Per the UNC System*, students who will begin college in Fall 2025 or in Spring 2026,
with a weighted GPA of 2.80 or higher are not required to submit a standardized test score on their college applications
with a weighted GPA that is greater than or equal to a 2.50 but less than 2.80 are required to submit a standardized test score on their college applications
with a minimum weighted GPA that is less than a 2.50 are not eligible to apply to a college within the UNC System and may need to explore other options.
*Remember, these guidelines only apply to colleges within the UNC System. If you are applying to a private school or a school outside the UNC System, you may still be required to submit standardized testing scores, regardless of GPA. Click here to see a complete list of the 16 North Carolina institutions that are apart of the UNC System. If you applying to a school outside the UNC System, check its website for details about submitting standardized test scores.
Yes, there is a required fee in order to take the ACT. Read below to see fee details.
The ACT (no writing)
Fee: $69.00
Details: Includes reports for you, your high school, and up to four colleges (if codes are provided when you register).
The ACT (with writing)
Fee: $94.00
Details: Includes reports for you, your high school, and up to four colleges (if codes are provided when you register).
Test option change
Fee: $25.00
Details: You may add or remove the writing test through the late deadline in MyACT.
CLICK HERE to learn more about ACT test prices and additional fees.
*Fee waivers are available for qualifying students.
The ACT fee waiver covers a student's registration for up to four ACT tests, with or without the optional writing section, and includes other benefits such as free test prep resources, score reporting, and more.
Students who would like to apply for the ACT fee waiver program must meet the follow eligibility requirements:
Be currently enrolled in high school in the 11th or 12th grade.
Be testing in the United States, US territories, or Puerto Rico.
Meet one or more of the indicators of economic need listed below:
Enrolled in a federal free or reduced-price lunch program at school, based on US Department of Agriculture (USDA) income levels.
Enrolled in a program for the economically disadvantaged (for example, a federally funded program such as GEAR UP or Upward Bound). Note: If the student participates in a program, but is not economically disadvantaged, they are not eligible for a fee waiver.
Resides in a foster home, is a ward of the state, or is homeless.
Family receives low-income public assistance or lives in federally subsidized public housing.
Family’s total annual income is at or below USDA levels for free or reduced-price lunches on the USDA Food and Nutrition Service website.
To apply for a fee waiver:
1. Check with your school counselor to see if you are eligible to apply.
2. Once your school counselor determines if you are eligible, you can receive up to four fee waivers to take the ACT test for free and you will receive free learning resources.
3. When you register for the ACT online or by mail, use your ACT fee waiver code.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the ACT fee waiver.
The ACT writing test is an OPTIONAL 40-minute essay that comes after the main ACT exam. Essays are evaluated on Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions.
Taking the ACT with writing DOES NOT AFFECT your Composite or overall score. Rather, taking the ACT with writing adds an additional English Language Arts (ELA) score to your report.
Reasons for taking the ACT with writing:
The college you are applying to requires it. Click here to see a list of schools that require the ACT with writing.
You want your application to stand out
Your grades in English or Language Arts aren't the best
You aren't sure where you want to apply yet
Reasons for taking the ACT with no writing:
None of the schools you are applying to require it
None of the above reasons apply to you
*Remember, the ACT writing test, is an optional, additional section to the ACT test. It cannot be taken in place of the official ACT test.
The last two ACT test dates for 2024 are on October 26, 2024 and December 14, 2024.
CLICK HERE to see the full list of upcoming ACT test dates.
To register for the ACT, it takes about 30 minutes. You will need:
a computer with internet
a credit card or other method of payment
high school course details
a headshot photo
Click here to create an account on my.act.org and register for the ACT. Reach out to Ms. Rawls or see her in Room 212 if you have more questions.
When you register for the ACT, you can send your score report to up to four colleges for no additional fee. If you have more schools you want to send your score report to, you can request to send score reports to a 5th and 6th school for $19.00, but you must make the request before the test date. Remember, using this method means that you will be choosing to send your reports before receiving your ACT score.
After that, if you still have additional schools you want to send reports to, you can do so for $19.00 per additional score report. If you would like to wait until after receiving your ACT scores to send all of your score reports, you will pay $19.00 per score report.
If you qualify for an ACT fee waiver, you are able to send your test scores to up to six colleges for free.
Click here to learn more.