TL/DR: The ACT test is making changes to its test.
Digital Option: The ACT rolled out its digital option in February of 2024 and will continue offering both digital and paper formats.
Shorter Format: Beginning in April 2025 for digital test takers and in September of 2025 for all students, the test will be significantly shorter.
Optional Science Section: The science section will now be optional, similar to the current optional writing section.
What are the major changes to the ACT?
1. Digital Option: The ACT introduced its digital option for test takers in February of 2024. At first, it appeared that the ACT would simply go entirely digital, but then it made some major changes that will go into effect starting in the spring of 2025 for online test takers and then fully in effect for all test formats in 2026.
2. Shorter Format: the test will be dramatically shorter. Instead of the current 3 hour time limit, the ACT will now be only 2 hours long (this time limit is subject to change based on extended time accommodations). Passages on both the English and Reading tests will be shorter, and there will be a combined 44 fewer questions across the English, Reading, and Math sections.
3. Optional Science Section: The Science section will now be optional, just like the current Writing section. Anyone taking the ACT Science test or ACT Writing component will need to pre-register. Students who choose to take the Science test and want colleges to consider their STEM score for their intended major will receive a score for that section and a STEM composite combining the Math and Science sections.
What’s Staying the Same?
The test will continue to be measured on a 1-36 scale, but only the Math, Reading, and English sections will be included in the overall composite score.
Impact
So why is the ACT making these changes? Will it make the test easier or more difficult? How will it affect college applications?
According to the ACT, the idea is to offer more flexibility to students (side benefit: the test will be cheaper) and enable them to show their strengths that might be affected by a longer exam. In theory, the test will be slightly easier just from a time management perspective, and considering the straight forwardness of the current exam, it’s likely that the passages on the Reading and Writing sections will be significantly more difficult. The fact that the Science section is no longer mandatory may also help many students improve on their composite score.
For those students still taking the test this fall, the College Board provides several books for the whole test and each individual section:
The Official ACT Prep Guide 2024-2025
The Official ACT Prep & Subject 2024-2025
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