ACT Goes Digital: New guidelines for the ACT go into effect this spring, the first major changes made in almost 20 years

The ACT announced major changes for the spring 2025 exam on July 15. These include the introduction of online testing, shortened test sections and the removal of science as a core subject from the testing platform.

Designed to modernize the standardized testing experience for college-bound students, the adjustments aim to conform to the modern school curriculum, addressing feedback from educators, students and colleges, according to Forbes. 

The most notable of these additions is the introduction of a digital test for the ACT, available starting in April next year. But with the digital tests only available in special testing districts, most schools will continue to offer only the paper format — which will not include the changes — until next school year.

Although the ACT unexpectedly announced the changes only two months ago, Alex Pint — member of the National Test Prep Association, owner of Pathway Prep and an ACT tutor for East students — can’t say he was surprised by the new format.

“When the SAT went digital last year, a good number of students just said, ‘Hey, this is two hours instead of three. I should take that one,’” Pint said. “And that was pretty much all the thought they put into it.”

After the SAT officially released their online exam, they effectively “forced the ACT’s hand” to release a digital option for test takers, according to Pint. With the ACT suffering over 100 layoffs last year, partnering with a capital investing firm Nexus Capital Management and switching over to a for-profit business model last April, changes to the test seemed inevitable.

This shift to a digital platform is part of a growing trend in education and technology, reflecting the popularity of online assessments in academic and professional settings since the pandemic.

To help students prepare, the ACT produced new preparatory resources and tools, according to NPR. These will include practice tests, study guides and online courses are specifically tailored to the revised test format. The goal is to ensure that students have access to the resources they need to succeed under the new system.

With only six months until the new test rolls out, these resources still haven’t been released.

Though the test will remain available in its current format on paper until fall 2025, according to the company’s website, Pint recommends all of his current junior students still take the “old version” of the test.

“Generally, I feel pretty confident about getting a student ready to take the test within two and a half months,” Pint said. “But the problem is we don’t have any [study] materials for the new ACT. So I would definitely not go into the new one with much less material [in Spring] and study for that one until you’re kind of forced to do it.”

Another significant change — available only on the new digital test this spring —  is the removal of science from the core exam. While the subject will still be available as an optional section students can choose, it will not longer impact the composite score.

These changes may undermine the importance of science in schools and are part of “simplifying” education, according to East Honors Biology and Human Anatomy teacher Carolyn Bossung. 

“To me, [removing science] is almost a disservice to our students,” Bossung said. “In my mind, what tends to happen when we remove things from testing, unfortunately in this country, is they become less prioritized.”

With the absence of the science section, along with shortened sections — cutting more than 44 questions from the test — the scoring system will also be greatly impacted. In return, the new approach provides students with more time for individual questions.

Senior Thomas Casey, who has spent hundreds of dollars for weekly tutoring sessions, believes these changes may be advantageous for students when taking the test.

“I feel like I spent all this money to try and do good on the test, but it would have been so much easier if I could have just been a junior and taken it next year,” Casey said. “Being a junior means you have less of a time commitment to the test, not as much time to lose focus and mess up overthinking the problems.”

The updated ACT represents a significant overhaul aimed at improving the relevance of the test. By cutting down the questions, updating the content, and refining the scoring system, the ACT aims to reflect the skills and knowledge necessary for success in higher education and beyond, according to the ACT website. 

But with next to no warning of the changes and lack of resources available for the new test, Pint is not totally convinced, and is considering switching over to SAT tutoring after six years helping kids with the ACT in fear of these changes.

“It’s going to be annoying to learn a new version, but that’s not the end of the world,” Pint said. “I can deal with that. What I’m nervous about is a future where colleges realize the ACT isn’t giving them statistically valid information anymore, and they just stop accepting it. There really is a possibility the ACT could just not exist in 10 years.”