The New ACT

As of September 2025, the ACT has changed. The test is different in length, pacing, and question composition.

The test is now shorter overall, especially if one skips the science section. The ACT has reduced the number of questions, which means more time per question on every section. However, they’ve also added unscored “field test” items in every section. These questions do not count toward a student’s score and are being tested for use in future exams.

Because there are fewer scored questions, each right and wrong answer carries more weight. This increases score volatility, which means students are more likely to see larger score swings from test to test. This makes it more important than ever to retake the ACT multiple times.

The pacing is slower, but this doesn’t mean it’s an easier test. Yes, there is more time per question on the new test, but (from what I’ve seen on the October 2025 ACT) the overall difficulty level has increased. So, while we have more time per question, the questions take more time to do, so it doesn’t feel like the pacing has changed all that much. 

Overall, I do like the new ACT. It’s a little more difficult than the old ACT, but the current test is still very similar to the old test. This is great news, since it means that the older practice tests are still great practice for the new version of the ACT. While the format has evolved, the core skills needed to succeed on the ACT remain the same.