Key Changes / Updates Effective April 2025 (for National online ACT)
- Excellent Test Prep LLC
- Sep 28, 2025
- 2 min read
The following adjustments begin with online ACT exams offered on national test dates starting April 2025. Other versions (paper, international, and state/district testing) will shift to the new format later.
Superscoring Policy
Beginning April 2025, the Superscore Composite for national online testers will be based only on English, Math, and Reading results.
The Science section no longer factors into the composite score for these tests.
Optional Science Section
Students now have the option to take or skip the Science portion.
If they decline Science, their testing session ends once the three core subjects are completed.
Shorter Test Length
The required sections (English, Math, Reading) now total 2 hours and 5 minutes of testing time, not including brief breaks or transitions.
Reduced Question Counts
English: 50 questions in 35 minutes (fewer than before)
Math: 45 questions in 50 minutes
Reading: 36 questions in 40 minutes
Science: Optional, 40 questions in 40 minutes
New Composite Score Rules
The overall ACT score now reflects an average of only the three required sections (English, Math, Reading).
If a student elects to take Science, their results are reported separately and may contribute to STEM-related measures.
Field-Test Questions
Instead of a separate, unscored 5th test section, experimental questions are now embedded directly into each subject test to evaluate new items for future use.
Transition Timeline
April 2025: National online ACT adopts the enhanced design.
September 2025: Paper-based national exams and international administrations switch over.
Spring 2026: State and district school-day ACT testing adopts the new format.
What Remains Unchanged
The scoring scale stays at 1–36.
The ACT is still a linear test (not adaptive).
Content focus is consistent: English, Math, and Reading remain central, though pacing and the number of questions have been modified.
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