How Long Does Ancestry DNA Take? Test FAQs

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Do you have questions about the Ancestry DNA test? In this post, learn how long Ancestry DNA takes, what you learn, whether it’s worth it – and more.

Those who are considering getting a test from Ancestry often want to know whether the results are accurate. Once people have decided to order a test, they are often curious about how long it takes for AncestryDNA to send you your test results.

The answers are often not as straightforward as an exact number, or a simple yes or no. However, if you stick with me until the end of this post, you will understand a lot more about how the process works and what to expect on your DNA testing journey.

In this post, you will explore:

• What you can learn from your DNA test
• Test processing times
• Cost of the test
• If the Ancestry DNA test is worth it

I’ve had so much fun with my Ancestry DNA results over the years. They are regularly updated and improved, and I get new DNA matches almost daily.

I’m glad you want to learn more about DNA testing!

What Does Ancestry DNA Tell You?

You can learn a lot from your AncestryDNA test, which is an autosomal DNA test. You can find out where your ancestors likely lived and connect with living DNA relatives, for example.  

Ancestry DNA results are rather amazing!   The AncestryDNA website is set up to be a really easy way for you to experience your results, and it is a very easy-to-use website. 

Once you submit your saliva sample, you will get an e-mail updating you on the DNA analysis process every step of the way, beginning at the time that it reaches the lab.  When your results are ready, they will send you an e-mail to let you know.

After you log in to your results page, you will be able to learn:

• Details about where your ancestors likely lived from your ethnicity estimate
• About your genetic relatives, or DNA matches (people who are related to you via DNA)
• Information about how you are connected to your DNA matches, and potentially, unknown ancestors, through your Ancestry DNA ThruLines

If you also have a subscription to Ancestry, you will be able to:

• View the public family trees of your DNA matches (to learn how you might be related)

If you have a family tree AND a subscription on Ancestry already, you can also see:

• Common ancestors shared with many of your DNA matches (i.e. how you are related to each other)
• Whether or not you share common surnames with your matches

How long do Ancestry DNA results take in 2021?

According to Ancestry DNA, your results will be ready in about 6-8 weeks, counting from the date that they receive your test kit at the lab.  Some people get their results much faster!

I have heard of people getting their AncestryDNA results in as little as two weeks, with most people only having to wait about four weeks. In other words, you will likely receive your results long before the eight week mark.

While you are waiting for your results, there are many things that you can do. Waiting patiently for DNA results to come back can be hard – I know this from personal experience.

I wrote an entire post explaining things that you can do while you are waiting for your DNA results to be ready. If you follow them, you are sure to be able to understand your results and get the most from your experience:

• 10 Things You Should Do While Waiting For Your DNA Results

Time flies while you are staying busy and having fun, after all!

How accurate is the Ancestry DNA test?

The Ancestry DNA test is very accurate. In order to verify the test’s accuracy, I have spent years researching my family tree and have had more than a dozen close and extended family members do the test, too.

What have I learned?

Ancestry DNA’s ethnicity estimate can help you understand where your family lived over the past couple of hundred years. My family members’ results very closely match our known family history.

Additionally, Ancestry DNA provides you with a list of exceptionally accurate DNA matches. Since the AncestryDNA database contains information from more than 18 million other customers, you’ll get lots of matches – more than you will get from any other DNA testing company.

Can you use Ancestry DNA for genealogy?

Ancestry DNA is very useful for genealogy and building a family tree. The Ancestry ethnicity estimate can help guide your research, and DNA matches can provide the verification you need to build your family tree further back.

The people on our DNA match lists, our genetic relatives, are related to us in some way. Many of these relatives also have family trees attached to their DNA results.

We can study the family trees of our DNA matches in order to identify our common ancestor. Sometimes, this common ancestor might be a new person to us.

Often, we are able to use our Ancestry DNA results to break through tough brick walls in our family tree and discover new collateral lines in our family tree. There are also more advanced DNA match analysis strategies that can help us identify new ancestors and figure out how we are related to our DNA matches.

Chromosome mapping (using DNA Painter) and the Leeds Method are two such strategies that are perfectly suitable for beginners wanting to take their DNA results to a new level.

Is Ancestry DNA Worth It?

Yes, yes, yes! Ancestry DNA is definitely worth the investment.

Even though it might cost you around $100 and you might have to wait as long as 8 weeks, though usually much less, the AncestryDNA test is absolutely worth it.

The best part about my Ancestry DNA results is that they are a gift that keeps on giving.  As technology improves, Ancestry DNA uses the latest in scientific research to periodically update ethnicity results – for free.

Using Ancestry DNA,  I found two first cousins to one of my parents that our family never knew about. Plus, I found a close family member’s biological father’s family, and learned more than I could ever have imagined about my family tree.

Because my DNA results are in the database, as more and more people decide to do genetic testing, I can log on and find new matches and new information about my family. I get new matches on an almost daily basis.

This experience – which is sometimes called genetic genealogy – has been fantastic and totally worth it!

How much does the Ancestry DNA test cost?

You can usually buy the Ancestry DNA kit for $99 plus about $10 in shipping and handling.  The kit is usually delivered within just a few days.  I’ve had a kit delivered in three days – it depends on where you live and how busy they are.

• How to buy an AncestryDNA test

Conclusion

If you’ve already done the test and are waiting to get your e-mail letting you know that your results are ready, you might be interested in my post about how to understand your results.

Do you have questions about the test?  Are you thinking about taking it yourself?  Let me know in the comments!

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Share the knowledge!