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What is NOT changing?
- ACT will continue to have a paper option.
- Its content remains largely the same. Studying for the current version will prepare students for the new version.
- Section scores and composite scores will remain on the 1-36 scale.
- The Writing (essay) test will continue to be optional (and almost universally ignored by colleges).
- Unlike the digital SAT which uses section adaptive testing, the ACT will continue to be a linear test. The SAT is broken into modules, with the student’s performance on the first module determining the difficulty of the following module. The ACT does not use this format.
- The comparability of scores between exams stays intact; a 30 on English on the new ACT will mean the same thing to colleges as a 30 on the current ACT.
What IS changing?
- Students will have a little more time per question.
- The ACT will have 44 fewer questions.
- Math questions will have 4 answer choices instead of 5.
- Some of the reading passages will be shorter.
- Taking the science section will become left to the student’s discretion by ACT. Colleges must decide whether they will treat the science as required, recommended, optional, or ignored. Very few have determined their policy as of February 2025, and as with their testing policies in general, considerable nuance may apply.
- The Composite score will be the average of three sections: English, reading, and math. The optional science score will be presented as a separate score.
- The test will become shorter. The required sections (English, reading, math) will take 2 hours and 5 minutes of testing time. With the optional science section (strongly recommended), the test will be 2 hours and 40 minutes of testing time.
- National test dates currently include a final 20-minute 5th section that is used to field-test questions for future tests. This section will be removed, and unscored field-test items will be mixed into each section on the new test. Students will not know if they are answering a scored or unscored question.
How will we know which version we’re talking about; is there a new name?
ACT is referring to the current version (three hours with mandatory science) as the “Classic” test. The new version that has been shortened will be known as the “Core” ACT, and can be taken with or without science.
Is ACT going entirely digital like the SAT?
No, a paper option will remain available for schools to administer, both on national test dates at open sites on weekends and in School Day testing held on a weekday for that school’s students only. The online and paper tests will be identical in form and content, and both will remain linear exams in which all students experience the same exam. Unlike the SAT, neither ACT format will adapt midstream to how a student is performing.
Which ACT should I sign up for this spring?
We recommend that you register for the Classic paper test. Students need not bother with the optional Writing section. ACT is considering the debut of the Core online test in April, June, and July to be a “soft launch,” which is to admit that there may be technical and administrative snafus in the early going. This reality is reflected in the fact that few schools have shown any interest in hosting the digital Core version for these first three test dates, so availability is extremely limited anyway. Choosing the Classic version also ensures that students will not mistakenly omit the science section and find themselves regretting that decision later. Finally, many students benefit from a paper format by being able to more efficiently mark-up the reading passages, science diagrams, and math equations and figures.
The graphic below reflects our recommended selections on ACT’s registration page.
For more explanation on why we believe you should go this route, click here.
What should I sign up for this fall?
In September, the new (shorter, science-optional) Core ACT will be available in both paper and digital formats. We recommend that you continue to sign up for the paper test this fall to ensure the smoothest testing experience possible. We also advise that you include the optional science section unless you are absolutely certain that your college list is final and no colleges on your list will even consider the science (this is unlikely). Do not bother adding on the optional Writing test.
Are you sure I should take the science test even if I don’t plan to major in science?
Including the science is the only safe choice at this point. Most colleges are still deciding what their position on science will be for the new test. Relatively few are expected to treat it as a rigid requirement, but most will consider it to be recommended or optional. An optional stance always leaves open the possibility that the score can help you, and in some cases “optional” is best treated as “optimal.” Even when a college’s general policy on the SAT/ACT is that submitting scores is optional, they may stipulate that if you do submit an ACT score then it must include the science. After all, it is not possible to skip a component of the SAT. Finally, for many students the science is a section on which they are able to see considerable improvement, often elevating the overall strength of their scores.
For our list of how colleges are treating the science scores, view this resource. We expect updates to be added frequently through the spring and summer.
What will colleges see when I submit my scores?
When scores from a test date are reported by ACT, all of your section scores are included. This is true no matter which version of the ACT you take. If you take the science, it will be reported.
The composite score for anyone taking the test on paper in either the paper or computer format prior to April 2025, or the paper format through July 2025, will show as the average of the English, math, reading, and science scores.
