American College Testing or ACT is a standardised test employed by colleges and universities in the United States and Canada to evaluate a student’s preparedness for college life. In its 65-years history, students have witnessed many ACT exam changes and revisions, while keeping up with the changing landscape of college admissions. ACT underwent a major overhaul in 2016, and now, starting April 2025, students will witness the following ACT exam changes:
- Shorter Tests
- More Flexibility and Choice
- More Response Time per Question
ACT/SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) were optional in most colleges for almost four years, but now ACT/SAT score has become important with more than 50 schools in the US making it compulsory. Let’s have a look at the major changes that have been brought in by the College Board in the new version:
- The total number of questions have come down from 215 to 171.
- The ‘Core’ section of the ACT will now include English, Reading and Maths sections.
- The Science section is no longer mandatory just like the ACT Essay.
- Students will have the choice to take the test on paper or online (at select locations).
- The new ACT is not adaptive. The question content won’t change depending on previous responses.
Some Significant ACT Exam Changes
- Revised ACT Test Syllabus
Students will now have the option of opting out of the Science portion unless the ACT Science scores are required for a particular degree program they are planning to pursue. This will relieve some stress for the others as it will bring down the number of sections from four to three. The ACT test syllabus will include the following options:
- Core (English, Reading and Maths)
- Core + Science
- Core + Essay
- Core + Science + Essay
2. Revised ACT Test Pattern
The ACT test pattern will see some welcome changes for students, like:
- The passages in the Reading and English Section will be shorter.
- The questions in the Maths Section will now have four multiple choice answers instead of five, to choose from.
- The ‘Core’ test results will form the base score and only their composite score will be sent to the colleges, unless the rest is asked for.
3. Revised ACT Timing
The new iteration is much shorter as the timing has been cut down to almost 2/3rd of what it used to be. With fewer questions, students will now have almost 22% more time to devote to each question. For example, the Core English section will be 10 min shorter and 25 questions fewer and the Core Maths section will be 10 min shorter and 15 questions fewer. These are significant numbers, which will ease out a student’s fatigue during the exam.
ACT Tutoring: Work Towards That Perfect 36/36!
ACT Exam Changes – The New Structure
| Section | Time Allotted (in minutes) | Number of Questions | Time per question |
| English | 35 | 50 | 42 s |
| Maths | 50 | 45 | 1 min 7 s |
| Reading | 40 | 36 | 1 min 7 s |
| Optional Science | 40 | 40 | 1 min |
| Optional Writing | 40 | 1 Essay | – |
Understanding the new ACT test format changes and structure will help students to plan their ACT preparation strategies as well as in revising their ACT test taking strategies. A detailed breakdown of the ACT test structure is as follows:
English Section
This section will assess you based on 50 MCQs, which will include 10 field test questions. You will get 35 minutes to complete this section. Additionally, there will be a stem added to each question with clear instructions. This section will test your language and rhetorical skills. As mentioned earlier, the passages have been shortened to make this section slightly more relaxed.
Maths Section
The Maths section will include 45 questions, including 4 field test questions. You will get 50 minutes to complete them. In this section, students will have to demonstrate their ability to apply mathematical concepts. The intent of the revision in its pattern is also to simplify a student’s decision-making process by reducing the number of answer choices from 5 to 4.
Reading Section
This section comprises 36 questions with 9 field test questions. You will have 40 minutes to complete it. The section aims to test your ability to comprehend and analyse passages from various topics like social sciences, humanities, natural sciences and prose fiction. It focuses on integration of knowledge and ideas (IKI) along with testing your understanding and problem-solving skills.
Science Section (Optional)
The Science section focuses on scientific reasoning rather than concentrating on factual recall. This section will have 40 questions, including 6 field test questions. You will get 40 minutes to complete it. The new ACT content in Science emphasises on incorporating topics like engineering and design, along with Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth or Space Sciences.
