Beginning in September, 2020, students who want to improve on just one or two of the five sections of the ACT can retake one section at a time.  The ACT will then give you a super-score that is averaged from your top score from each section.  According to today’s New York Times, “Officials at ACT, which makes the exam, said on Tuesday that starting next September, students would be able to retake specific sections rather than the entire test, which lasts about three hours.”

This is how it works right now.  If you want to improve, say, your math section, you need to take the entire 3 hours of test.  And then, while your math score may improve, your reading score may decrease, and when your 4 sections are averaged into one score, your score may not necessarily be better.  Some colleges already super-score, but you still need to take the entire test each time.  And many colleges don’t super-score the ACT.

Therefore, this change will not only make life easier for students, but your ACT score will be a more accurate assessment of your abilities.

Another welcome change is that students will be able to take the ACT test online on the days when it is offered nationwide.

These changes will not only save students money and time, but will likely make the ACT a more competitive exam against its chief rival, the SAT.