Test Prep

5 Things to Know About the New ACT

Prepare for the coming updates to the ACT exam with these five tips.

The landscape of standardized testing is always evolving—last school year we transitioned to the new Digital SAT® and PSAT®. This year, the ACT® has announced some new changes.

According to the ACT website, Starting in April 2025, students who choose to test online will have more flexibility and choice, experience a shorter test, and get more time to respond to each question. Beginning with the September 2025 test, all students testing on a Saturday, either online or on paper, will experience these benefits.

If you’re a student preparing for college admission, staying informed about these changes is crucial. So, whether you're a junior planning to take the test in Spring 2025 or you’re simply keeping an eye on upcoming developments, here's a rundown of the five essential tips about the updated ACT that you should know.

1. The ACT will be shorter

The most significant change to the ACT is its shortened duration. The new ACT will be approximately two hours long (125 minutes, to be exact), a reduction that aligns it more closely with the recent changes to the SAT. While the exact timing details haven't been fully released, the exam makers have announced that Reading and English sections are shorter by 44 questions, a reduction that will allow test takers to spend more time on each question. Unlike the SAT, however, the ACT will not be a computer-adaptive test, meaning the test format remains traditional despite the shortened length.

2. The science section will be optional

Traditionally, the ACT has differentiated itself from the SAT with its dedicated science section, designed to assess students' scientific reasoning rather than specific knowledge. Starting in 2025, this section will become optional for those taking the ACT on national testing days. While students can choose to take the ACT with or without the science section (and with or without the optional writing section), how colleges will evaluate these optional sections remains unclear. As this policy develops, staying updated on college preferences will be important!

3. There will be fewer answer options in Math section

To accommodate the shorter test length, the ACT is also reducing the number of math question answer choices from 5 to 4. Though the final new structure hasn’t been revealed, the ACT creators hope these changes will reduce stress while also maintaining integrity and rigor.

4. Students will have flexibility in test format: online or paper

One of the more student-friendly changes is the choice between taking the ACT online or on paper. Unlike the SAT, which has transitioned to a digital-only format, the ACT will allow students to decide how they want to take the test. Whether online or on paper, all tests will be administered at a designated testing site, and students won’t have the option to take the exam at home or on their own devices.

5. The scoring scale remains unchanged

Despite all these changes, one aspect of the ACT remains consistent: the scoring scale. The ACT will continue to use the familiar 1–36 scoring scale, making it easier for colleges to compare scores from different test versions. With the science section now optional, however, the composite score will be calculated as an average of the three remaining sections: English, Reading, and Math. This change could affect students differently depending on their strengths, particularly for those who excel in math and science reasoning.

As these changes roll out, stay informed so you can adapt your test preparation strategies accordingly.

To learn more about the changes to the ACT, check out our webinar below!

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