For many years, college-bound students have been taking the SAT or ACT exam as part of their college applications. The new “enhanced” ACT exam was introduced to everyone in September 2025. There have been significant modifications, all to the students’ benefit.

Changes to the ACT Exam

• Shorter test: Now 2 hours and 5 minutes, similar to the length of SAT (2 hours and 14 minutes)
• Science is now a separate optional section and is no longer included in the composite score.
• Fewer questions and more time per question: Now 131 questions (previously 215 questions)
• Testing options: paper or computer
• Reduced answer choices for math questions (now 4 choices instead of 5)
• Shorter reading and English passages
• Superscoring provided: includes English, Math, and Reading – students can use tests taken from the previous version

What remains the same: Content! According to the ACT website, “there has been no significant change in the types of knowledge and skills measured by the ACT test with the enhancements.”

Compared to the SAT:

• Colleges accept both and don’t prefer one over the other
• SAT offers more time to answer each question: 98 questions compared to ACT’s 131 questions
• The SAT is online only unless the student has approved accommodations. The ACT can be taken online or on paper.
• The SAT is adaptive – students take different tests depending on how they scored on the first section. The ACT is linear – the same on paper or online.

Which exam should I take?

• Do you prefer paper or digital? The ACT can still be taken on paper.
• Would you prefer an adaptive test (digital SAT) or a linear test (ACT)?
• Would you like more time to complete each problem (SAT)?
• Do you prefer more direct and less nuanced questions (ACT)?
• If you aren’t sure, take a full practice SAT or PSAT and full ACT, and compare your comfort level and scores.

How much time should I give to prepare for an exam?

Much of the stress that comes from taking the ACT or SAT comes from feeling unprepared, which is why beginning preparation as early as possible can help alleviate some tension. Students should prepare for either exam for at least six to eight weeks. Many of our students begin preparing twelve weeks in advance or earlier.

What about test-optional colleges?

More and more colleges are requiring SAT or ACT scores. However, many test-optional institutions give preference to students who submit substantial scores. Students who don’t test well should concentrate on standing out in other ways.

How helpful is tutoring in improving scores?

One-to-one tutoring can substantially help improve scores by focusing on the specific areas that each student needs to improve and by individualizing strategies.

How many times should a student take a test?

To take advantage of superscoring, we recommend at least 2 times. Students can decide which scores to send to which schools, depending on their score averages.

Which resources are best?

We recommend using the Official ACT Prep Guide, which includes an archive of practice tests and explanations of answers. The new enhanced ACT exam has the same content as exams from years past. The ACT Official Website offers free practice tests, sample questions, and quizzes.

By Cheryl Gedzelman, President

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