Starting in April 2025, the ACT will undergo significant changes that are worth knowing about. These changes will include an online option, a decrease in the total number of questions and a shorter test, less time in total but more time per question, and an option to opt out of the science section. These updates aim to make the test more flexible and accessible, giving students a better shot at performing well.
One of the biggest changes is the option to take the ACT online, starting as early as February 2024 at select locations. This is a game-changer for students who feel more confident working on a computer. The online version will come with features like screen readers, text-to-speech, zoom options, and screen masking, which can make the test-taking experience more personalized. “I am planning on taking the ACT in 2025 because I would like to do the online option. I think it will be easier for me,” junior Chase Mitchell said.
The test itself is getting shorter. The number of questions will be reduced from 215 to 171, and the overall time will drop from three hours to two. This means fewer questions and shorter passages in the English and reading sections, but more time to think through each one. This is more similar to the style of the SAT where the questions are harder but you have more time to answer them. For example, English will have 50 questions to be completed in 35 minutes, giving students about 42 seconds per question. Math will allow 50 minutes for 45 questions, so students will have a bit more than a minute per question.
Another major change is that starting in the spring of 2025, the science section will no longer be required. If science isn’t your strong suit, you can skip it altogether. However, if you choose to take it, you’ll receive a separate science score and a combined STEM score that includes both math and science. This could cause a change in students’ college major choices as well as high school classes. “I have always thought that the inclusion of a science section on the ACT made it a more well-rounded and interesting test than the SAT, but it was never a driver of classroom instruction in science courses. Students who want to show passion, aptitude, and mastery in science have always done so by having rigorous science courses on their transcripts and by earning high scores on AP science exams. But all students who want to attend college should be able to demonstrate high verbal and quantitative literacy skills in a variety of contexts, so I don’t agree with this section being optional. Students usually have a science course requirement during college, so it makes sense to keep this as a required section on the SAT,” science Resource Teacher Michael Thompson said.
These changes will only affect students graduating in 2026 or later, so if you’re a junior right now, taking the ACT in October or December the test will be in its current form. But if you take the test in February, April, June or July you will have the online option available at certain locations. Sophomores and freshmen will prepare for the new version. “I know and believe that there is more to a student than whether they can score highly on an aptitude test but it is one component so making it flexible will hopefully show that through the student’s test scores,” resource counselor Elizabeth Robinson said.
