The Enhanced ACT: Everything That Changed

Quick Summary

What Exactly Changed on the Enhanced ACT?

Five structural changes define the Enhanced ACT:

Science is optional. You have the choice whether to take ACT Science or not. If you choose to take it, you'll receive a separate Science score.

The test is shorter. English, Math, and Reading all have fewer questions than they did before.

You have more time per question. The ACT still has a time crunch, but it's less intense than it was before.

The composite score formula changed. Your overall ACT score is now based on just your scores from the English, Math, and Reading sections. Science is no longer included, even if you choose to take it.

Experimental (unscored) questions are now mixed into every section. Previously, they'd been all together in a separate fifth section of the ACT. You won't know which questions are experimental and which are being scored.

It's also important to understand what hasn't changed with the Enhanced ACT. The key thing to note here is that nothing about what content and skills the ACT tests has changed. The questions aren't any easier or harder than they were before. The content of the Enhanced ACT is the same as the old (legacy ACT); just the format, structure, and scoring have changed.

When Did the Enhanced ACT Actually Roll Out?

The Enhanced ACT rollout happened in stages, not all at once. Here are the key dates:

As of spring 2026, the transition is complete. Every ACT administered today, regardless of when or where you take it, is the Enhanced ACT. There's no longer a "traditional" version to opt into.

Is the ACT Science Section Really Optional Now?

Yes. Under the Enhanced ACT, students take three required sections: English, Math, and Reading. They can also choose to add Science and/or Writing (the essay) as optional sections for an extra fee.

Here's what that means in practice:

Your composite score (1–36 scale) is calculated from English, Math, and Reading only.

If you take the optional Science section, you'll receive a separate Science score that isn't included in your composite.

Taking Science also creates a STEM score, which averages your Math and Science results.

Some colleges may still ask about or value a Science score, particularly for students planning on majoring in a STEM field, so check the requirements at schools you're applying to before making a decision as to skip Science or not.

How Many Questions Are on the Enhanced ACT, and How Long Does It Take?

The core test (English, Math, Reading) for the Enhanced ACT is significantly shorter than the legacy ACT. Adding the optional Science section brings back a lot of that length.

How Did Each Individual Section Change?

Every core ACT got shorter in regards to both questions and time. However, the time-per-question actually increased in each section. This means that there are fewer questions on each section, and you can spend more time on each one.

As you can see in the above chart, Reading saw the biggest change. The section went from 40 questions in 35 minutes to 36 questions in 40 minutes. Students answering Reading questions on the old ACT had about 53 seconds to answer each question, while now, with the Enhanced ACT, they have roughly 67 seconds—14 extra seconds per question!

It may not seem like a lot, but even just having a few extra seconds per question can really ease the time pressure you feel on the ACT and help you avoid running out of time on a section or making careless mistakes because you're rushing.

Is the Enhanced ACT Harder?

The content and skills that the Enhanced ACT tests, such as grammar and usage on English, algebra and functions on Math, passage-based comprehension on Reading, and data interpretation on Science, is still the same, so the Enhanced ACT isn't objectively harder than the old version of the test.

However, the proportion of certain content and question types did change which can affect how easy or hard the test appears, depending on your personal skill strengths.

For example, on the legacy ACT, Preparing for Higher Math (algebra, functions, geometry, and statistics) made up about 57–60% of Math questions. On the Enhanced ACT's shorter Math section, that category makes up a larger share of the test simply because fewer total questions are asked. This means each one carries more relative weight.

Math answer choices were also reduced from five options to four, which brings ACT Math in line with the other three sections and slightly improves your guessing odds.

Why Did ACT Move Experimental Questions Into Every Section?

Experimental questions are questions that don't count toward your ACT score. Instead, ACT, Inc. uses them to develop questions for future ACTs.

On the old version of the ACT, these experimental questions were grouped into a separate, standalone fifth section. Because students knew that section didn't count toward their score, many rushed through it without real effort. This limited how useful the data was for developing future tests.

On the Enhanced ACT, those experimental questions are sprinkled throughout the regular sections instead. Students won't know which questions are scored and which are experimental (and they shouldn't try to guess!), so ACT, Inc. gets more reliable data. For students, it also means every question on the test now deserves your full attention because there's no way to tell which ones will be counted, and which won't.

Digital vs. Paper: Which Enhanced ACT Format Should You Take?

Since September 2025, students can choose between a digital or paper-and-pencil ACT. Both use the same Enhanced format and the same question content; only the delivery method differs.

Not sure which version to take? Here are a few factors to consider:

Try practice tests of both versions and compare. Did you score higher on the paper vs digital, or vice versa? Did one version feel more comfortable than the other? Taking practice tests of both allows you to make the most informed decision.

Match your test-day format to your practice format. If you prepare on digital practice tests, take the digital ACT, and vice versa.

Go with what feels familiar. Students who take most school exams digitally often prefer the digital ACT, while students more used to paper testing may feel steadier with the paper version.

For what it's worth, ACT, Inc. has reported that digital test-takers noticed less of a time crunch and a more efficient experience, particularly for the Writing section. However, because the digital ACT is still quite new, there isn't any significant data that tells us if students are scoring higher with one format of the test versus the other.