College Bound: 3 changes to the ACT coming this fall

Despite the educational disruption that students are facing, many high schoolers are managing to continue the college admissions process. For rising juniors and seniors, there’s good news: The ACT is still planning to hold its June and July tests (at least as of April 20). And it’s rolling out changes that will benefit many test takers.

Beginning in September 2020, the ACT will be available as an online test in addition to the traditional paper-and-pencil format. Kids who are more comfortable taking online assessments will find this change helpful. Another key advantage to the online option is speed. While results typically take two to four weeks for the traditional test, results for students taking the test online will be available within a few days. Quicker delivery of results will come in handy for seniors up against an impending application deadline.

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A second change is how the ACT will show results for students who have taken the test two or more times. “Superscoring”—considering the highest section score a student earned out of all his or her tests— is a practice many college admissions offices already use for both the SAT and ACT. However, they need to scan these reports to identify the highest section scores. Beginning with the September test, the ACT will now offer students the option to choose a report that displays their superscored results or one that shows just each date’s composite scores. This will make it easier for colleges to note student’s best scores, assuming, of course, they accept superscoring.

The final and perhaps most important ACT change is that students who want to bring up their scores will be able to opt for single-section exams. This means that students who underperform on one or perhaps two of the four ACT sections won’t have to take the whole test again. For instance, a student who scores in the low 30s (out of 36) on both math and science but only in the mid-20s on reading and English can retake those sections without having to sit through the entire three-hour exam. The ACT will use the results of these section scores to create a superscore. Students may take up to 3 section tests in one sitting, and there’s no limit on the number of retests allowed. One caveat: Students should first determine whether the schools to which they’re applying accept superscores before signing up for an ACT section test.

While many college admissions experts feel that these changes have been a long time in coming, the irony is that fewer and fewer colleges are requiring applicants to take either the SAT or ACT. But the many students who still decide to take the ACT come the fall will enjoy advantages their older siblings and peers weren’t as lucky to experience.