Nick's position
Should my child take the ACT writing test?
“Skip the ACT writing test unless a college on your child's list recommends it, and spend the time on the scored sections.”
Nick Standlea
The writing test is optional. None of the most-applied-to colleges we checked require it for fall 2027, and only a handful recommend it.
It adds a 40-minute essay and a fee. For most students that time is better spent on the sections colleges actually score.
So write down your child's college list, look up each testing page, and note what it says about writing. If none of them require or recommend it, skip it.
The facts behind it
- None of the 397 most-applied-to colleges we checked require the ACT writing test, only 5 recommend it, and 13 more will look at it if sent.
- 89 colleges say on their own pages that they do not require or use the writing score.
- Adding writing is a 40-minute essay and costs $25.00 for the 2026-27 testing year.
What if my child is not sure which colleges they will apply to yet?
Check the colleges you have now, and look again in the fall when the list is final.