There are changes coming to the ACT in Spring 2026. The ACT is a standardized test required for admission to thousands of colleges and universities that tests four areas of knowledge: English, math, reading, and science reasoning. It also offers a writing section. The ACT is making changes to become more streamlined, flexible, and accessible.

What Are the Changes?

• The new ACT is shorter, with 44 fewer questions. The breakdown of questions within each section is as follows:
  • English has decreased from 75 to 50 questions
  • Math has decreased from 60 to 45 questions
  • Reading has decreased from 40 to 36 questions
  • Science remains at 40 questions
• The science section is now optional, and the ACT composite score will only consist of English, math, and reading scores
• If students take the science section, their ACT score report will include a science score and a STEM score, which looks at both the math and science scores
• The overall testing time for the English, math, and reading sections is reduced from 195 minutes to 125 minutes
• Students have more time to answer each question
• The math section now has four multiple choice options instead of five and has a reduced number of word problems and reduced number of questions related to higher grade level topics
• The reading passages are shorter and one of the passages will now always be an argumentative essay
• Schools now can allow a break between the core assessments and the science and/or writing sections
• The writing section will remain optional. The writing section is a 40-minute essay test that requires students to read a prompt and write an essay explaining their perspective on the issue. Some colleges require the ACT writing test, so students should review the requirements of the colleges they are applying to.

Where Can I Find More Info?

The best place to stay up to date on the enhancements is the official ACT website. On MEFA’s website, we also provide a breakdown of the SAT vs the ACT, as well as tips for test day.