What's Up With the ACT?

This past weekend, on April 5th, the ACT started to roll out its new version, the “Core ACT.” Ever since what felt a bit like a “blink-and-you-missed-it” announcement last summer, the changes have been shrouded in some degree of opacity. In fact, I’ve found that when I’ve educated my students about what’s changing, many of them have been completely in the dark that these significant changes were even on the horizon. Although no less important, this is a stark contrast to the SAT’s transition to digital a little over a year ago, which seemed to be more widely publicized and anticipated.

So let’s clear up the confusion and set the record straight. What’s changing (and what’s not changing), when is it changing, and what should you do about it?

What is Changing

ACT’s new “Core ACT” is, in a large part, meant to address some fundamental issues and complaints about the current exam. For starters, many students struggled with pacing during the exam and felt that it was too long, especially in light of the new digital SAT’s (dSAT) shorter length. The new Core ACT will last about 2 hours—an hour shorter than the current exam and about the same length as its SAT competitor. Students will have more time per section and there will be 44 fewer questions overall.

Another significant change is the fact that the science section will become optional. The Science section has been one of the biggest differentiating factors between the SAT and the ACT, and it’s no longer required. 

But not so fast. 

This particular change is still working itself out. That is, we don't yet know how colleges are going to treat this optional science section, and so far, most colleges have stayed mum. Will they want to see it despite its being optional? Will students applying to certain majors be required to submit science section scores in order to be considered for that major? (Note, too, that the exam will be longer for students opting to take science.)

What Isn’t Changing

Unlike the SAT’s shift to digital last year, which eliminated a paper exam option, ACT will continue to offer both paper and digital versions of the exam. And, also unlike the dSAT, the Core ACT is not an adaptive exam; rather, it is linear, meaning that you don’t get a different version of the exam based on how you do in a previous section. It’s also critical to understand that the content itself is not really changing. As far as scoring is concerned: The online version of the Core exam, starting with the rollout in April, June, and July, will receive a composite score made up of English, reading, and math. Students taking the paper exam on those dates will receive a composite score that includes the science section. Starting in September, all test takers will receive a composite score made up of English, reading, and math with a separate science score if that section is taken.

"Soft Launch" Rollout Timeline

Now this is where a lot of the confusion is arising. Starting on April 5th and lasting through the July exam, the new Core ACT will start to roll out. Specifically, students who opt to take the exam digitally in the US on national test dates will see the new Core exam, but availability will be limited.

In September 2025, the new Core ACT will be introduced in the paper version of the exam and will be the only option moving forward. The last chance that students will have to take the current version of the ACT on paper will be July 2025. (The last chance to take the current version of the ACT online/digitally was in February 2025.)

What Does This Mean For You?

Class of 2026: Because information has been so limited, and in order to avoid omitting the science section when you might later need it, consider either opting for the dSAT or stick to the current version of the ACT in a paper-based format this spring, knowing that the last chance you'll have to take that version of the exam is coming in July.

Class of 2027: You have some time. Take a diagnostic test to determine the best test for you, and if you take the ACT, be sure to include the science section just in case!