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Tips to Prepare Students for Every Section of the New ACT®

  • Craig Gehring
  • March 7, 2025
The ACT is evolving. And with major changes coming soon, it’s more important than ever to stay informed and prepared on what’s changing and when.

Starting as early as April 2025, students taking the ACT on national test dates will experience a revamped exam. The new format takes effect Spring 2026 for district and state test administrations.

With updates impacting the different ACT subtests—including English, Math, Reading, and Science—educators need to understand what’s different and how to best support students through this transition.

Below, we’ve broken down the biggest changes coming to each section of the ACT and share practical strategies to help students adapt and succeed. Whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or test prep leader, we’re here to support you with the insights and tools you need to navigate the new ACT with confidence.

RELATED READING:

Preparing Students for the New ACT: A Timeline for Educators

Educators need to be aware of these changes to effectively prepare their students. Here’s a breakdown of the timeline and preparation strategies.

  • Changes to the ACT English Section
The ACT English section is undergoing several changes that aim to streamline the test and provide a more balanced assessment of students’ skills. Here’s what you need to know about the new format.

Reduced Number of Questions and Time

  • Before: 75 questions in 45 minutes
  • After: 50 questions in 35 minutes
  • Change: A reduction of 25 questions (33%) and 10 minutes less testing time

Despite the reduction in the number of questions and time, students will actually have more time per question, increasing from approximately 36 seconds to 42 seconds. This should allow for more thoughtful responses and reduce the pressure of a tight time limit.

Structural Changes to Passages

The Enhanced ACT English section will feature shorter passages, aligning with the reduced number of questions. One of these passages will now always be an argumentative essay, which is a new feature aimed at assessing students’ ability to analyze and respond to persuasive texts.

Stemless Questions Reduced or Removed

The current ACT English subtest includes many stemless items (where students simply choose between four alternatives but no question or prompt is provided). On the Enhanced ACT, some or all of the stemless questions will be given stems. ACT has not yet provided details on how they will be worded.

Field Test Items

Ten of the 50 questions will be field test items that do not contribute to the final score. These items will be integrated seamlessly, so students won’t know which ones they are.

Rebalanced Reporting Categories

ACT is rebalancing the reporting categories, meaning some types of questions will become more prominent while others will appear less frequently. This rebalance aims to better reflect the skills necessary for college readiness.

Preparation Tips
  • Familiarize Yourself with New Formats: Practice with shorter passages and get comfortable with argumentative essays.
  • Time Management: With more time per question, practice pacing to use the additional time effectively.
  • Understand Reporting Categories: Focus on the skills that will be more heavily weighted in the new format.
  • Changes to the ACT Math Section
The Enhanced ACT Math section will see several significant changes designed to streamline the test and provide students with a fairer, more balanced assessment. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect.

Reduced Number of Questions and Time:

  • Before: 60 questions in 60 minutes
  • After: 45 questions in 50 minutes
  • Change: A reduction of 15 questions (25%) and 10 minutes less testing time

This change means students will have more time per question, increasing from 60 seconds to 67 seconds per item. This additional time is intended to help students think through their answers more thoroughly.

Structural Refinements
  • Fewer Answer Choices: The number of answer choices will be reduced from 5 to 4, aligning with the format of the other ACT sections.
  • Reduced Word Problems: There will be fewer word problems, which typically take longer to read and solve.
  • Fewer Advanced Topics: The test will include fewer questions on advanced or higher-grade-level topics.
  • Integration of Essential Skills: Questions that require the application of multiple mathematical skills will appear less frequently.
    • Field Test Items
    The Enhanced ACT Math section will include four field test items that do not contribute to the final score. These items will be mixed in with the scored questions, and students will not know which ones they are.
    Rebalanced Reporting Categories
    ACT will rebalance the math reporting categories, meaning some topics will become more prominent while others will be tested less frequently. This rebalancing aims to better reflect the essential mathematical skills needed for college readiness.
    Preparation Tips
    • Practice with 4 Answer Choices: Get accustomed to having fewer answer choices and practice with sample questions that reflect this change.
    • Focus on Time Management: With more time per question, practice pacing to ensure you can thoughtfully approach each problem.
    • Understand Reporting Categories: Pay attention to the topics that will be more heavily weighted in the new format and adjust your study plan accordingly.
    • Changes to the ACT Reading Section
    The ACT Reading section is set to undergo several changes that will impact how students prepare and perform on the test. Here’s an overview of what to expect from the Enhanced ACT Reading section.

    Increased Time and Reduced Questions:

    • Before: 40 questions in 35 minutes
    • After: 36 questions in 40 minutes
    • Change: A reduction of 4 questions (10%) and an increase of 5 minutes in testing time

    This change gives students more time per question, increasing from approximately 53 seconds to 67 seconds per question, which represents a 27% increase. This additional time should help students better analyze and understand the passages before answering the questions.

