The ACT is Changing: What the Enhanced ACT Means for Juniors and Seniors
Rising juniors planning their standardized testing approach may have noticed a new acronym for the ACT, the Enhanced ACT (EACT). The EACT was first released in April 2025 in a digital format. Starting this September, the paper-and-pencil test will also move to this new EACT format, but remain paper-and-pencil, and the old ACT will be retired. The one exception to this changeover is for students who are taking the ACT as part of the ACT school day testing this fall the test will remain the old ACT.
Below is a quick summary of the changes for this new test. Also, for rising seniors, there is additional information for those who are submitting ACT scores to colleges this fall.
For Rising Juniors:
Format of the EACT
If you’re just starting your testing journey and considering the ACT, the Enhanced ACT is a shorter test with fewer questions. Fewer questions mean less mental fatigue and less time to get distracted. However, it also means that each question is worth more so the margin for error is reduced.
English: The English section now has 50 questions instead of the 75 questions that were in the previous version of the test. Students have 35 minutes to complete it instead of the prior 45 minutes.
Math: The Math section now has 45 questions, down from 60 questions, and a shorter testing time of 50 minutes instead of 60 minutes.
Reading: The reading section now has 36 questions down from 40 questions. The EACT actually has given students 5 more minutes to complete this section which is now 40 minutes.
In total, the EACT has 44 fewer questions than the ACT’s previous form, and only 125 minutes to take the test. The Enhanced ACT is now 10 minutes shorter than the SAT.
Does this mean the ACT has gotten easier? In short, no. Although there is a little more time per question on the EACT due to the fewer number of questions, it is still a fast paced test, so your ability to navigate the test quickly, but accurately, is still important. In addition, for our students who have taken both tests, we have seen scores from the EACT that are very comparable to the students’ scores on the old ACT. Also, according to studies done by the ACT Inc, the concordance between the two tests is almost identical, meaning a 30 on the old ACT, for example, is the same as a 30 on the new EACT.
The Science Section on the EACT is now Optional and Our Recommendations
The other major change to the test is the Science section is now optional. There are still 40 questions and similar types of science passages, but the EACT gives students an additional 5 minutes to complete the section. The Science section is now 40 minutes instead of 35 minutes.
Although it is optional, we are advising that our juniors take the test with the Science section. We are still waiting to hear from colleges about their policies around the Science section. We have heard from a few (Boston University, Pomona College, for example) who are requiring it. Some schools might require a science score depending on a student’s prospective major—especially those students who are pursuing an Engineering or STEM major. We would rather have students take the EACT with science and ultimately not need their science score than be in a position where they are scrambling to take the EACT one final time just to get a science score.
How the EACT is Scored
With the Science section becoming optional, the composite score for the EACT is now simply the average of the student’s English, Math, and Reading scores. Each section and the overall composite score is still scored on the same 1-36 scale. If students take the optional Science section, their science score will still be part of the score report but will not be calculated in the overall composite score. It will remain as a stand-alone score.
For Rising Seniors:
If you are taking the ACT this fall, it will be the new EACT. The one caveat is that if you are testing at your school during the school day, it will still be the old ACT. Although the ACT is transitioning to this new EACT format, colleges are honoring the scores from the previous version of the ACT so you have not lost your scores if you took the older version.
In addition almost all colleges are superscoring between the new EACT and the old ACT so you can combine section scores from the different versions of the tests to build your highest superscore. We also reached out to the ACT directly for some clarification on what the superstore report will look like for our seniors this fall.
If you have taken the EACT or are taking the EACT this fall, the superscore report that you can send to colleges from your ACT account will be the superscore from the English, Math, and Reading Sections only. Your superscore will be made up of your highest scores from all of your tests regardless of whether each score was from the old ACT or the new EACT. If you would like to share your science score, you can send the individual score report from the test administration that has your highest science score. You have not lost your science score even though it is not calculated in the superscore report.
If you have not taken the EACT and are not taking the EACT this fall, the superscore report that you can send to colleges from your ACT account this fall will be the legacy superscore report. This includes your highest English, Math, Reading, and Science scores across all of your tests. Students who finished their ACT testing by the end of junior year, did not take the EACT, and are not taking the EACT this fall, will have their Science score included in their overall superscore report.
For our rising seniors, please keep in mind that as the ACT transitions to this new EACT, you have not lost your scores from any of the old ACT tests that you have taken. You can always send the full score report from any administration of the test that you have taken regardless of which version of the ACT you took and the colleges will see your section scores from that test. In addition, the common app allows you to self report your highest English, Reading, Math, and Science scores (if needed).
Final Thoughts
Although the ACT has made some changes to their test, the EACT is very similar to the old ACT in terms of the pace of the test, the type of questions, and the content covered. In addition, colleges are accepting the old ACT, EACT, and SAT scores equally.
For our rising juniors, we are encouraging them to try a practice EACT in addition to a practice SAT to get a better understanding of the differences between the tests and to be able to compare their scores. If students prefer the EACT over the SAT and feel like it is the better test for them, we are encouraging them to pursue the EACT path. We have updated our ACT course book and practice tests to align with the new format of the ACT. If students choose the EACT path, we are ready to help them score to their full potential on this new test.
If students prefer the digital SAT and choose to pursue the SAT path, we can of course help them prepare for that test as well. As always, we encourage students to choose a path (SAT or ACT) and map out a sane and sensible approach to their standardized testing plan.
Please reach out to us to schedule a practice SAT and practice EACT to start mapping out a standardized testing plan that will work well for you and your student. We are here to help.
Rising seniors who choose to take the ACT test again this fall will take the EACT. Because of the considerable overlap with the old version of the ACT in terms of content and type of questions, any prep that you have done for the old ACT will help you with this new test. We do recommend that you try a practice EACT just to get a feel for the timing of this new test.
