On July 15, 2024, ACT® CEO Janet Godwin released an announcement detailing major test changes coming in Spring 2025. The test “enhancements” will result in a much shorter test and more flexibility for students.
Current high school students have already experienced major changes to college admissions testing. Earlier this year, students took the newly revamped digital SAT® test for the first time. Now, many of those same testers will have to prepare for a new version of the ACT test.
At first glance, students may feel overwhelmed by yet another change to the admissions landscape. But upon taking a closer look, they may find that the new ACT test will help streamline the college prep process—when given the proper guidance, of course.
“The changes implemented by both College Board and, more recently, ACT, Inc. are generally intended to make the college admissions testing experience more manageable for students. But it’s still an added element that you have to plan for,” says David Dillard, CEO of KD College Prep.
In this post, we’ll go over the expected changes on the ACT test and provide recommendations for families moving forward.
Navigate through this article:Quick Takeaways About the New ACT Test:
In its 65-year history, the ACT test has undergone various revisions, including a major remodel in 2016. Earlier this year, the ACT test offered digital testing to students at select locations. It also launched “pilot programs” and experiments in recent years, which signaled that the organization would soon make changes to adapt to the current admissions environment.
“After College Board pivoted to a shorter, digital test format, we knew it was just a matter of time before we saw changes to the ACT test… The testing organizations hear the complaints and have to respond to the political pressures of the academic community, as well as the marketing pressures within the industry. Shorter tests have been one of the things at the top of the wish list,” says Dillard.
After nearly four years of test-optional admissions, ACT and SAT scores have started to play a more prominent role in the admissions process again. More than 50 schools have joined the list of test-required colleges.
“With the challenges of the COVID hangover effect in education and inflated grades that have raised more questions for colleges about transcripts, test scores may be an opportunity for a student to substantiate their college readiness to prospective schools. I say, use it to your advantage,” Dillard says.
According to Dillard, “Students definitely will notice the difference between the old and the new ACT test.” Here is a complete breakdown of what students should experience with the new test version.
For decades, the science aspect of the ACT test has served as one of the main ways it differs from the SAT test. Now that the Science section is optional, students will have the ability to opt out of this unique portion of the test. But should students still take it? It’s too early to tell, but we may see some competitive degree programs, particularly those in the sciences, require ACT Science scores for admission.
Going from four sections to three means fewer questions overall. As already noted, the new version of the test will consist of 44 fewer questions than the previous version of the test. This will relieve some stress for students who struggle with longer tests.
The Reading and English sections will include shorter passages. The Core Math section questions will have four multiple-choice answer options instead of five.
ACT, Inc. has labeled the English, Reading, and Math sections of the test as “Core” sections. This simply means that these sections make up the base test. Section scores will be the core results sent in a college-reportable score.
Perhaps the most significant change is that the new iteration is much shorter—about two hours long, which cuts the overall testing time down by a third.
Historically, students have found the ACT test slightly more fast-paced in terms of time per question. Moving forward, students will have more time per question. We estimate that students will have about 22 percent more time per question overall when compared to the previous version of the test.
With the new Core English section, students will have 35 minutes to answer 50 questions. This is 10 minutes shorter and 25 fewer questions than the current version of the test.
In the new Core Math section, students will have 50 minutes to answer 45 questions. This is 10 minutes shorter with 15 fewer questions than the current section format.
When taking the Core English section, students will have 40 minutes to answer 36 questions. That’s about five minutes longer than the current format and four fewer questions.
Students who choose to take the new optional Science section will have 40 minutes to answer 40 questions. This is about five minutes longer with the same number of questions as the current format.
The new test design focuses on more flexibility for students. Now, they also have more flexibility to focus on taking the test sections that best align with their college and career goals.
Test section options will include:
Some students may still need to plan to take the optional Science section of the test. For example, a student applying to a highly competitive engineering program may find that the college includes an ACT Science score as part of its admissions requirements. So don’t forget to research college admissions requirements thoroughly!
