On April 5, 2025, over 16,000 students took the inaugural administration of the enhanced ACT test. These test enhancements, which were announced last year, reflect ACT’s commitment to student feedback while upholding the test’s integrity and the validity of its skill assessments. The enhanced ACT focuses more on what students know rather than how fast they can answer questions.
So, what’s changed?
The enhanced ACT has a total of 131 questions across the English, math, and reading sections versus 175 for those sections on the legacy test. Timewise, students now have 2 hours and 5 minutes to complete these sections versus 2 hours and 20 minutes previously.
Students can now choose whether to take the science section, which is no longer required to receive an ACT Composite score. Those who take the science section will have 40 minutes to answer the section’s 40 questions, compared to 35 minutes on the legacy test.
“These changes give all students a fair opportunity to demonstrate what they know in English, math, and reading, and the option to decide whether demonstrating knowledge in science is important to their individual post-high school plans,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “And while the enhanced ACT marks significant changes, the ACT’s predictive validity has not changed.”
Was it a success? The students have spoken:
“I feel like [having more time] significantly helped. When I would do practice tests, I was getting on the edge of the time every single time – this time I had time to review almost every section.”
- Noah Clements, 11th grade, a student from North Caldwell, NJ, on the shorter time
“I think it’s better [to have a choice] because you might not always need a science-related field. So, if you don’t want to take it, you don’t have to.”
- Abhinav Agnihotri, 10th grade, Coppell, TX, on choosing to take the science section
“I just kind of wanted to take the science because if I didn’t, it’d be like the same thing as taking the SAT. I want to go into medicine.”
- Addison Barnes, 11th grade, Mansfield, TX, on choosing to take the science section
“I found it to be challenging, which was good because it’s good to be challenged.”
- Brooklyn Dismuke, 11th grade, Dallas, TX, on the overall enhanced test
Overall, more than 100,000 students took the ACT on April 5, though only students who signed up for the online version received the enhanced exam. ACT will continue to roll out the new exam in phases, first in national online testing this spring and summer. Enhanced paper testing will begin during national testing starting in the fall. Students who take the ACT during the school day will experience the enhanced exam in spring 2026.