--- title: "The ACT® Is Changing — What You Need to Know | Elite Prep" description: "In April 2025 the ACT changed: students got more flexibility in how they take the test, and the test got shorter." url: "https://eliteprep.com/blog/the-act-is-changing/" image: "https://media.eliteprep.com/iStock-524069563-webp-card.jpg" language: "en" datePublished: "2025-02-18T15:27:15.000Z" source: "eliteprep build" --- [Students](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/students/) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) [Test Prep](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/test-prep/) [ACT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/act/) # The ACT® is Changing — Here's What Students and Parents Need to Know February 18, 2025 5 min read [Explore ACT Prep](https://eliteprep.com/programs/act-prep/) ![A sharpened pencil resting on a multiple-choice answer sheet with rows of A, B, C, D bubbles.](https://eliteprep.com/media/iStock-524069563-webp-w800.webp) Starting in April 2025, the [ACT college admission test underwent significant changes](https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-changes/enhancements.html) to enhance flexibility in how high school students take the test and reduce test duration for students. These modifications were designed to better align the assessment with students' needs while maintaining the ACT’s role as a reliable indicator for college admissions. This article addresses the major changes to the ACT as well as Elite Prep’s recommendation for how students and parents should prepare for the new test. ## **1. Optional Science Test** One of the most notable changes is the option for students to choose whether to include the Science test when they register to take the ACT. The current ACT comprises four sections: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science (EMRS). With the upcoming changes, **the Science section will become optional**, similar to the existing Writing section. This allows students to tailor the test to their strengths and the requirements of their prospective colleges. *__Elite Prep’s Pro Tip:__ If students are strong in math and science or plan to pursue STEM majors in college (such as computer science and engineering), then they should consider taking the Science test as a part of their ACT before applying to college.* ## **2. Online Testing Option (But You Can Still Take the Test on Paper If You’d Like)** The most dramatic change, however, is the option for students to **take the ACT online** using their own computer at an approved testing center. (Students already have the option to take the current ACT online, albeit with limited availability. Even though the new ACT online test will be introduced in April 2025, we expect that online testing will continue to be limited initially and widespread availability will begin with the September 2025 test date.) Furthermore, the ACT will **continue to offer the option for students to take the new test in pencil-and-paper format**. Therefore, unlike the digital SAT introduced by the College Board in March 2024, the new ACT will be a linear, non-adaptive testwhere all students will be tested using the same set of questions. ## **3. Shortened Test Duration and Increased Time Per Question** **In addition to the optional Science section, the overall length of the test will be reduced, and students will have more time to tackle each question.** - The new format **decreases the total number of questions by 44**, allowing students to complete the core sections in approximately 125 minutes, compared to the previous 195-minute duration. This reduction aims to lessen test fatigue and provide students with more time per question, thereby enhancing the testing experience. (That said, students who decide to take the optional Science section will increase their test time by 40 minutes.) - The Math section will also see a change in its structure. The **number of answer choices for each math question will be reduced from five to four,** simplifying the decision-making process for test-takers. This adjustment is intended to streamline the test and reduce the cognitive load on students. - Additionally, the **length of passages in the English and Reading sections will be shortened**, thereby reducing the time students spend reading when taking the test. ## **4. Change in Calculation of ACT Composite and STEM Scores** With the upcoming changes, the calculation of the ACT Composite and STEM scores will be adjusted. The Composite score, which previously averaged the scores of all four sections, will now be **calculated based on the English, Mathematics, and Reading (EMR) sections only.** For students who choose to take the optional Science section, their Science score will be reported separately and will not factor into the Composite score. A **STEM score** will continue to be calculated as the average of the Mathematics and Science section scores. Despite these adjustments, several core aspects of the ACT will remain the same. The scoring scale will **continue to range from 1 to 36,** and there will be no changes to the ACT benchmarks or state-specific achievement standards. ## **Implementation Timeline** **The rollout of the new ACT will be staggered, with the introduction of the online test in April 2025 and the paper-based test in September 2025.** - The changes to the ACT will first be implemented for students **taking the national online starting in April 2025.** - The ACT will continue to administer the current paper-based test(with the four mandatory sections for English, Math, Reading, and Science) **through the July 2025 test administration.