The length of the ACT college admissions exam will be reduced for some test takers starting next year, the testing company announced this week.
The exam will have fewer questions and will last up to an hour less than the usual three hours. Unlike previous years, the reading passages will be shorter and the science-related section of the exam will be optional.
The changes to one of the nation’s most important college admissions exams represent another big shift in the standardized testing landscape, which has been upended by the pandemic. They come just months after the SAT, the ACT’s main competitor, underwent a separate overhaul. The College Board, which owns the SAT, He also shortened his exam two hours and changed the traditional pencil and paper format to a completely online one.
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Although the vast majority of U.S. colleges remain test-optional, the changes to the ACT mean that many students who still choose to take a college admissions exam in the future will do so in a shorter time frame and with more abbreviated material.
“These improvements are just the beginning,” said Janet Godwin, executive director of ACT, in a statement. statement this week.
Fewer questions, optional science section.
Most of the test will remain the same, Godwin said, and students can still choose to take it online or in person (unlike the SAT, which is now mostly digital).
To reduce the length of the exam by up to a third, the reading and English sections will have 44 fewer questions. Reading passages will also be shorter, Godwin said. Like the writing section of the exam, the science portion, which can be overwhelming for some students, will no longer be required.
“A lot of students find that section intimidating,” said Alyssa Coburn, chief learning officer for Illinois test prep company Nurturing Wisdom Tutoring.
For those taking the exam online, the changes will not go into effect until spring 2025. They will come even later, in spring 2026, for students planning to take the exam in Specific dates sponsored by the school district.
How will universities react?
Godwin made the announcement just months after revealing that the testing company would transition to a for-profit business amid an acquisition by a private equity firm. While the decision concerned some observers who think ACT’s mission better aligns with the structure of a nonprofit company, Godwin has defended the move as a necessary step to expand the organization’s reach and help more students.
The broader debate over the merits of relying on standardized tests for college admissions reached a fever pitch during the pandemic, which accelerated a trend of schools dropping the ACT and SAT as application requirements. Although some selective institutions have resumed requiring them, More than 80% This fall, four-year colleges will let students make that decision, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, a group critical of the testing industry.
Harry Feder, the organization’s executive director, said this week’s decision raises new questions about the value of ACT test scores.
“The ACT didn’t want to be left behind like the old, outdated, three-hour paper-and-pencil test,” he said. “While these shorter tests are easier to use, there is serious question about whether college admissions offices should recognize this test.”
Michael J. Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative think tank, said he still believes the tests are reliable indicators of student success. The new ACT changes, he said, are likely an effort to preserve market share after the College Board’s recent overhaul of the SAT.
“The SAT and ACT have always been in contention,” he said. “That continues.”
Zachary Schermele covers education and breaking news for JOBsNews. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele.
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