While the ACT test revamp won’t include adaptive testing, some changes will result in a testing experience that is closer to what students experience with the digital SAT test. For example, the new core sections and shorter passages mirror the content currently found on the SAT test.
Another notable similarity is overall test timing. The digital SAT test is about two hours and 14 minutes long, and the ACT test will change to about two hours in length. In the past, the ACT test had much faster pacing, but students will notice less of a difference with the new version.
However, students should still expect some variation between the tests, especially in regards to question types and the level of content tested. KD advises students to still plan to take both tests.
“Allow yourself time to discover your ‘best test.’ We have always found that some student’s natural aptitudes or style preferences for either the SAT or ACT test format provides a natural advantage with one test or the other,” Dillard says.
We should also note that the new ACT test will have more questions overall and offer more flexibility for students, as we mentioned earlier in this article.
When can I take the new ACT test?
Introducing a change this significant can take time, but here’s a quick breakdown of when the test will become available:
* We’ll update this post when ACT, Inc. announces the exact date. Based on this year’s ACT test dates, the first release of the new test will likely take place on the April 5th test date.
Both ACT, Inc. and KD’s curriculum experts recommend that students continue practicing with the current format because the new version of the test will continue to evaluate the same overarching knowledge and skillset.
Unless you’re testing under unusual circumstances, this change will not affect you. Since college applications deadlines fall earlier in the school year, your testing cycle should end well before the new changes.
If you have any questions, schedule a free consultation to start building a plan to make the most of any remaining test dates.
You will have the option to take both the current and revised ACT test formats, if desired. You should continue preparing for your planned ACT test dates in the 11th grade. We recommend that students aim to finish by the end of the school year so you can shift your focus toward college applications during the summer.
Students who have already taken advanced math classes may feel ready for the December test that will use the current format. Students who wait to take Algebra II in 11th grade would likely benefit most from taking the new version of the test in April or later. However, it’s best to schedule a free consultation with an advisor to discuss the best path for your student’s personal goals.
You will have plenty of time to prepare and take both the updated ACT test and the digital SAT test, if needed. You will have the opportunity to discover your strongest test version and showcase your best scores for college admissions.
All of the test prep activities currently provided within KD’s test prep programs will still apply to the new version of the ACT test, so students still will benefit from attending those activities. However, KD’s curriculum team has already started working on updated materials to help students better prepare for these changes.
“This is not our first rodeo. We have been helping families react and prepare for changes to the testing and college admissions environments for more than three decades. The changes we have seen are too numerous to count. Our families have always been well prepared for the coming change with greater college opportunities as a result,” Dillard says.
As the testing organization reveals more details regarding the restructure of the test, KD will provide updated digital practice tests that more closely simulate what students will encounter on test day, just like we did before the release of the digital PSAT and SAT tests.
“We were one of the first companies in the nation to develop and utilize updated curriculum and digital practice tests for the coming changes to the PSAT and SAT test formats. We are doing the same for the new ACT changes. Our students will have a considerable runway to be ready for the revised ACT format,” says Dillard.
Current KD students enrolled in Complete Test Prep will also have access to college planning seminars in early 2025. During these sessions, our team will go over the specifics regarding the upcoming change and provide more specific guidance. In the meantime, families should contact their home campus if they have any questions.
Until colleges have had time to adjust their admissions policies accordingly, students taking the new version of the ACT test ought to also sign up for the science section. There’s a chance that competitive degree programs in the STEM field may require students to showcase science proficiency via a test score.
Our best advice is for students to continue working toward their college goals, which includes planning to take the ACT test. Use the information and grade-level recommendations above to create a testing timeline that works best for your goals. Families also ought to consider signing up for a test prep program like Complete Test Prep, which prepares students for all the testing they will experience in high school (PSAT, SAT, and ACT tests).
If you need more guidance on how to best prepare for upcoming ACT test changes, your next step is to schedule a free consultation with a member of our team. A KD advisor can help you establish a testing timeline for your student and discuss how test prep can help. We look forward to hearing more about your student!
Emily Brehe-Gunter is the digital marketing director at KD College Prep.