The composite score for anyone taking the test on computer beginning April 2025 or on either paper or computer format in September 2025 and beyond will show as the average of the English, math, and reading scores. Science will be included as a separate score.
Anyone testing as part of a school day administration will have a composite made up of English, math, reading, and science scores if they test in 2025 and only English, math, and reading beginning in spring 2026.
ACT is not recalculating old composite scores. Once you have a composite score, it will not change, even if future tests do not use the science test to create the composite.
Whether or not ACT includes the science in the composite score calculation, colleges will always have access to the science score if it was taken on a test date that the student chooses to reveal (most colleges do not require students to submit their scores from every sitting). Whether science receives the same or less consideration than the other sections is an individual college’s policy decision that very few have yet stipulated. Colleges will be able to easily recalculate a full composite including science if they are so inclined.
What about superscoring?
Superscoring recalculates a composite score by averaging a student’s best performance in each section. This gets complicated once science becomes an optional part of the exam. Students may have a mix of scores from the Classic format and the Core format. ACT’s own Superscore Report will switch to a superscore composite made up only of English, reading, and math at the earlier of a) September 2025 or b) when a student first takes the Core ACT online. However, ACT does not dictate colleges’ policies. Compass expects most colleges to superscore across versions of the exam, as nearly all did in the 2023-2024 school year when the SAT was transitioning to a new version. Harvard has already proved an exception by stating that it will only superscore Classic scores with Classic scores and Core scores with Core scores.
If the superscoring definition is changing, does that mean I will lose my great score from earlier versions of the test?
No. The scores you earn are always yours and can be reported via ACT or self-reported on your application. Colleges, though, will continue to have the final say on which scores are used when reviewing your file and on how a superscore is calculated. Compass is tracking ACT scoring policies as they are updated by colleges to reflect the new exam structure.
How should I prepare?
Compass offers private tutoring and small group classes at competitive rates, in addition to a variety of free workshops, diagnostic exams, and other resources. Practice test materials for the new format will be limited through the spring of 2025, but ACT plans to roll out a new Official Guide with new practice tests in April or May. ACT has said more practice tests will be available late spring/early summer 2025. While practice test availability and quality will not compare favorably to the SAT practice test library this spring, we are optimistic that by summer/fall 2025 this will become a negligible concern for students choosing between the Core ACT and the SAT.
Fortunately, very little is changing about the content or meaning of section scores. Practice tests for the Classic format will work well to establish baselines and practice for the real ACT regardless of which version you take.
Compass is helping students prepare by offering a free practice test of the new exam. Sign up here to receive early access to Compass’s new ACT practice test as soon as it becomes available.
MORE FAQs
International testing?
International testing will move to the new version of the test in September of 2025. International ACT testing is online only.
School-day testing?
State and district testing, also known as school-day testing, will change to the new format in February of 2026. Schools will be able to choose whether to offer the ACT on paper or online.
Why is the school day ACT in October 2025 still the Classic version of the test? Is this the case for both paper and online? How will scores be reported?
ACT did not feel comfortable rolling out the shorter Core ACT during the school day testing window in spring 2025. This hesitancy also impacted fall testing plans. Some school districts have students take the ACT in both the spring and fall, and ACT did not want to change the testing experience for those students. This means that the October 2025 school day ACT will be the final administration of the full-length Classic exam. Both paper and online testing will be Classic edition. The inconsistency ACT faces, however, is that it is redefining the composite score for ALL reporting as of September. Our understanding is that students taking the October school day test will receive scores as if they had taken the Core with optional science. They will receive a composite of English, math, and reading only. Their science test will be reported separately and as part of the STEM score of math and science.
Is there a difference between “online” testing and “computer” testing? (Hint: No!)
There is no difference. ACT uses the terms online and computer interchangeably.
Can I use my own computer?
National test dates allow students to bring their own Chromebook or Windows computer for online testing. Students must download ACT Gateway (ACT’s secure delivery platform) 2 to 4 weeks in advance of the test. Otherwise students who register for an online exam will be provided with a computer by the host site.
To view what ACT’s testing interface for national test days looks and feels like, you can take sample sections on their website here. Note that their practice test currently does not offer scaled scores nor does it allow you to save your work, so the experience is rather underwhelming and unhelpful.
Do you have a chart of the changes to the ACT?
