Great news for students taking the ACT next year! ACT CEO Janet Godwin announced some major changes to their standardized test.
The current test incorporates four sections: English, reading, math, and science with an optional writing section. Starting April 2025, the science section will no longer be required but remain available as an optional add-on. This provides students greater flexibility as they will be offered the following choices when registering for the test:
- ACT core test (English, reading, and math)
- ACT core test plus science section
- ACT core test plus writing section
- ACT core test plus science and writing sections
The composite score range will remain 1-36 but only include the English, reading, and math sections of the test. Students opting to take the science section will notice a science and STEM score on their report. Students pursing a field in science
With fewer subjects to prepare for, students can focus their studies on the English, reading, and math sections of the test. Since these subjects correlate with SAT subjects, students might be in a better position to prep for and take both tests instead of choosing one over the other.
In addition to less subject content, the ACT test will be significantly shorter. Instead of sitting for a 193-minute test, students will soon sit for 125 minutes. Shorter reading passages will save time on the reading section and a total of 44 fewer questions on the reading, English, and math sections will result in a shorter test.
This new format will incorporate more time per question, which addresses a current concern for many students who find it challenging to complete each section within the allotted time. Math questions currently include five answer choices, but the new test will only offer four, allowing students to complete the math section in a shorter amount of time. Decreasing the number of sections, questions, and answer choices while increasing the time available for each question might be a game changer for students who previously shied away from the ACT due to the fast pace.
The new changes will take effect in April 2025 for national online testing dates, September 2025 for both paper and online national testing dates, and Spring 2026 for school day testing.
Stay tuned for updated news and information on ACT changes.