Everything You Need to Know about Changes to the ACT
The spring semester is a popular time for students to take standardized tests in preparation for college admissions. This year, the SAT is being offered on March 8th and May 3rd, and the ACT is scheduled for April 5th. Students should be spending the next several months practicing on a consistent schedule to reach their goal score, and part of that means familiarizing themselves with their chosen testing format.
In 2024, the SAT underwent a major overhaul to convert to a new and shortened digital format. Now, the ACT will undergo a similar series of changes (what they’re calling test enhancements) over the next year’s testing cycle. One key difference is that while the SAT went fully digital, the ACT will continue offering students the option to take the ACT on paper. For students who prefer or perform better with paper testing, the new ACT will be a great option!
Changes to the ACT:
Shorter length
The old ACT took 195 minutes in total. The updated version (with the optional science section) will only take 160. This is a 35 minute decrease, for a new total testing time of 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Fewer questions
In comparison to the old version’s 215 questions across 4 sections, the new ACT will have 171 questions (44 fewer questions in total). Although the overall length of the test is shorter, the near 20% reduction in questions will give students slightly more time to answer each question.
Question formatting
There will also be minor changes to question formatting. In the current English section, the ACT does not always provide a prompt question (instead, students are meant to select fitting grammar changes when relevant). In the updated test, students will be given direct instruction. Additionally, the number of answer choices for math questions has dropped from 5 options to 4.
Science section going optional
Just like the ACT essay was made optional a few years ago, the science section will now be optional as well. Despite this change, B2A still recommends all students take the ACT with the science section—performing well in this section will be particularly crucial for students interested in STEM subjects to demonstrate their readiness for advanced study.
ACT vs SAT
Students should take diagnostic tests to see which test format they prefer. Comparing scores between the SAT and ACT can help students assess their strengths. For example, a composite score of 30 on the ACT correlates to a ~1370 on the SAT, and a composite score of 34 on the ACT correlates to a ~1500 on the SAT.
Furthermore, if students aren’t seeing improvement across multiple tests for either the SAT or ACT, they should consider making a switch to the other format. Score concordance can also help students identify if they are weaker in a certain subject. For example, a 33 on the ACT math section correlates to a ~750 on the SAT math section, and a combined score of 70 on the ACT reading and writing sections correlates to a ~750 on the SAT reading section.
When deciding what test to start out with, or simply familiarizing themselves with the differences between the two standardized testing options, students should be aware of the following:
These changes are particularly relevant to current juniors who will be taking school day tests in March and April, as well as those looking to secure a standardized test score before the 2025-26 college application season.
Planning for future testing
Check out the table below for a list of upcoming spring and summer SAT and ACT dates. Note that the SAT does not offer tests in July, and many students will need to focus on AP exams in early May, making June a more popular choice.
March 8
May 3
June 7
April 5
June 14
July 12
This year, SAT school day tests will fall between March 3 and April 30. Schools also offering ACT school day testing will test between February 25 and May 2. If you’re a current junior who’s unsure of when your school day tests will be, get in touch with your school counselor.
Need help reaching your goal score?
댓글