Time
Classic ACT |
Core ACT |
Core ACT + Science (optional) |
|
English | 45 minutes | 35 minutes | 35 minutes |
Math | 60 minutes | 50 minutes | 50 minutes |
Reading | 35 minutes | 40 minutes | 40 minutes |
Science | 35 minutes | – | 40 minutes |
Total |
2 hours &
|
2 hours &
|
2 hours & 45 minutes |
Questions
Classic ACT |
Core ACT |
Core ACT + Science (optional) |
Increase in Time per Question |
|
English | 75 | 50 (10 FT) |
50 (10 FT) |
+17% |
Math | 60 | 45 (4 FT) |
45 (4 FT) |
+11% |
Reading | 40 | 36 (9 FT) |
36 (9 FT) |
+27% |
Science | 40 | – | 40 (6FT) |
+15% |
Total |
215 |
131 |
171 |
+17% |
FT: Field Test (these items are not scored)
Do you have a chart of the differences between the new ACT and digital SAT?
ACT with Science | SAT | |||
Time | English | 35 minutes | Reading & Writing | 64 minutes, evenly divided between two sections |
Reading | 36 minutes | |||
Math | 50 minutes | Math | 70 minutes, evenly divided between two sections | |
Science | 40 minutes | |||
Total Time | 2 hours and 45 minutes | 2 hours and 14 minutes | ||
Questions | English | 50 questions | Reading & Writing | 54 questions |
Reading | 45 questions | |||
Math | 36 questions | Math | 44 questions | |
Science | 40 questions | |||
Total Questions | 171 questions | 98 questions | ||
Section Scores | 1-36 scaled score for each section | 200-800 score for each section | ||
Composite/Total Score | 1-36 Composite is the average of English, reading, and math. Science is a separate 1-36 score. | 400-1600 is the sum of both section scores. | ||
Computer Testing? | Paper and Computer Testing Available | Computer Testing Only | ||
Who Provides Computers? | Students can bring their own Chromebooks or Windows laptops; some testing sites also supply Chromebooks or PCs | Students must bring their own device: a Windows laptop or tablet, a Mac laptop, an iPad, or a school-managed Chromebook. Mobile phones are not supported. | ||
Testing Software | ACT Gateway | College Board Bluebook App |
What content and question format is changing?
English
- Every item will include a stem question.
- Some English passages will be shorter.
- An argumentative essay and items related to argumentation will be added.
Math
- The number of answer choices will be reduced from 5 to 4.
- There will be fewer questions on advanced topics (high grade level items).
- There will be fewer questions with context, which require more time to read.
- There will be fewer questions in the Integrating Essentials Skills category.
Reading
- Some reading passages will be shorter, but unlike the SAT which has gone to one short paragraph per question, most ACT passages will be considerably longer and tied to multiple questions.
- There will be a greater percentage of questions in the Integration of Knowledge and Ideas category.
- ACT says they are “refining our approach to selecting literary narrative texts in our ongoing commitment to featuring authentic diverse perspectives.”
Science
- At least one passage will address an engineering and design topic.
- There will be more items requiring scientific background knowledge.
Are there any concerns about these changes or the rollout?
For an in depth look at the questions these changes raise, you can read more here.
How will a college compare a Classic ACT score to a CORE SAT when the rating components vary? If someone received a 33 on Classic and a 32 on CORE due to the limited subject scope, how is the score weighting system going to compare these two results? Are they weighting each score independently regardless of the content change? Additionally, if I opt to take the Science portion, how is that score incorporated in the ACT score submission process on college applications?
David,
You’ve put your finger on the problem that students will be wrestling with when submitting scores. Colleges are unlikely to give that specific of guidance. They tend to emphasize that score evaluation is done holistically. Maybe a scholarship program or two will come up with a weighting or comparison, but it simply won’t be done that way by most colleges. Given the rise of self-reporting, I would at least like to see colleges allow students to report or suppress Science as they see fit (unless, of course, the school requires Science). This was the way that most (not all) colleges handled Writing, when it was optional. I hope that schools will also allow for superscoring across both test types. But what Composite is the result? E+M+R or E+M+R+S? It seems confusing — and unfair to students — to have two definitions floating around. My recommendation is that students control what they can control and optimize individual scores.