Preparedness is the first step to succeeding, and with significant changes being made to the ACT, one of the largest and most stress-inducing standardized tests for high school students, it is important to recognize and understand this shift.
In April of last school year, Nexus Capital Management partnered with the ACT Co. and subsequently unveiled the new “Enhanced ACT.”
Composed of 44 fewer questions and 75 minutes reduced from the previous total time, all of the sections have been altered thoughtfully, but not entirely. For instance, the science section has joined the writing section as optional, and the math, English and reading sections have all had alterations that both reduced answer choices and extended time per question, resulting in a gain of about 10 extra seconds per question.
Faris Haykal, co-owner of one of popular local tutoring center The Tutors, has had to adapt his practices to this new change. “Everyone is having to recalibrate to the new ACT, including colleges. What we’ve been telling students is that you should prep for science and take it with science the first time. It isn’t part of your composite score anymore, so it may feel like an afterthought, but science can improve quickly with practice and the right strategy. You also don’t want to close any doors before you know what schools you’re interested in might require it.”
On September 6, the enhanced ACT reached MUS.
Following the first ACT testing date of the school year at MUS, students regardless of age have formulated their own opinions about the updated test. William Brezina ’27 observed a much more intuitive test-taking experience, specifically in the science section. “Personally, the science section is my weak point in the exam, but now that’s it’s optional, I feel that I have a distinct advantage over previous test takers, especially ones who struggled with the science section.”
Trey McDonald ’26 wished the change had come much sooner. “I believe that going into the new test, I would have met my holistic goals sooner than with the old test. [The enhanced ACT] gives you more of an opportunity to showcase the skills that MUS has given us, like reading, math, and grammar.” In general, McDonald believes that the ACT in general has become easier, but the modified question options paid dividends. “Math losing its fifth option tipped the scale a lot.”
Even with all these changes, the core values of the ACT remain the same. The test can still be issued on paper if needed, there are no major changes of content and the scoring will remain on a scale from zero to 36. Seven more test dates are scheduled for students throughout the remainder of the year and time will tell to see how these updates further impact test takers.
