The New ACT: An Introduction
What Is the ACT?
The ACT, much like the SAT, is an essential part of the U.S. college admissions process. Administered by a company of the same name, the ACT is a standardised exam that aims to provide insight into candidates’ acquisition of key skills and knowledge over the course of high school.
Focusing on literacy, grammar, and essential math skills, the ACT comprises multiple choice questions across several sections, these being English, Reading, Mathematics and Science. Rather than measuring a candidate’s acquisition of content, the ACT instead focuses on the fundamental critical thinking and analysis skills that colleges expect to see from their applicants.
However, as of April 2025 for the online version, and September 2025 for the paper version, there are significant changes to the ACT designed to make it more accessible and tailored to the candidate.
The New ACT: What's Changed?
There are two massive changes to the ACT in 2025. First, there are fewer questions on each section of the paper. This, combined with the shorter test time (the total test time now sitting at just over two hours), means that students have slightly longer to answer each question on average. It’s clear that the ACT is trying to encourage candidates to pick their answers more thoughtfully as, like all standardised tests, the ACT requires candidates to be both quick and accurate.
The second major change to the ACT is that the Science section is now optional. This means that the number of compulsory ACT sections has also been reduced, from four to three. However, much like the Writing section, which has been optional on the ACT since its introduction in 2005, the Science section will remain as a section that candidates can choose to complete, should they wish.
Why Has the ACT Changed?
There are a number of reasons for the changes to the ACT. The ACT is always trying to ensure that the test is in-line with the latest knowledge benchmarks and expectations of college admissions officers. While this sometimes results in minor changes, in this instance, the ACT has decided to engage in further-reaching changes to its specification.
What’s more, the ACT is trying to make the exam more accessible. This includes disincentivising candidates from guessing answers by providing them with more time per question. Making the Science section optional will also have an impact in terms of increasing accessibility of the ACT. Historically, ACT candidates (and even admissions officers) have been confused by the demands of the section, presuming that it is testing candidates on their scientific knowledge, rather than their reasoning skills.
Should I Still Sit the Science Section on the ACT?
As the Science section of the ACT has been made optional, this leads to the next logical question: should I sit it? Simply put, yes.
The Science section of the ACT gives college admissions officers valuable information about how you interpret and understand scientific information. While it is an extra section that equals an additional 40 minutes or so, thorough preparation can mean that the ACT science section is a valuable exercise. Even if you don’t consider yourself scientifically-minded, the Science section of the ACT is focused on data interpretation—a key facet of critical thinking that colleges like to see in their applicants. Bear this in mind when you are deciding whether or not to sit the ACT Science section.
How Can I Prepare for the New ACT?
Luckily for candidates hoping to sit the new ACT in coming sessions, much of the old preparation methods for the ACT still apply. At BartyED, we encourage our ACT students to take an initial diagnostic. This usually consists of a full past paper, taken under exam conditions. This will allow for a determination of a student’s current strengths and weaknesses. Even as we make adjustments to these diagnostics to take the new ACT format into account, the question types on the ACT remain the same.
The biggest adjustment to preparations for the ACT lies in the need to adjust student timings. Depending on the section of the ACT, the timings change. In the Reading and Math sections, candidates have 1 minute and 7 seconds per question. However, in English, they have 42 seconds per question. Overall, it’s important that candidates note that the ACT still requires them to be both speedy, and accurate.
How Will the New ACT Impact College Admissions?
As explained above, the ACT remains a key component of U.S. college admissions. It provides a helpful benchmark to determine the relative acquisition of certain skills, like literacy and high school level mathematics. More fundamentally, however, the ACT is used to help college admissions officers see applicants’ critical thinking skills, and their ability to work under pressure. As for the new format of the ACT, the optional Science section now becomes a great way for candidates to distinguish themselves from their peers. Given the increased focus on accuracy in the ACT, this becomes even more important.
Whether a candidate is applying with the SAT or the ACT, BartyED would almost always recommend having one or the other to support a competitive college application for the U.S.
BartyED's ACT Preparation Programs
The ACT, like any standardised test, can be prepared for through targeted practices and diligent effort. BartyED stays up to date on the latest developments in the ACT and SAT to ensure that our candidates can proceed to exam day with confidence. Our team of expert ACT tutors are highly trained, placing emphasis on students’ areas of weakness, as well as building tactical awareness of how to approach the exam and secure the desired score.
If you or your child wish to benefit from one of BartyED’s ACT preparation programs, get in touch with us via the Contact page, email (enquiries@bartyed.com), or phone (+852 2882 1017) today!
Frequently Asked Questions
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The new, or ‘enhanced’, ACT refers to changes made to the ACT in 2025. These changes are substantial, as the Science section is no longer compulsory. There are further changes to the ACT in that there are now fewer questions, and candidates can spend a (slightly) longer time answering each question on the paper.
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There are a number of reasons for the changes to the ACT. Firstly, the ACT is continually trying to ensure that the examination remains useful and applicable for both candidates and college admissions officers. The ACT also wanted to increase the accessibility of the exam, as well as incentivise more thoughtful responses from students.
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While there have been substantial changes to the ACT, the methods of preparation remain very similar. The question types and topics covered (save for the now optional Science section) remain the same, so targeted practice ACT questions remain the most effective method of preparation for the new ACT.
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While the ACT Science section is now an optional component of the ACT, we would highly recommend sitting that section of the exam. This is because the ACT Science section remains a helpful indicator of candidates’ scientific reasoning skills. Due to the fact that the ACT Science section is now optional, it also becomes an opportunity for candidates to distinguish themselves from their peers.