In this blog, we’ll discuss about the new ACT, which has been a key player in the college admissions process. With the evolution of education and admission processes, the test is evolving too. There have been updates regarding the format, scoring, and content, making students preparing for this test wonder about the recent changes. In this blog, we will discuss these changes, why they happened, and how knowledge of these changes can help you excel in this test.
What is the ACT?
The ACT( American College Testing) is a standardized test used by many colleges to assess readiness for higher education. It traditionally covers four sections.
- English
- Reading
- Msths
- Science
There’s also an optional Writing test. ACT score ranges from 1-36, and for many students, the ACT plays a significant role in college admissions.
Changes in the New ACT
Here’s a clear breakdown of the recent changes to the ACT, which make it more flexible for you and offer more choices.
1. Shortened test timings
The test time has been shortened; it’s 75 minutes shorter now and has fewer questions. The old ACT format had 251 mandatory questions, along with an optional question that students had to attempt in 3 hours and 5 minutes without the optional question. But now with the new ACT format, the test has only 185 mandatory questions with a new time limit of 2 hours and five minutes. This change in test format is an advantage to you by allowing you more time per question.
2. Change in different sections of ACT
English
- The number of questions dropped from 75 to 50.
- The time limit of the section is now 35 minutes,10 minutes fewer than before. But the time per question is more now.
- The Category Shift:
- Conventions of Standard English now account for 38-43% of the paper, which was previously 52-55%.
- Production of Writing – The number of questions has increased significantly to 38–43%.
- Knowledge of Language increased to 18–23%
- Conventions of Standard English now account for 38-43% of the paper, which was previously 52-55%.
Reading
- The number of questions was 40 earlier, which has been reduced to 36 now.
- Earlier, the time limit was 36 minutes, and now it’s 40 minutes, allowing you more time per question.
- Although the number of passages remains the same, the number of questions per passage is reduced from 10 to 9 questions only.
- Reporting Category Shift:
- Key Ideas & Details: It comprises 44-52% questions in the section now, which previously was 53-60%. This change allows more focus on the questions based on critical thinking and higher-level skills necessary for your college-level reading and writing.
- Craft & Structure: consists of 26–33% questions in the section.
- Integration of Knowledge & Ideas: consists of 19-26% of the questions.
- Key Ideas & Details: It comprises 44-52% questions in the section now, which previously was 53-60%. This change allows more focus on the questions based on critical thinking and higher-level skills necessary for your college-level reading and writing.
- The shift of the number of questions from the Key ideas & details to craft & structure, and Integration of knowledge & ideas in the ACT signals that it wants students to go beyond simply understanding what they read. Rather, ACT wants to score you based on your Knowledge in analyzing the author’s tone, perspective, and word choice, arguments across multiple texts, and the evaluation of evidence and logic.
Math
- Significant reduction of questions from 60 to 45.
- The time limit has decreased, but the time per question is longer now. It is 67 seconds per question, which was 60 seconds per question earlier.
- Now there are 4 options per question (it was % per question before)
- Content Shift: ACT has shifted its focus more towards Algebra, Geometry, Stats/Probability.
Science
- The science section is now purely optional.
- The number of questions remains the same, but the time has increased from 35 minutes to 40 minutes.
- Scoring: The ACT Composite score will be based only on the average of English, Math, and Reading. ACT will provide a STEM Score based on the average of maths and science.
3. Changes in Field Testing
There was a separate section for field test questions earlier in the ACT with 20 questions in 20 minutes. Now, the field test questions will be embedded in the other sections, making the new format shorter and more seamless. Also, this will prevent you from the burden of an extra section
4. Superscoring Policy
The ACT has now officially updated its superscoring policy. The superscoring will be based on the composite scores in English, reading, and maths only. Your Science scores will be displayed, but they won’t count in the superscore composite. This superscore change came into action already in April 2025 for the online test and will be functional in all formats from September 2025.
5. Updated Score Reports
Score reports are now more student-friendly and detailed.
- Instead of just showing your section scores, reports now break down your performance by category.
- Reports now highlight specific strengths and weaknesses.
- The ACT reports now also offer tailored study suggestions.
- As there is a change in composite scoring, suggesting your science scores will not be counted in composite scoring and will be presented separately, helping the STEM-focused students highlight their strengths without complicating the main composite score.
Why These Changes Matter
These updates in ACT are very beneficial for students in the following ways
- More Flexibility: ACT has adapted to a more flexible format than before. The time available per question is longer now, helping you to focus more on accuracy than speed.
- Less Pressure: The Superscoring policy with ACT reduces the pressure on you by counting your best section scores across multiple test dates.
- Faster Feedback: Digital testing and improved score reports provide you with better insights into your performance.
How You Should Adapt to the New ACT.
Below are a few tips for you to adapt to the new ACT.
- Stay updated with the ACT’s official website.
- Consider taking mock tests that mimic the actual ACTs to familiarise yourself with the digital format of the test.
- Try planning multiple attempts to make the strongest scores after superscoring.
- With the new format, time available per question has increased, so you should focus more on accuracy than speed during the test.
How The Princeton Review Singapore Can Help You With the New ACT
With the recent changes in the ACT, The Princeton Review is determined to guide you through your ACT journey. Here’s how we can help you score a good score and get into your dream college
1. Expert Guidance on New Test Structure
Our instructors are determined to guide you through all the new changes and help you prep with a new approach.
2. Personalized Prep Aligned to Score Reports
Since the new ACT provides detailed feedback on strengths and weaknesses, we design targeted practice plans that directly address your improvement areas.
3. Strategies for Time Management & Flexibility
With more time per question and new digital tools like flagging and highlighting, we teach you how to use these features smartly so you can maximize your score.
4. Support for Superscoring
We help you plan test dates strategically so you can take advantage of ACT’s superscoring policy and showcase your best performance across multiple sittings.
5. Practice With Realistic Digital Tools
Our test-prep platform mirrors the actual online ACT, giving you hands-on practice with the same functions you’ll see on ACT test day.