The ACT is Changing!
Never a dull moment in the world of test prep! Just four months after College Board’s first-ever U.S. digital SAT administration, ACT Education Corp announced that big changes were on the horizon for the ACT:
Starting in April 2025, students taking the ACT will have the option to take either the classic paper test or a newer redesigned version of the test.
Here are the key changes:
Students will have the option to take the ACT with or without the Science section. The core sections of English, Math, and Reading will remain essential, and are being referred to as the “Core Test”.
The test will be shorter. The “Core Test” (English, Math, Reading) will now last just 2 hours and 5 minutes. The “Core Test” with the optional Science section will last 2 hours and 45 minutes.
The current ACT runs 3 hours and 10 minutes, with breaks.
To make the test shorter, the ACT is cutting out 44 total questions from the English, Math, and Reading sections. They’re also shortening passage length in English and Reading.
Students will have more time per question in all sections, including the optional Science section. Despite that, there’s no indication the test questions will be more difficult, at least for now.
Importantly, the redesigned test will only be available for students who elect to take the “online” ACT. The paper test will remain unchanged from its current form until September 2025.
What is the online ACT?
The ACT announced last year that a computer-based, online version of its ACT would be piloted at select test centers starting in Spring 2024. This newer, online test was not a redesigned test (unlike the new digital SAT); it was nearly identical to the paper test, just administered on a computer through an online interface.
Of course, it was also an early indication that the ACT was setting the stage for a bigger move, to stay competitive with the SAT after the SAT’s digital redesign proved very popular with student testers.
A big concern: test availability
Although this test will be available from April 2025 onward, it’s not clear what availability for the test will be because of the limited number of test centers that offer the ACT in its online format — required to take the new test.
Availability for the “online” February ACT, sourced November 2024.
The image above shows what availability for the online ACT looks like in February from NYC. This was the availability found when searching in November, 3 months in advance.
One of the challenges with offering the online ACT is that students can’t take it on their own devices, unlike with the SAT. As a result, test centers are saddled with providing a properly-equipped computer to every tester. Given that challenge, we think it’s likely that availability will continue to be very limited for most of 2025.
How will this impact my ACT experience?
The redesign brings the ACT experience closer to the popular new digital SAT, and the ACT changes are likely to be popular for similar reasons.
The time crunch was a major challenge for many students, so the move to shorter passages and fewer questions may make the ACT more accessible for many students. The shorter test length will also make the ACT a more compelling alternative to the new SAT than it had previously been, and may be a relief for students with extended time.
The option to skip the ACT Science section may also prove popular. Students found this section particularly intimidating, so removing it removes another major point of distinction from the SAT that usually worked in the SAT’s favor.
But — and this is a big but — whether or not it will be wise to skip the Science section depends on how universities respond to these changes. Up to this point, we have not heard anything definitive from colleges. We strongly advise you to speak to your college counselor before deciding.
What does this mean for those of you currently testing or considering ACT?
For those of you taking the ACT this spring, wondering if you should try to take the new ACT, our advice (in most cases) is to stick with the current test:
New tests can be unpredictable, even when they seem to improve on the previous version of the test (notoriously, the March 2024 digital SAT).
We have concerns that cutting out so many questions without an adaptive component to the test may produce highly variable scores.
There are currently no representative study materials for the new ACT. All we’ve heard so far is that one practice test should be released in early 2025.
We understand that changes to standardized testing can be daunting, but don’t be distracted by all the changes! The basics haven’t really changed. To make a good test selection you’ll want to take practice tests, compare baseline scores, and go with the test you perform better on.
More information should be released in the coming months, and we will keep all of our ACT families up-to-date as our understanding of the changes and their implications deepens.