Patients with acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are the critical source of infection due to high viral load and strong transmission ability. The vast majority of patients in the acute infection stage have no or only mild clinical symptoms, and their screening and diagnosis often rely on laboratory tests. However, there are still some difficulties in early screening and detection for HIV infection due to the detection window period. In recent years, laboratory testing for acute HIV infection has made great progress. This article reviews the progress in laboratory testing of acute HIV infection, in order to provide a reference for follow-up related research.