Students in Mississippi and across the country will soon take a shorter college admissions exam after ACT CEO Janet Godwin announced changes to the test following the ACT’s Enrollment Management Summit. The test with shorter passages, less questions and more flexibility could mean a better testing experience for students.
“I think that ACT has a palatable test and now they’re going to give kids more time on it,” Retired Rankin County Schools College and Career Prep Specialist Montgomery Hinton told the Mississippi Free Press on Aug. 16. “I think for kids who are stressed over the time, or just the pure volume of how much is on the test, it’s going to be a lot a lot better for them.”
Beginning with the national April 2025 online admission, students will see fewer questions on the exam, with the total number reduced from 215 to 171. The test will also have shorter passages on the reading and English sections. However, students will have the same amount of time on each section, giving test-takers more time per question. The new core test—which will include English, reading and math—will last just two hours compared to three hours on the current test. The company hopes the changes will reduce test-taking fatigue.
The science section will be optional and students who choose to take the section will receive a standalone score. Test-takers will only receive the STEM score that combines the math and science sections if they take the Science section of the test. The test already includes an optional writing section.
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“English, reading, and math remain as the core sections of the ACT test that will result in a college-reportable score,” ACT CEO Janet Godwin said in a July 15 press release. “Like the writing section, science will be offered as an additional section. This means students can choose to take the ACT, the ACT plus science, the ACT plus writing, or the ACT plus science and writing. With this flexibility, students can focus on their strengths