The ACT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. This year, the ACT announced upcoming changes to its format as they make an effort to give students autonomy over how they take their exams and align with their comfort zones.  

Since February of this year, students have had the choice to take their exams with pencil and paper or online. The online option provides additional accessibility features, including support for screen reader users, text-to-speech functionality, zoom and answer masking. By offering an online option, students can test the way they feel most comfortable and be given the chance to show off their best performance.   

In effort to meet the needs of every student, the ACT announced additional changes, effective 2025: 

• The English, math and reading sections are now called the “Core”. 

• The Core test has 44 fewer questions and is 125 minutes long, rather than 195 minutes.  

• The science section will be optional. 

• The English and reading sections will have shorter passages. 

• The number of math answer choices will be reduced from five to four choices. 

These changes will take effect April 2025 for digital test-takers and September 2025 for everyone. The purpose of these changes is to give students more control over their testing experience so they can shine, while also maintaining the validity and reliability, as well as predictiveness for first-year success at a postsecondary institution.  

Need help preparing for the ACT? Sign up for one of College Now’s ACT bootcamps!