The ACT is Changing in 2025!

By Katherine O'Brien, Certified College Planning Specialist, Founder of Celtic College Consultants

The SAT changed significantly a couple of years ago after the ACT gained more than 50% of the market. Now that the SAT is being taken by more than half of test taking students, the ACT is changing.

The ACT is phasing in its changes.

October 2024

Students could pilot the new ACT on a limited basis.

April, June, and July 2025 National test dates - TWO OPTIONS

Students can take the new ACT online OR the current version on paper. The cost is the same. Both online and paper exams must be taken at official testing centers. As before, students will select the testing center when registering for the exam.

September 2025 and beyond

ALL ACT takers will take the revised ACT.

The new ACT will be a digital test.

What's new?

1. The ACT will be a SHORTER test. The Science section will be OPTIONAL.

The ACT will drop from being more than three hours long to being just over two hours long. (125 minutes v. 195 minutes) Overall the revised ACT will include 44 fewer questions than the current version. Students choosing to take the science section will have an additional 40 minutes. The optional writing section also takes 40 minutes.

 

This chart shows the number of questions for each portion of the test, along with the length of each section of the test. While students only taking the English, math, and reading sections will finish in just over 2 hours, students taking the science and the writing sections will have 205 minutes of testing. (The current ACT with writing takes 235 minutes, nearly 4 hours.)

 

 

 

2. There will be MORE TIME PER QUESTION on the revised ACT

 

The average will be almost 58 seconds per question, rather than the current version which only allowed a mere 49 seconds per question. The English section will allow 42 seconds per question, up from 36. The math section will give more than 10% longer per question, 67 seconds, rather than 60. Additionally, rather than five possible answers, math questions on the revised ACT will only offer four possible answers. The reading section will also allow 67 seconds per question, significantly more than the previous 53 seconds. Finally, for those who take the science section, 60 seconds, rather than 53 seconds will be allowed per question.

3. NEW ACT SCORING

The ACT score composite was calculated from the four sections: math, science, English, and reading. Making the science section optional prompted a change in the way the composite score is determined. Now the composite score will be made up from the English, math, and reading portions of the test. Section scores will be given for the science (The reading comprehension section will include some science reading. ) and writing. A STEM score will also be provided for students who take the science section. The STEM score will be derived from the math and science portion scores.

The top score on the ACT will remain a 36. Per the ACT, the new composite scores will be equivalent to the current scores. Beginning in September, 2025, ALL ACT composite scores will be calculated according to the new method.

4. The OPTIONAL Science section

Except for the fact that there will be more time available per question, the science section will not be changing. The same types of questions will be asked.