ACT announced last week that their college admissions test, one of two used by many US colleges and universities as a predictor of success, is changing to help students show they’re ready for life after high school, NPR reports, based on an ACT web page: The science section will be optional, and the exam will take less time to complete.
According to Janet Godwin, ACT’s chief executive officer, students will be able to choose whether to take the science section of the ACT. They can take just the core parts — English, reading, and math — or add science and/or writing if they want. This helps students show their strengths better, she wrote.
In addition to adding the science subtest to the list of optional parts, the test will take only about two hours instead of three. There will be fewer questions and shorter reading passages, making it easier for students to do their best without getting too tired, she wrote.
These changes will start with online tests in spring 2025 and in schools in spring 2026. ACT has been improving since 1959 and will continue to find new ways to help students succeed, Ms Godwin wrote.
“This change is designed to make the testing experience more manageable for students, enabling them to perform at their best without the fatigue that often accompanies longer exams,” NPR quoted the organization as saying.
