ACT to shorten exam length by one hour, make science section optional
The ACT for college admissions will soon be revised to make it significantly shorter than it has been in previous years.
'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,' ACT writes.
The ACT for college admissions will soon be revised so that it is significantly shorter than it has been in previous years.
The announcement detailing this change was made on July 15 by Janet Godwin, the CEO of ACT. It explained that the organizers of the test additionally intend to make the exam more “flexible” for students by shifting the science section, which was previously mandatory, to be optional.
“English, reading, and math remain as the core sections of the ACT test that will result in a college-reportable score,” the announcement explains. “Like the writing section, science will be offered as an additional section.”
The test will also decrease in length by “up to one-third,” with the new version lasting around two hours, compared to the previous three-hour length.
“To achieve this,” ACT details in its July 15 statement, “the test will include shorter passages on the reading and English sections and fewer questions in each section – 44 fewer questions in all – allowing students more time to answer each question thoughtfully.”
“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,” ACT explained.
“For more than 60 years, ACT has continuously evolved to address the challenges faced by students and educators, remaining steadfast in our mission to provide the best tools and opportunities for success,” ACT said in a statement to Campus Reform. “We also believe in providing flexibility to learners and families, to allow students to choose to take the assessments that make the most sense for them.”
The result of the recently announced changes will be “greater flexibility, more choices, and a more streamlined testing experience for students,” the spokesperson added.
Around 1.4 million students, or 37 percent of high school seniors graduating in the class of 2023, took the ACT last year. That number is down from 58 percent in 2016, when standardized tests were more widely required by colleges and universities.
[RELATED: Record number of schools no longer require SAT/ACT in admissions]
In fall 2023, the nationwide average ACT score dropped for a sixth consecutive year. The high school class of 2023 had an average score of 19.5 out of 36, down from the 19.8 average of the year prior.
The shortening of the ACT mirrors that of the SAT, which was also cut down earlier this year by the College Board, which administers the test, to be just over two hours in length.
