The ACT, a critical component of college admissions in the United States, is undergoing significant changes to better meet the needs of today’s students. Among these changes are the option to make the Science section optional and the reduction of the core test (English, Reading, and Math) duration to just 2 hours. In this blog …
The ACT, a critical component of college admissions in the United States, is undergoing significant changes to better meet the needs of today’s students. Among these changes are the option to make the Science section optional and the reduction of the core test (English, Reading, and Math) duration to just 2 hours. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the key changes, the reasons behind them, and what students can expect from the new ACT format.
The ACT has long been known for testing students across four core subjects: English, Reading, Math, and Science. However, these announced changes will reshape the test’s structure and content, making it more streamlined and accessible for students.
The most significant change to the ACT is that the ACT Science section will become optional. This shift allows students to choose whether to tackle the Science section based on their strengths and college application requirements. By making this section optional, students can focus on the other three sections of the ACT – English, Reading, and Math – which are now called the core test. This should reduce student’s studying requirements and could potentially reduce test anxiety.
Additionally, the total number of questions in the core sections will be reduced by 44, making the exam more manageable. The ACT also will feature shorter passages in the English and Reading sections, which should improve accessibility for slow readers and provide greater focus for all test takers.
As a result of these two changes, the length of the ACT will be reduced by about a third. The new core test will last just 2 hours, compared to the current 3-hour format. This reduction is aimed at decreasing fatigue and maintaining student engagement throughout the test. It also reduced the total time required for the ACT to be similar to the updated digital SAT, which was shortened in March 2023. This does not mean that the ACT is going fully digital like the SAT. The ACT organization has been clear that they plan to keep a paper version of the test for the foreseeable future, offering an offline alternative for those who prefer it.
In addition to the major ACT changes above, ACT has made further changes to make the test more student-friendly and reduce testing fatigue. The English section will now include clearer guidance with each question, reducing the need for students to scroll back to find the instructions. The multiple-choice options in the Math section will also be reduced from 5 total answer choices to 4, which effectively reduces the number of options per question by 20%. This should make the Math section a little bit less stressful for students.
Starting in April 2025, students across the nation will be able to take the new version of the ACT test online.
Starting in September 2025, the ACT changes will apply to both online and paper/pencil versions of the test.
And starting in spring 2026, the new ACT format will be fully integrated into school-day testing schedules. This means that students will be able to take the updated ACT during the school day.
While the new digital SAT might have influenced these changes, the ACT’s decision to shorten the test and make it more focused reflects a thoughtful approach to enhancing the student’s test-taking experience. A shorter, more focused test is preferred by students, and it still has the full backing of ACT’s robust pedagogy to ensure the test quality stays the same. This change benefits students with little downside.
The ACT changes are designed to create a more efficient, user-friendly testing experience that meets the evolving needs of today’s students. They are more tailored to what students look for in today’s academic environment, where robust question development and advanced scoring algorithms have made it possible to garner more accurate information from a shorter test.
The price of the new ACT will be reduced since it will now exclude the Science section. This is part of the ACT’s commitment to test accessibility, especially for disadvantaged student populations. This price change will be announced in the coming months.
As with the Writing section today, students will be charged an additional fee to take the optional ACT Science section on future exams after this change goes into effect.
The official ACT prep guide will be undergoing some significant changes due to these changes. The ACT may release new question content to parents and tutors, but details on that process or timeline have not yet been released.
Since these changes are very fresh, it’s essential to stay up to date as more announcements are released. It sounds like the ACT organization is still sorting through some of the ancillary details.
The revised ACT represents a significant shift in the test to make it more student-friendly. By focusing on core subjects, reducing test length, and making passages more manageable, the ACT is making a clear commitment to improving the testing experience for students. As these changes roll out, students can look forward to a test that better aligns with their strengths and needs. Be sure to keep an eye on further announcements on the ACT website or this blog.
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