The short answer
An ACT accommodations approval stays with the student when they change schools. ACT says that if the accommodations you need were previously approved, you should not submit a new request. What changes is who manages it: the new school's ACT coordinator contacts ACT Accommodations for instructions on transferring the existing TAA record, then confirms the upcoming test date is linked to it. Link the new high school in MyACT, give the new coordinator your approval notice and TAA PIN, and start well before the registration deadline. A new request is needed only if the student needs different accommodations.
Families who move mid-year, switch from private to public school or change schools over the summer often worry that ACT accommodations will be lost. Usually they aren't, but the handoff to the new school matters, and it has to happen before the deadline for the next test. This guide explains how it works for the national ACT and for ACT testing given by a state or district.
What carries over and what doesn't
The approval carries over. On its accommodations page for the national ACT, ACT says that if the accommodations you need were previously approved, you should not submit a new request (ACT). For state and district testing, ACT tells schools that if a student already has authorized accommodations in TAA and wants the same ones, the school associates the test date with the student's TAA record (ACT).
The school relationship doesn't carry over by itself. ACT's process runs through a school official. ACT tells students to link a valid high school to their MyACT account before registering so ACT can communicate the registration to that school's official in TAA (ACT). After a move, the student's MyACT account should show the new school. ACT's TAA guide tells the new school to contact ACT Accommodations for instructions on transferring the existing record, and says a transfer does not require a new request for the same approved accommodations (ACT TAA user guide). Give your new school's ACT coordinator a copy of your approval notice and your TAA PIN, if available, and ask them to confirm the record is linked to your upcoming test date.
A new request is needed only for something new. If the student needs different or additional accommodations, for example because of a new diagnosis or an updated school plan, the new school submits a request with current documentation.
Step by step after a move
- Save your ACT records before leaving. Get a copy of ACT's decision notification and keep your ACT ID and TAA PIN handy.
- Keep your supporting records. Save your current IEP or 504 plan and relevant evaluations in case the new coordinator needs them.
- Update MyACT before registering. Link your new high school, select Yes when asked if you need accommodations, and forward the registration email and completed consent form to the new school official.
- Transfer the existing approval. Ask the new school's coordinator to contact ACT Accommodations for instructions on transferring your TAA record. Once transferred, have the coordinator verify that your upcoming test date is linked and associate it if needed.
- Submit a request if you need new or different accommodations. For the same accommodations under a still-valid approval, use the existing record.
- Confirm the transfer and test date with your coordinator. Follow up promptly if the deadline is close. If the school submitted a new request and you haven't received a decision after 10 business days, contact the school.
- Arrange special testing if approved for it. Confirm the date and location with the school official within ACT's published testing window. If the new school can't administer the test, contact ACT promptly about an alternate site.
Questions about your own request?
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Deadlines
For the national ACT, requests, including appeals, must be in by the registration deadline for the test date (ACT). A move doesn't extend that deadline, so contact the new school as soon as enrollment is confirmed.
For ACT testing given by a state or district, ACT has two provisions for students who enroll after the request deadline. Its Late Consideration Form covers a student who enrolled in the school after the deadline; if that student wants the same previously approved accommodations, the school enters the student's ACT reference number or TAA PIN instead of filing a new request (ACT). Since spring 2026, ACT's rolling deadline policy has also let schools move or submit requests to a later published deadline for students who enroll after a deadline (ACT).
Special situations
Private to public school, or the reverse. The ACT approval works the same way. If the student never had an ACT approval and the old school's arrangement wasn't a formal plan, the new school can submit a request; if the student has no plan at all, an Exceptions Statement explains why the accommodations are needed. Our guide to accommodations without an IEP or 504 plan covers that route.
Between schools or not enrolled. Students who are homeschooled or not currently enrolled in a school have a separate process with a request form and documentation (ACT).
Special testing. Students approved for special testing usually test at their own school (ACT). After transferring, confirm with your new school's ACT coordinator that the school can administer special testing. If it can't, contact ACT as soon as possible. You may need to find an alternate site and ask ACT to update your testing location.
The SAT and AP, too. College Board approvals also stay with the student, generally until one year after high school graduation, but the new school's SSD coordinator needs to know about them. See our SAT guide.
If something goes wrong
If the new school submits a fresh request by mistake and it's denied, or if the approval wasn't applied in time, contact the school official right away and ask them to contact ACT Accommodations about transferring the existing TAA record. If ACT denies a request for new accommodations, the school official can edit the request in TAA and add documentation for reconsideration (ACT), by the registration deadline for the test date. See our ACT guide and ACT denial guide.
Common questions
Do ACT accommodations transfer when you change schools?
Yes. The approval stays with the student; ACT says not to submit a new request for accommodations that were previously approved. The new school's ACT coordinator contacts ACT Accommodations to transfer the existing TAA record and confirms it's linked to the upcoming test date.
Does the new school have to submit a new ACT request?
Only if the student needs new or different accommodations. For the same accommodations under a still-valid approval, the school transfers and uses the existing record; ACT's TAA guide says a transfer does not require a new request.
What should I bring to the new school?
A copy of ACT's decision notification, the student's ACT ID and TAA PIN if available, and the current IEP or 504 plan and evaluations in case the new coordinator needs them.
What if we move after the deadline for a state or district ACT?
ACT's Late Consideration Form covers students who enroll after the deadline; if the student has previously approved accommodations and wants the same ones, the school provides the ACT reference number or TAA PIN instead of a new request. ACT's rolling deadline policy can also move a request to a later deadline.
Do College Board accommodations transfer too?
Yes. College Board approvals generally remain in effect until one year after high school graduation, but tell the new school's SSD coordinator about them.