Writing Section (Optional)
This section remains unchanged. Students will be writing an essay on a contemporary topic in the given 40 minutes. They are expected to present their perspective on the issue by covering various points of view on the topic.
Skills Tested In Each Section – A Summary
| Section | Skills Tested |
| English | Grammar, Punctuation, Sentence Structure |
| Maths | Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry |
| Reading | Reading-Comprehension, Analysis |
| Optional Science | Interpretation, Analysis, Evaluation |
| Optional Writing | Sentence Structure, Punctuation, Grammar, Argumentation, Coherence |
ACT Scoring Explained
In an ACT exam, you are given a point for every correct answer, with no negative marking for incorrect answers. Each section has a score of 1 to 36. The total points you gain (in English, Maths, Reading and Science) is your raw score, which is then converted into a composite score (1 to 36) by taking an average and rounding it off to the nearest whole number.
If you have appeared for the writing test as well, you will be scored on a scale of 2 to 12, and an ELA (English Language Arts) score will be sent to the college which is an average of your English, Reading and Writing sections. These scores are reported directly to the colleges you would have chosen during registration.
Set Goals That Matter
| Type of Schools/Universities | Average ACT Composite Score |
| Highly Selective Universities | 31 or more |
| Selective Universities | 27-30 |
| Less Selective Universities | 21-26 |
When To Expect The ACT Exam Changes
The ACT exam changes will be implemented starting from April 2025 for students who will take the exam online. Then, beginning with the September 2025 test, all students taking the test on a Saturday (online as well on paper) will appear for the new version. Ultimately, Schools and districts will start with the same new version in Spring 2026.
ACT Registration for 2025
An ACT exam is conducted multiple times throughout the year, in the months of February, April, June, July, September, October and December. ACT registration for the month of April, June and July 2025 will start in December 2024. Typically, a registration deadline is a month prior to the test date. Be prompt while registering yourself as seats fill up fast. Choose a test date when you have had ample preparation time and as per the college admission deadlines.
Where To Take The ACT Exam?
- Find An ACT Test Centre Near You
ACT test centres are available in New York, California, Texas, Florida and Illinois. For international students, centres are available in London, Dubai, Sydney, Tokyo among others. You can find the complete list of centres on the official ACT website. In case your country doesn’t have a centre, test-takers are recommended to take the test online.
- Taking Online ACT Exam & Its Advantages
Online ACT has its benefits. All you have to do is familiarise yourself with the interface by using ACT’s online testing tutorials and practising online mock tests. Ensure that you have a reliable internet connection and a computer that is up-to-date that meets the required specifications. Some of the advantages of taking online ACT are –
- A candidate belonging to a region with no ACT testing centre can take the exam.
- More test dates are available for online ACT.
- The online ACT exam would be less stressful for students as it would align with their preparations online.
- The ACT online platform with tools like calculators and highlighters is user-friendly for test takers.
- The candidates receive the scores faster within a few days.
Strategise Your Preparations For ACT Exam Changes
The best part about the new ACT exam changes is that it aims to reduce a student’s anxiety and fear by making the test flexible. We have listed a few recommendations and ACT preparation strategies that will help students improve their scores:
- Familiarise with the new test format and practice with updated sample materials to get used to them.
- Identify your weaknesses and work on them. Take practice tests to identify your weak areas.
- Join study groups and talk to peers to get fresh ideas to deal with your problem areas.
- For the Science section, students are needed to apply reading and reasoning skills to scientific representation of data. So focus on interpretation of data from graphs and tables.
- Utilise official study guides available on ACT’s website and explore online options like Ascend Now to get tutored by some of the best ACT certified tutors.
To improve your ACT scores, connect with our team for ACT tutoring at Ascend Now. Get custom resources and practise with the best digital ACT certified tutors. 80% of our students have seen a 4+ point increase in their ACT scores and 95% of our students got into the top 100 universities. Register and take off for your ACT exam journey with Ascend Now, today.
