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ACT Test Day Packing Checklist
What to bring to the test center, and what to leave at home.
A real, editable checklist below — tick, tap a line to rewrite, drag to reorder.
Tick the circles, tap any line to change it, drag the dots to reorder.
Saved in this browser. Send it to Clear to keep it on your phone.
Pack the night before, and plan to be inside the test center by 8:00 a.m. Late arrivals cannot be admitted. Bring a printed admission ticket and a current official photo ID whose name matches your registration. ACT says the ID must be a hard plastic card; paper or electronic IDs are not accepted. If you have no such ID, ACT allows the completed ACT Student Identification Form with a photo. Test Ninjas suggests 3-4 sharpened No. 2 pencils, because pens and mechanical pencils are not allowed. Phones and smartwatches must be off and out of sight, breaks included. Read your ticket for any test center messages. This list assumes a standard test day and leaves out accommodations and registration.
Why these items are on the list
- Printed admission ticket. Print it from MyACT once your photo is uploaded and approved, but not too early, in case of updates.
- Current official photo ID. Name must match registration. ACT says hard plastic card only. Without one, it accepts its Student Identification Form with photo.
- Sharpened No. 2 pencils. Pens and mechanical pencils are not allowed. Test Ninjas suggests 3-4 with erasers.
- Permitted calculator. For the math test only. Test Ninjas names the TI-89 and TI-Nspire CAS as banned.
- Spare calculator batteries. Don't risk a dead calculator mid-section. Test Ninjas says you can't borrow one from other test-takers once the test begins.
- Watch with no alarm. Allowed for pacing; it must stay on your desk. Leave smartwatches behind.
- Snacks for the break. Eat them outside the testing room during the break, not during test sections.
- Water bottle. Drink it during the break only, not during testing sections.
- Layered, comfortable clothing. Test rooms can run cold or warm, so layers you can remove help.
- Laptop and charger (online BYOD only). Only if you registered for online testing with your own device; charge it and set it up beforehand.
- ACT-approved bilingual dictionary, if needed. Only if you need one; ACT staff inspect it, and other dictionaries are not allowed.
- Phone: best left at home. Best left home. ACT requires phones off and out of sight, including during breaks.
- Route to the test center. Consider a practice run to estimate travel time, and be inside by 8:00 a.m.
Tick items off on your phone as you pack, then run through the list once more before you leave. A parent can check it with you.
When to use it
Use it the night before any ACT test date, and again at the morning bag check.