The ACT has two price lists — one for students testing in the United States and one for students testing elsewhere — and the gap between them is large. A candidate in India pays the non-US price, which is more than two and a half times the US base fee. ACT's rule on refunds is short and strict: fees are not refunded unless ACT says otherwise. This page sets out both fee tables from ACT's own pages, alongside the Myndaq ACT course. For what is in each section, see the ACT syllabus and sections.
Testing outside the US (including India)
ACT's non-US fee page lists four test options:
- The ACT — US$188.50
- The ACT with Science — US$198.50
- The ACT with Writing — US$213.50
- The ACT with Science and Writing — US$223.50
and the add-ons separately:
- Science add-on — US$10.00
- Writing add-on — US$25.00
Other non-US fees:
- Late registration — US$42.00
- Change fee (test date change or test centre change) — US$49.00
- Additional score reports — US$20.00 each, including reports to a fifth and sixth college choice
Non-US pricing includes score reports for you and up to four colleges.
Testing in the US
For comparison, ACT's US fee page lists:
- The ACT (English, math and reading) — US$70.00
- Science add-on — US$5.00
- Writing add-on — US$25.00
- Late registration — US$42.00
- Test date change — US$49.00
- Standby testing — US$75.00
- Additional score reports — US$20.00
- Score verification (multiple-choice) — US$67.00
- ACT My Answer Key / Test Information Release, ordered before the test — US$36.00
US pricing includes reports for you, your high school and up to four colleges.
The Science add-on is US$10 outside the US against US$5 inside it; the Writing add-on is the same US$25 in both. Everything else about the price difference sits in the base test fee.
Choosing your options
The base ACT covers English, Math and Reading — the three sections that make up the Composite. Science and Writing are optional. Before paying for either:
- Science (US$10 outside the US): take it if any college on your list asks for a Science score or uses ACT's STEM score, which averages Math and Science. Otherwise it adds 40 minutes and 40 questions for a score that does not affect your Composite.
- Writing (US$25): take it only if a college on your list requires or recommends it. The Writing score is reported separately on a 2–12 scale and feeds the ELA score.
It is cheaper to decide at registration than to re-sit for a missing section.
Refunds
ACT's rule, on both fee pages: all fees are nonrefundable unless otherwise noted. The exceptions noted on the US page:
- Standby testing is refunded if you are denied admission to the test centre on test day, or if your registration was cancelled because no photo was provided.
- Score reports to additional colleges are refundable on written request if you do not test.
If you might not be able to sit on your registered date, a test date change (US$49) is the way to keep your registration, since the test fee itself is not refunded.
A realistic budget from India
- ACT with no add-ons, four free college reports: US$188.50.
- ACT with Science and Writing: US$223.50.
- One date change: add US$49.
- Late registration: add US$42.
- Two sittings of the ACT with Science: 2 × US$198.50 = US$397.
A late registration plus a date change adds US$91 to any sitting — almost half the non-US base fee — so the calendar matters as much as the price.
ACT or SAT: a cost note
If the colleges on your list accept either test, the fee is a fair thing to compare. Outside the US, the SAT costs US$111 (US$68 plus College Board's US$43 international fee — see SAT fees and registration), against US$188.50 for the ACT without add-ons. Over two sittings that is a difference of about US$155. Fees should not decide the choice on their own — pick the test whose format suits you, using full practice tests of each — but if the two suit you equally, the SAT is the cheaper sitting from India.
Quick answers
How much is the ACT fee in India?
US$188.50 for the ACT without add-ons, US$198.50 with Science, US$213.50 with Writing and US$223.50 with both, from ACT's non-US fee page.
Is the ACT fee refundable?
No. ACT says all fees are nonrefundable unless otherwise noted; the few exceptions concern standby testing and extra score reports.
What does it cost to change my ACT date?
US$49, both inside and outside the US.
Is Science included in the ACT fee?
No. Science is an optional add-on — US$10 outside the US and US$5 in the US.
How many free score reports does the ACT include?
Reports for you and up to four colleges (plus your high school for US registrations). Additional reports are US$20 each.
