The ACT is getting its biggest update in years. The goal is to make the test shorter and, in many ways, more straightforward. Unlike the SAT’s shift to a fully digital format, the ACT is making more measured changes that address long-standing complaints - especially limited time per question and overly complex question design. These updates are meant to modernize the test while keeping it a reliable indicator of college readiness.
The Enhanced ACT will still look similar to the traditional ACT. Here’s a quick summary of what’s new:
These changes are designed to reduce time pressure on test day and improve accessibility for a wider range of test-takers.
The ACT released an update on its website that we’ll examine in depth. Now, let’s look at each update the ACT has shared publicly.
The rollout of the Enhanced ACT will happen in phases, giving students and schools time to adjust:
This phased rollout gives the ACT time to test and refine the format as more students use it. Knowing the timeline matters for planning your prep, especially if you’re deciding between online and paper testing.
The ACT is streamlining its format while aiming to keep the test rigorous. One of the biggest changes is a shorter overall test, which can reduce testing fatigue. This also responds to the College Board making the Digital SAT much shorter.
The most noticeable changes so far are in timing and section length.
| Section | Current items | Current time | Proposed items | Proposed time |
| English | 75 | 45 mins | 50 | 35 mins |
| Math | 60 | 60 mins | 45 | 50 mins |
| Reading | 40 | 35 mins | 36 | 40 mins |
| Science | 40 | 35 mins | 40 | 40 mins |
| Writing | 1 essay | 40 mins | 1 essay | 40 mins |
With fewer questions in several sections, the test puts less emphasis on sheer speed and more emphasis on demonstrating what you know. The shorter structure can also help you stay focused from start to finish.
One of the most student-friendly updates is the extra time per question. In the current format, many students struggle to finish sections like Reading and Math within the time limit. The Enhanced ACT gives you more time to process questions and choose answers carefully.
| Subject | Current time (seconds/item) | Enhanced time (seconds/item) | Increase in seconds (%) |
| English | 36 | 42 | +6 (17%) |
| Math | 60 | 67 | +7 (11%) |
| Reading | 53 | 67 | +14 (27%) |
| Science | 53 | 60 | +7.5 (15%) |
The ACT has historically rewarded students with higher processing speed. Mindprint Learning, a private cognitive assessment firm, describes processing speed as follows:
Processing speed is how efficiently you process and respond to new information. Processing has several sub-categories, including auditory, verbal, and visual. There are also quick-thinking processing tasks and slower processing tasks. [Processing Speed also impacts] Class participation, standardized tests, reading efficiency and homework efficiency.
Processing speed can be trained and cultivated, but it’s hard to change quickly. So if a student has slower processing speed, even strong tutoring may not translate into dramatically faster test pacing in the short term.
For example, the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation has shown the following:
Research indicates that aptitudes stabilize around the age of fourteen and tend to remain consistent over time, even as interests and skill sets evolve.
That means students can build strategies - like annotating, cross-referencing, and passage mapping - but their baseline processing speed may not change much. More time per question can make the test fairer for slower readers and reduce stress in time-intensive sections like Reading and Science.
Students should still practice pacing, but the extra time makes it easier to prioritize accuracy instead of rushing.
While this may also mean the ACT can include more challenging content, the reduced time pressure is still a meaningful improvement.
Superscoring remains a key feature of the ACT. It allows you to combine your best section scores across multiple test dates. The ACT confirms:
Yes!
With Science no longer part of the Composite calculation, students who want to maximize their Composite score should focus on English, Math, and Reading.
The Enhanced ACT is more flexible because Science and Writing are optional. Your total testing time depends on which sections you choose.
The core sections (English, Math, Reading) take just over two hours. Here’s the timing breakdown:
| Section | Time (minutes) | Number of questions | Time per question (seconds) |
| English | 35 | 50 | ~42 |
| Math | 50 | 45 | ~67 |
| Reading | 40 | 36 | ~67 |
| Core total | 125 minutes | 131 questions | 2 hours and 5 minutes |
| Science (optional) | 40 | 40 | ~60 |
| Total with Science | 165 minutes | 171 questions | 2 hours and 45 minutes |
If you include the optional Science section, the total test duration is 2 hours and 45 minutes. The Science section measures your ability to interpret and analyze scientific data - skills that can be especially relevant for STEM-focused programs.
Adding Science and Writing increases the test time by 40 minutes per section. Students taking all five sections will need approximately 3 hours and 25 minutes to complete the test, including breaks. This structure lets you customize test day based on your goals.
