ACT Changes 2025: Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Last year, we saw the SAT shift to a completely new format. Now, the ACT is introducing big changes. With many suggestions from educators, the new ACT format will offer a different testing experience. How different?

One of the most common questions students ask is whether the exam will be easier. While this is a relevant one, let’s address every single doubt to give you a bigger picture. Are you ready? Keep reading! 

Key Insights

• The exam will get shorter — 125 minutes instead of up to 195 minutes.
• There will be more time per question and fewer questions overall. 
• The new ACT will have an optional Science section.
• The ACT Composite score will be based on English, Math, and Reading only. 
• There is still an option to choose between digital and paper formats.
• Unlike the SAT, the ACT won’t become adaptive — it will remain a linear exam.

Is the ACT Paper Test Gone Forever? 

The short answer is “no.” Unlike the SAT, the ACT committee decided to offer both digital and paper-and-pencil formats. 

Why? So that the new test could give students a chance to get the best out of their performance. The goal isn’t to transition fully to the online option but to offer more flexibility. 

For example, the online testing option offers more accessibility features (if needed). This includes screen reader support, text-to-speech functionality, zoom, and answer masking.

The Major ACT Test Changes in 2025

So, what are the major ACT changes you need to know about? Let’s find out right now! 

The biggest change is the number of questions — there will be 44 fewer. Naturally, testing time will also decrease. Now, you don’t have to spend up to 195 minutes on the test materials. With the new format, you can receive your Composite score after 125 minutes for the core test. What does it mean? 

It’s largely due to a major change — the optional Science section. Writing will also stay optional, as it was before. As a result, in the new ACT, only the Math, Reading, and English sections will be required. 

Apart from the Science section becoming optional, all sections (except for Writing) will be shorter and supposedly more straightforward. These are the main tweaks:

• You’ll get more time per item:
  • 6 extra seconds per item for English;
  • 7 extra seconds per item for Math; 
  • 14 extra seconds per item for Reading;
  • 7 extra seconds per item for Science.
• The Math section will have 4 choices instead of 5. Besides, the number of advanced questions will be reduced.
• In the English section, the length of some passages will be reduced. Questions will now have stems to clarify what is being asked.
• When it comes to Reading, you’ll get 9-question passages instead of 10-question passages.

This is how the number of items and time will change:

Important: States and districts can choose by themselves if they want to offer optional subjects (i.e., Science and Writing). 

The test enhancements will be gradual:

• In April 2025, the new ACT will apply only to online National test-takers.
• In September 2025, the changes will extend to National paper tests and International students. Additionally, the way Composite scores are calculated will change for all test-takers.
• Finally, by spring 2026, State and District testing will also adopt the new enhancements.

Source: ACT

What’s Not Going to Change?

Yes, some things are staying the same. You already know that both digital and paper formats are available. So, you can still choose a good old paper option. What else?

• The ACT score scale will remain the same. We are talking about 1-36 for all sections; 
• It remains a linear test, meaning that the ACT isn’t becoming adaptive;
• The writing section on the ACT will remain the same.
• Despite all the structural changes, the ACT will still assess the same core skills and knowledge as before.

Will ACT Become Adaptive?

Simply put, the ACT remains a linear test, and it isn’t changing how it works. Unlike the SAT, all students take the same version from start to finish, ensuring an equal opportunity to perform their best.

When Can You Register for Online Testing? 

ACT registration is currently open. Students can register for the April, June, or July 2025 National ACT dates. The deadlines differ depending on the test date. You can check all the information here.

Source: ACT

What About the Pricing?

Another important question is the fees you have to pay for the exam. The ACT test fee without the Science and Writing sections is $65. Writing and Science are add-ons that cost $25 and $4, respectively. These are the fees for the regular registration deadline.

Source: ACT

Besides, there are other additional fees (e.g., late registration, change fee, score verification, etc.) that might or might not apply to you. So, we always recommend checking all the information on the official website.

Source: ACT

No More 5th Section

The fifth section of the ACT was an experimental section that could appear on National ACT test dates, typically on Saturdays. Since the ACT generally aims for a more inclusive experience, they decided to eliminate this from the new ACT test. 

Now, they want to test out new ACT questions by integrating them into an actual exam. This way, more test questions will go through this research process each year, which means the ACT committee will have better data to improve the test.

Long story short—the 5th section is discontinued.

What About the New Test Scores? 

Starting in April 2025, the ACT Composite score for the National online test will be based on three main subjects: English, Reading, and Math. Yet, students can still choose to take all five sections, where they will also have Science and Writing. 

Again, this option is available for a more personalized testing experience. 

…But wait: while they made Science optional, some students probably should still take it. Who are these students? 

The answer is quite simple and depends on your choice of future career. If you’re planning to study Science, a STEM field, or take Science courses in college, it’s a good idea to take this section.

If you are choosing a different career path, a core exam might be enough. 

Keep in mind that the ACT Science section will have at least one passage addressing engineering and design topics. Besides, there will be more items requiring scientific background knowledge.

You might be wondering how the score will be different in these scenarios. If you take Science and Writing, they will appear as section scores, but they won’t be included in your Composite score. Still, they will be used to calculate your STEM and ELA scores correspondingly. 

Let’s see how it works in detail: 

How Will Superscores Work?

You might still be thinking about one more important thing — an ACT Superscore. It is the average of a student’s highest section scores across multiple test attempts. How is it going to work now? 

From April 2025, students who take the National online test will have their Superscore calculated using only their English, Math, and Reading scores. For all other students, this change will be introduced in September 2025.

How Acely Adapted to a New Format

The ACT test changes impact Acely, too — no surprise there! To help you better prepare for the exam, we offer thousands of practice questions with hints and explanations, all updated for the new test format.

Our practice tests now align with the latest enhancements to the English, Reading, Math, and Science sections. 

Plus, with AI-powered feedback, you’ll get the guidance you need to be ready for test day. We also make sure you get familiar with the new exam structure, with detailed explanations of answers and a realistic test experience. 

And for extra support, you can use our resources created by professional educators. 

Conclusion

With upcoming ACT test changes, it is easy to get lost. Hopefully, this article helps you understand the new exam format better. In any case, don’t forget to research college admissions requirements — every university might have different rules. 

When you understand what to expect, all that’s left is consistent prep. And if you need a hand with that, you know where to find us.