. For the ACT given on September 8th, 2018, the registration deadline was August 12th, 2018.

When Are the ACT Registration Deadlines?

The ACT website has information regarding their annual deadlines. The test dates for the 2019-2020 school year are as follows:

September 14, 2019
October 26, 2019
December 14th, 2019
February 8th, 2020
April 4th, 2020
June 13th, 2020
July 18th, 2020

If the registration deadlines aren't announced yet, you can sign up for an email or text alert to remind you to register when the dates come closer.

What Do I Need for ACT Registration?

In order to register for the ACT, visit the ACT test registration page on the ACT website. You can register entirely through the platform on this website. To register, set aside 40 minutes and gather all the necessary materials. You will need:

A computer with internet
A credit card or another form of payment
Your high school course details
Your high school code
Your test center code
A headshot
Information on the schools to which you want to send your four free score reports (optional)

What Are ACT High School Codes?

While some aspects of the ACT registration are rather straightforward, some students might be confused about the ACT high school code. The high school code is used to keep track of which test takers come from which high schools. It is also used so your high school can receive your score report. Your ACT high school code is a number that is unique to your high school.

Where to Find Your High School Code

Before you sit down and register for the ACT, you will need to know your high school's code. To do this, visit the ACT high school code search page on the ACT website and follow the directions to find your high school's code.

How to Obtain the Code

You will notice two drop-down menus and two text boxes. The first two, your country and your state, are required. Next, you have the option of specifying your city and below that, the name of your high school. If you enter the name of your high school, you will find it that much quicker.

When you're finished, click the "Search" button, and you will see either one or several results come up. You may have to scroll until you find your school, and when you think you've found it, be sure that the name of the city/town matches that of your school.

Once you click on your school, you will see the six-digit code. That is your high school code for the ACT. Note that high schools are listed under the actual city name, not the metropolitan area. Write down this code and have it with you during the ACT registration.