That flexibility may also make the ACT more appealing than the SAT for some students. In college admissions counseling, families often ask questions like these:
Underneath these questions is a broader concern:
What can high school students do to put them above their peers?
Students and parents often look for ways to stand out, especially in competitive admissions. Some students take on major projects to differentiate their applications, such as:
Students aren’t just willing to do projects like these - they’re also willing to invest the time and effort needed to build the skills behind them. Many hope this helps them gain admission to schools like UPenn, Cornell, and other Ivy League Colleges. Others are focused on earning merit aid to make college more affordable.
So, what does this have to do with the Enhanced ACT? Consider a student applying to the School of Engineering and Applied Science at UPenn. UPenn has an acceptance rate of 6 percent, and engineering is likely even more competitive.
Students who are serious about getting in often try to strengthen every part of their application. In that context, some students may ask which option looks more demanding:
It’s easy to see why some students might choose the longer option if they believe it signals greater rigor. The key point is that the ACT gives students that choice, while the SAT does not. That flexibility could make the ACT more attractive for certain applicants.
Yes, pricing varies depending on the options you select. According to the ACT, here’s the current pricing breakdown through July 2025:
| Test Option | Fee | Details |
| The ACT Test | $65.00 | Includes English, Math, and Reading sections. |
| Writing Add-On Fee | $25.00 | Can be added or removed through the late deadline. |
| Science Add-On Fee | $4.00 | Can be added or removed through the late deadline. |
These options let you pay only for the sections that match your goals.
Students requiring accommodations will receive the same enhancements on the same timeline as other students. According to the ACT:
The enhancements will become available based on the timeline above regardless of accommodation status.
This alignment matters for the many students in the US with learning differences. It helps ensure that timing and format improvements apply consistently across test-takers.
The ACT Fee Waiver will support the full flexibility of offerings. Eligible students can register for any option once registration for these new options becomes available.
The ACT Fee Waiver program remains in place to support equitable access. Eligible students will continue to receive waivers covering the core test fees, with the flexibility to add optional sections, such as Science and Writing, at no additional cost. This helps ensure that financial constraints don’t limit which version of the Enhanced ACT a student can take.
The ACT’s content is expected to remain consistent, but students will need to adjust to the new timing and structure. Practice tests, timing drills, and updated materials will be important for mastering the Enhanced ACT. The ACT has announced on its FAQ page that practice materials will be available in early 2025.
The Achievable ACT course will continue to update content as the Enhanced ACT updated content emerges.
In the meantime, the test content should not differ much from the current version. The ACT said this on the matter:
Current practice tests and available ACT test prep materials are still great for preparing because there has been no significant change in the types of knowledge and skills measured by the ACT test with the enhancements.
Most of the same rules on the English test will still apply. The same is true for Reading, Science, and Math. The optional Writing section won’t change at all.
Starting with the April 2025 test event, testers who take this updated version of the national test will no longer take Test 5 (also known as the fifth test).
Beginning in April 2025, the ACT will no longer include Test 5, a section of unscored field-test items used for research purposes. Removing it shortens the test and eliminates an extra section that didn’t affect your score. The result is a test that focuses only on scored content.
No. The ACT will remain a linear test, with all students having the same chance to show their best selves from the beginning to the end of the test session.
The ACT will maintain its linear format. That means every student sees the same questions in the same order, regardless of performance during the test.
This differs from the digital SAT, which uses an adaptive format that adjusts question difficulty based on student responses. By staying linear, the ACT keeps the testing experience predictable and supports consistent preparation strategies.
No. Scores will still be delivered within the regular two-to-eight-week window.
The ACT has confirmed that the score delivery timeline will remain the same. You can expect results within the standard 2-8 weeks after your test date. This consistency helps students and families plan application timelines even as the test format changes.
No. Other scores, such as the section scores (English, Math, Reading, and Science) and optional Writing scores, are not changing.
While the Composite score will now exclude Science, the structure of other scores remains unchanged. You’ll still receive section scores for English, Math, Reading, and Science, and students who take Writing will receive a separate Writing score.
Students who include Science will also still receive their STEM score, calculated using their Math and Science results. These consistent metrics help you see how you performed across the full set of sections you chose.
Here’s a recap of the most important updates:
These updates are designed to make the ACT more manageable while keeping it a trusted tool in college admissions.