ACT
The ACT has quietly announced major changes to its exam format: (1) a focus on flexibility, and (2) a shorter test. The changes take effect in Spring 2025 for national online testing and Spring 2026 for school-day testing. These changes will likely impact paper-based tests soon after (possibly September 2025).
Optional Science Section → students will now choose from four test options when they register:
Revised Composite score → The composite score will now will be the average of only the English, Reading, and Math scores. Science and Writing will be reported separately.
Shorter Test → The new core test will be approximately two hours (down from three)
Format Adjustments → Shorter passages on the reading and English sections; Fewer questions on each section (44 fewer in all); and more time per question.
Pencil & Paper Option → Students can still choose the traditional option.
Score Range → Test scores still range from 1 to 36
Test Dates → The test will still be offered on the same dates
Students taking the ACT digitally during a national testing date in April 2025 and beyond.
Students taking a school-day ACT in April 2026 and beyond.
Do the changes apply to the paper and pencil test or only the digital test?
Which colleges, if any, will still want science scores?
Will the difficulty of questions eventually need to change to make the scaling consistent?
What materials will ACT release to help students prepare for the test?
Does ACT have plans to make the test adaptive like the digital SAT?
Our students have typically found the questions on the ACT to be more straightforward than those on the SAT. However, the demanding time limits on the ACT swayed some students to SAT. With more time per question and shorter passages, the new ACT might be an easier choice for those students. It’s hard to imaging that the scoring and scaling of the test can stay consistent given the changes, but the ACT hasn’t made any announcements about changes to content or difficulty level. Accordingly, students testing in the spring of 2025 and beyond should definitely sit for a mock ACT and see how they handle the new constraints.
Until we hear how colleges process this information, we still anticipate most students will want to take the ACT with Science. If even one of the schools on a college list requires or requests the science score, then it makes sense to take the science section.
When College Board announced the digital SAT, they provided relatively clear information about what the new test would look like, including a detailed overview of those changes. So far, the ACT has not been as transparent. They will obviously provide more information soon, but this announcement feels like a business response to the success of the digital SAT and not a well-researched and planned change.
Because almost all students in New Jersey still test on paper, this change should have little to no effect on students testing during 2024 and 2025.
In conclusion, The ACT's announcement, while lacking detail, signals a significant shift. We're committed to helping our students navigate these changes and achieve their best scores. Please contact us to schedule a consultation or register for one of our upcoming classes or events.
