ACT Announces Major Test Updates for a Better Student Experience

Over the past year, the CollegeBoard has made significant changes to the SAT and not to be left behind, the ACT is evolving as well. We’re including highlights below but be sure to check in with the ACT website for the latest updates.

Here’s a breakdown of the key changes:

What’s Changing?

• Optional Science: The science section will now be optional. Students can choose whether to take the science section, the writing section, or both.
• Shorter Test: The new ACT will be significantly shorter, both in time and number of questions. The core sections (English, reading, and math) will be just 2 hours long, with 44 fewer questions than the current version.
• Shorter Passages: The English and reading sections will feature shorter passages.
• More Time Per Question: Students will have more time to answer each question.

What’s Staying the Same?

• Scoring: The ACT will still be scored on a scale of 1–36. Students will continue to receive a composite score, which is the average of their English, reading, and math scores, along with individual section scores.
• Paper and Online Testing: Students can still choose to take the test on paper or online.
• Optional Writing: The optional writing section will remain available.

When Will We See the New ACT?

• Spring 2025 (National Testing): The new version of the test will be introduced in spring 2025, starting with students taking the online ACT on standard national test dates.
• Spring 2026 (School-Day Testing): Students taking the ACT during school-day testing will see the new version in spring 2026.

We’re closely monitoring these developments and will keep you updated as new details emerge. Additionally, we’ll be updating our ACT practice materials to reflect these changes.

For students starting their test preparation process, we recommend working on the test that fits best. This can lead to a higher score and access to more college choices. Clayborne offers a SAT/ACT preference test that takes only an hour to complete and it’s free of charge. Get in touch here to get your free SAT/ACT Preference Test.