    Structural Refinements
    The Enhanced ACT Reading section will likely retain its four-passage structure, but with fewer questions per passage. Passages may also be shortened, making them quicker to read and comprehend. This change should make the section more approachable and less rushed.
    Field Test Items
    Nine of the 36 questions will be field test items that do not contribute to the final score. These items will be integrated into the test without any indication of which questions they are, likely making up an entire passage and its associated questions.
    Rebalanced Reporting Categories
    The Integration of Knowledge and Ideas reporting category, which includes questions that require analysis of claims, fact vs. opinion, and connections between texts, will become more important. This category may comprise 25% or more of the questions in the Enhanced ACT Reading section.
    Incorporation of Diverse Perspectives
    ACT will continue its commitment to featuring literary narratives that include authentic, diverse perspectives. This may mean a slight shift in the types of texts students encounter on the test.
    Preparation Tips
    • Practice with Shorter Passages: Get used to the format changes by practicing with shorter passages and fewer questions per passage.
    • Time Management: Use the increased time per question to carefully analyze and understand each passage before answering.
    • Focus on Key Skills: Pay attention to the Integration of Knowledge and Ideas category and practice questions that require deep analysis and critical thinking.
    • Changes to the ACT Science Test
    The ACT Science section will undergo significant changes on the Enhanced ACT, making it optional and providing students with more time per question. Here’s what you need to know.

    Optional Science Section:
    Unlike before, the Science section will be optional. Students can choose whether or not to take it when registering for the ACT. Even if students do take the ACT Science section, their ACT Composite score will be based solely on the English, Math, and Reading sections. Increased Time:

    • Before: 40 questions in 35 minutes
    • After: 40 questions in 40 minutes
    • Change: An increase of 5 minutes in testing time

    This additional time gives students approximately 60 seconds per question, up from 53 seconds previously. This should help students feel less rushed and allow for more thoughtful responses.

    Structural and Content Changes
    • New Engineering and Design Passage: The Enhanced ACT Science test will include at least one passage focused on engineering and design, reflecting a broader range of scientific disciplines.
    • More Background Knowledge Required: While most questions have traditionally been answerable using only the data in the passages, the new test will require more background scientific knowledge. The ACT refers to the Disciplinary Core Ideas from the Next Generation Science Standards for what could be tested.
    Rebalanced Reporting Categories

    ACT will rebalance the Science reporting categories, meaning some standards will become more heavily tested while others will appear less frequently. This rebalance aims to better reflect the essential scientific skills needed for college readiness.

    Field Test Items
    The Enhanced ACT Science section will include six field test items that do not contribute to the final score. These items will be mixed in with the scored questions, and students will not know which ones they are.
    Preparation Tips
    • Decide Whether to Take the Science Section: Determine whether taking the Science section aligns with your strengths and college goals.
    • Practice with New Content: Focus on passages related to engineering and design, and review the Disciplinary Core Ideas from the Next Generation Science Standards.
    • Time Management: Use the increased time per question to carefully analyze and understand each passage before answering.
    • Understand Reporting Categories: Pay attention to the topics that will be more heavily weighted in the new format and adjust your study plan accordingly.

    RELATED READING:

    The Complete MasteryPrep Guide to the Upcoming ACT® Changes

    As students around the country gear up for the new ACT®, MasteryPrep is hard at work aligning our products with the revamped test format.

    By staying informed and adjusting preparation strategies accordingly, students can navigate these changes and perform their best on test day.

    The information in this article is intended to provide an overview of the impact changes to the ACT® made on MasteryPrep’s ACT product offerings. These updates are subject to change as ACT completes research and development on the new test style and format and finalizes decisions. This article is not an official source of information. Refer to act.org for official updates.

    Picture of About the Author: Craig Gehring
    About the Author: Craig Gehring

    MasteryPrep’s founder and CEO, Craig Gehring, earned perfect scores on the ACT and SAT while in high school. He started tutoring and saw firsthand that students who needed the most help were the least likely to get it. More than ten years later, MasteryPrep serves over 500,000 low-income and first-generation students through partnerships with over 2,500 schools and school districts.

    MasteryPrep Test Prep Solutions for the ACT

    Our end-to-end test-prep solutions for the ACT enable educators to analyze data to gauge student readiness, access a library of practice tests and teaching resources, and equip students with the right strategies in the build-up to test day.
    Learn More

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    ACT® is the registered trademark of ACT, Inc. Some items in MasteryPrep programs are the copyrighted content of ACT, Inc. and are reproduced with permission. SAT® is a trademark of the College Board. MasteryPrep LLC has no affiliation with College Board MasteryPrep SAT programs are not approved or endorsed by College Board. The Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) is an ACCUPLACER® exam, which is a trademark of College Board. MasteryPrep has no affiliation with College Board or the Texas Success Initiative (TSI), and the TSIA2 Mastery program is not approved or endorsed by College Board or the TSI. WorkKeys® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. The WorkKeys programs are not approved or endorsed by ACT, Inc.

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