States That Require the ACT Test
As of January 2025, the following 14 states currently require the ACT test.
Alabama
Alabama recently adopted the ACT test with essay as its statewide assessment for 11th grade public school students. Alabama offers different “graduation pathways” for students with different goals, but the General Education Pathway requires students to earn a satisfactory score on the ACT test (or meet other college and career readiness indicators, like satisfactory scores on IB or AP exams, or other methods approved by the Alabama State Board of Education.)
Arizona
The ACT test is Arizona’s statewide assessment for 11th grade students, and the ACT Aspire test is the assessment for 9th graders. School districts are required to administer the tests to all 9th and 11th graders, but tests are not included in the state’s graduation requirements.
Hawaii
Hawaii uses the ACT test with essay as its 11th grade statewide assessment.
Illinois
Illinois recently changed its statewide assessment from the SAT test to the ACT test starting in the 2024-2025 school year. All 11th graders are required to take the ACT test with writing. Students also will encounter the PreACT 9 Secure in 9th Grade and the PreACT Secure in 10th grade. These assessments are required for graduation.
Kentucky
Kentucky uses the ACT test as the required statewide assessment for 11th grade students. Students may also use the test to meet “Postsecondary Readiness” requirements.
Mississippi
Mississippi requires all 11th grade students to take the ACT test as their statewide assessment. Scores from this test can help students obtain academic endorsement with their traditional high school diploma.
Montana
Montana requires all 11th grade students to take the ACT test with essay as part of the Montana Comprehensive Assessment System.
Nebraska
Nebraska requires all 11th grade students to take the ACT test with essay as their statewide assessment.
Nevada
Nevada requires all 11th grade students to take the ACT test with essay as their statewide assessment. Participation in this administration is required for high school graduation.
North Carolina
Statewide assessments in North Carolina include the PreACT test in 10th grade and the ACT test in 11th grade. All students are required to take the tests to satisfy graduation requirements.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma requires the ACT test with essay as part of its Career- and College-Readiness Assessment for grade 11.
Utah
Utah offers the ACT test as its statewide assessment for all 11th grade students.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin requires all 9th and 10th grade students take the PreACT Secure and all 11th grade students take the ACT test with essay.
Wyoming
Wyoming requires students take the ACT test in 11th grade.
States That Require the SAT Test
As of January 2025, the following nine states currently require the SAT test.
Colorado
Colorado’s state assessment for 9th, 10th, and 11th grade are the PSAT and SAT tests. These grades may also choose to take the essay portion of the test. Students must demonstrate college readiness through testing to meet graduation requirements. The state allows students to choose alternative tests, like the ACT test, to satisfy college readiness requirements.
Connecticut
Connecticut requires all 11th grade students to participate in the Connecticut SAT School Day test. While there is no required score to qualify for graduation, transcripts and student records may indicate whether a student met the state-wide mastery goal level for each section of the test.
Delaware
Delaware requires all high school students to take the SAT test in high school as the statewide assessment for English language arts and math.
Indiana
Indiana requires all 11th grade students to take the SAT test, a change it implemented starting in 2022. The SAT test is not a graduation requirement for all students, but it is one of the available options for fulfilling requirements for the Postsecondary Readiness Competency pathway. The PSAT test is offered as an optional, no-cost assessment for 10th and 11th grade students.
Michigan
As part of the Michigan Merit Exam, students in grade 11 are required to take the SAT test with the essay portion and the ACT WorkKeys test.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire requires all 11th grade students to take the SAT test with essay as their statewide assessment.
New Mexico
As its statewide assessment, New Mexico requires all 11th grade students to participate in SAT school day testing.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island requires all students in grade 10 take the PSAT 10 test and all students in 11th grade take the SAT test. These tests serve as the statewide assessments for those grade levels.
West Virginia
The SAT School Day serves as West Virginia’s statewide assessment for 11th grade. All students in this age group are required to participate.
