A vast number of colleges turned test-optional during the pandemic. Dartmouth College, Yale, and Brown, amongst others, have recently reinstated their standardized test score requirement. The ACT has announced test format changes following SAT alterations made by the College Board earlier this year. The ACT duration and sections have been revised. Students will continue to have the option to take the test on paper or online.
New ACT Format
To make the test more manageable for students, the ACT has reduced the duration of its core exam from three to two hours. 44 questions have been omitted and the reading passages have been shortened. The number of answer choices for math questions has reduced from 5 to 4.
The science section will become optional on the ACT. The ACT changes include four options for the format of the test. The writing and science sections are both optional.
Students that decide to take the science section, will have a science and STEM score report that demonstrates their science and math skills.
How ACT Scoring Has Changed
The composite score will be the average score of the core subjects. Each subject will continue to have a score of 1 to 36.
The SAT has also been shortened by a third and fully digitized. The SAT has been known to allow students more time per question. The new changes to the ACT may change the reputation of the test.
Test scores remain important for many colleges including those that are test-optional. The shift in colleges reverting to mandatory test score submission reinforces the importance of a solid test-taking strategy. Students can take a timed full-length test for both the ACT and the SAT to determine which one they score better on.
New ACT vs New SAT?
So which test should students take in light of recent changes to the ACT and the SAT? We strongly advise students to take the new ACT diagnostic test in addition to the SAT diagnostic test. Students should explore if the revised timing and sections of the ACT allow them to score higher overall. Students should make an informed decision about which test score results to submit with their applications.
