ACT keeps your scores for decades. Colleges often will not: many only accept a sitting from the last three to five years, even if MyACT still shows a 2014 Composite. "Valid" means two different things—whether ACT can still send the report, and whether a college will still read it.
How long ACT stores the file
Scores from recent years live in your MyACT account. Older sittings can still be retrieved, sometimes as archived reports with a higher fee. That is a records question, not an admissions question. The retrieval walkthrough is how to get old ACT scores.
How long colleges will use them
A common pattern is three to five years from test date to application term. A junior-year 30 is fine for a senior application. A score from middle school, or from a first career ten years ago, often is not. Transfer and adult applicants get the strictest reading.
Enhanced vs legacy sittings
A pre-2025 Composite included Science. An enhanced Composite averages only English, Math, and Reading. Colleges know which version you took. Do not try to "convert" an old four-section average into a new three-section one on the Common App. How to compare them: legacy score vs enhanced Composite.
When you should retest instead of resurrect
- The school's window has closed on your old date.
- You never sent official scores and cannot find the report.
- Your coursework now is much stronger than the old sitting, and the campus still reads scores. Should you retake.
The bottom line
ACT can usually still find the number. The college decides whether that number still counts. Check the application year's testing policy before you pay for an old report.
Start practicing
Start with a free diagnostic, then drill your weak spots with 15-question quizzes and track how you're doing across Reading, English, and Math. Compare plans whenever you're ready to go further.
This article offers general ACT prep guidance. The ACT can change from year to year, including its format, scoring, policies, test dates, and fees, so always confirm the latest details on the official ACT website at act.org before you make decisions. ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. thirty-six is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ACT.