** - **Beginning in September 2025,** the paper-and-pencil format of the new ACT will replace the current paper-based ACT, and students will choose between the paper-based and online versions of the new ACT. *__Elite Prep’s Pro Tip:__ As we expect that the new online ACT will not be widely available during the initial phase of the rollout, most students will end up taking the current paper-based ACT during the initial phase of the new ACT rollout.* ## **Same Fees for Both Versions of the Test** The [fee will be the same](https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration/fees.html) for both the online and paper-based versions of the ACT through the July 2025 test administration: - The ACT Test: $65 - Science Test Add-on: $4 - Writing Test Add-on: $25 *Note: students who take the paper-based ACT on the April, June and July test dates will not be able to opt out of taking the Science test.* ## **Unanswered Questions about the New ACT** ### **Will some colleges require students to take the Science test?** While students who want to highlight their strengths and interest in science should consider taking the optional Science test, it’s unclear whether colleges will nevertheless require the Science section for all students who want to submit an ACT score as a part of their college application. ### **Will students be allowed to not report their Science scores if they did not do well?** While colleges might not require all students who submit an ACT score to take the Science test, it’s unclear whether colleges will allow students who took the optional Science test to hide their Science score on the college application. ### **Will there be a new ACT-SAT concordance table for colleges to use when comparing students who submit different test scores in their college applications?** When the College Board introduced the digital SAT in March 2024, the ACT and the College Board did not revise the concordance table comparing the ACT and digital SAT. With the changes in the ACT, it’s unclear if these two organizations will get together and create a new concordance table for the two college admission tests. *Elite Prep has helped thousands of high school seniors [**apply to the University of California and other selective colleges and universities**](https://eliteprep.com/consulting/).* *Contact an [**Elite Prep branch office**](https://eliteprep.com/locations/) to speak with one of our experienced counselors about how we can help you get into your dream school.* [Back to top](https://eliteprep.com/blog/the-act-is-changing/#top) ## Free Tools for This Topic - [ACT score percentiles](https://eliteprep.com/act-percentiles/) - [SAT & ACT superscore calculator](https://eliteprep.com/superscore-calculator/) - [College roadmap by grade](https://eliteprep.com/college-roadmap/) ## More on This Topic [All posts in Students](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/students/) ![Two students in safety glasses work on notes and a metal robot beside a laptop in a classroom lab.](https://media.eliteprep.com/iStock-1133836105-webp-w400.webp) [Students](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/students/) ### [Why High School Students Planning to Study Engineering and Science in College Should Take the SAT and ACT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/why-high-school-students-planning-to-study-engineering-and-science-in-college-should-take-the-sat-and-act/) For high school students aspiring to pursue careers in engineering and science… March 7, 2025 ![Students working on laptops at desks in a classroom, with a periodic table poster on the wall](https://media.eliteprep.com/should-you-take-ACT-science-test-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [Should You Take the ACT Science Test? What Students Need to Know Before Registering for the Enhanced ACT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/should-you-take-the-act-science-test/) With the introduction of the Enhanced ACT, the ACT Science section is optional and no longer contributes to a student's ACT composite score. July 28, 2026 Julian Chou ![Red brick collegiate Gothic university building with twin towers and an arched entrance at dusk, seen across an empty crosswalk.](https://media.eliteprep.com/iStock-594949892-webp-w400.webp) [Students](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/students/) ### [More Colleges Are Requiring Standardized Tests – What This Means for Students Applying to Test-optional Schools](https://eliteprep.com/blog/more-colleges-are-requiring-standardized-tests/) High school students applying to colleges that require the SAT or ACT scores are also likely to apply to colleges that are test-optional. February 27, 2025 ![Students seated in a row at a long desk writing with pens on papers during a test](https://media.eliteprep.com/FAQs%2Babout%2Bthe%2BACT-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [Frequently Asked Questions About the ACT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-act/) The Enhanced ACT is the current version of the ACT college admissions test. It consists of three required sections that determine your ACT Composite Score… July 28, 2026 ## Test Dates - Next: ACT: February 27, 2027 · Registration closes January 22, 2027 [See all test dates →](https://eliteprep.com/test-dates/) ## Ready to Study This with an Instructor? Review what the program covers, or find the center nearest you and ask its staff about current class schedules. [Explore ACT Prep](https://eliteprep.com/programs/act-prep/) [Browse programs](https://eliteprep.com/programs/)