States That Require Either Test
As of January 2025, the following three states currently require either the ACT or SAT test.
Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, students can elect to take the PSAT, SAT, or ACT tests to meet statewide graduation requirements.
Ohio
Ohio requires school districts to provide state-funded ACT or SAT tests to students in grade 11. However, starting in spring 2025 parents (or guardians) can elect for students not to take the tests.
Tennessee
Tennessee requires all 11th grade students to take either the ACT or SAT test. School districts can choose which test they want to offer to satisfy the college readiness testing mandate. Taking one of these tests is a requirement for earning a high school diploma.
States Without ACT/SAT Test Requirements
As of January 2025, the following states currently do not require the ACT or SAT test for graduation or as a statewide assessment:
- Alaska
- Arkansas*
- California
- Florida ** , ***
- Georgia**
- Idaho*
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana***
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota*
- New Jersey***
- New York
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- South Carolina*
- South Dakota
- Texas*
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington***
* These states provide students with a one-time opportunity to take either the PSAT, SAT, or ACT test on a school day at no cost to the student. Check the linked website for each to see which tests apply.
** While taking the SAT or ACT test is not a statewide graduation requirement, it is required when applying to public colleges within these states. Read more about colleges that require SAT or ACT test scores.
*** These states give students the option to use scores from the ACT or SAT test to satisfy graduation requirements.
Do school districts set their own graduation requirements?
Yes. States set minimum graduation requirements and assessment policies, but school districts have the freedom to add their own additional requirements. So even if your state does not require you to take the ACT or SAT test, your school district may have its own requirement. We strongly recommend reaching out to your high school counselor if you need clarification on graduation requirements or assessment policies.
What is SAT or ACT School Day?
Traditionally, students take the ACT or SAT test on a Saturday. But over the past decade, school day administrations for the ACT and SAT tests have grown in popularity at school districts across the U.S., even in states where there is no test requirement.
Often, school day administrations come at no cost for students or parents, which increases access to these tests for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The school day tests also relieve some of the pressures felt by students who have limited availability on the weekends due to volunteering, extracurriculars, or part-time jobs.
Should I wait to take the test when it’s offered at my school?
It depends on your availability and level of preparedness. In some cases, these tests are offered in spring of 11th grade, which is right on time for some students but too late for most. We recommend that students plan to finish testing by the end of 11th grade so that they start focusing on college applications the summer before 12th grade. If you wait to take the test for the first time in spring of 11th grade, you’re not leaving much time for retakes. But school day test can be good extra practice, as well as additional opportunities to submit scores to colleges.
Students should also plan to take both the SAT and ACT tests to maximize their odds of earning a competitive test score. For more guidance on when to take the tests, read our testing timeline guide.
If my state requires the ACT or SAT tests, do I still need to pay the exam fee?
In the states that require the ACT or SAT test as a statewide assessment, the state or your school district will cover the exam fees for that administration. But it’s best to confirm with your high school counselor. However, if you plan to take the ACT or SAT test on a national weekend test date, you will be required to pay the fee or apply for a fee waiver.
Which colleges require ACT or SAT scores?
Many colleges have returned to requiring tests scores as part of the college admissions process. This list includes popular choices like Stanford, Harvard, Yale, UT-Austin, Georgia Tech, the University of Florida, and others. In our article, we provide a complete list of colleges that require ACT or SAT scores for admission.
Need help preparing for test day?
States set the bar in terms of minimum graduation requirements, but colleges desire students who will go above and beyond to exceed those expectations. Students with competitive goals for admissions and scholarships often turn to KD College Prep to help them stand out.
Complete Test Prep provides students in 9th-12th grade with ongoing access to numerous lessons, workshops, and practice tests with reviews. This comprehensive program includes printed curriculum materials and instructor-led activities, giving students everything they need to master content found on the tests. We also offer 10th and 11th Grade College Prep Packages for families who are interested in both test prep and college counseling.
To learn more about our programs, schedule a free consultation with one of our advisors.
