Students hate it, colleges love it. The ACT, or the American College Testing Exam, is a series of tests that students take to determine their college “readiness”. It’s an assessment to measure how well you understand what you’ve learned in high school, and taking it gives students a score that allows them to pursue higher education. With its highest possible score being a 36, it’s a very academically challenging test. However, to older students’ dismay, it’s changing its shape.

Created in 1959, the ACT has served as the backbone of America’s educational prowess, with changes occurring decades apart from one another since its creation. For example, The ACT introduced the optional writing section in 2005, and then revised the prompt in 2015 along with introducing paired reading passages in the reading section. With a decade having passed since the last major change to the ACT, changes are due in order to accompany present-day students better.

Beginning in April 2025, students choosing to take the ACT online will experience an updated, more flexible format that is shorter with an optional science test. These changes will then come to paper tests starting September 2025. The test-taker’s Composite scores will then focus on English, math and reading, and exclude science (which will be reported as a separate score).

Ultimately, the ACT is reducing its overall questions and time, allowing for more time on questions. They will be reducing the quantity of math answer choices from five to four, and making the science portion of the test optional. However, the ability to take the test on paper will continue to be available.

These changes are predicted to improve the student’s experience, make the test more accessible, and align it better to college readiness standards of 2025.