Enhanced ACT vs. Legacy ACT (2026): What Changed

The ACT changed in 2025, and the new version has a name: the Enhanced ACT. As of 2026, it is the only version of the test you can take. The older format, now called the Legacy ACT, has been fully phased out.

Here is the short version. The Enhanced ACT is shorter (44 fewer questions), makes the Science section optional and leaves it out of your Composite score, and gives Math questions four answer choices instead of five. The content, the 1 to 36 scoring scale, and the difficulty of the material are all unchanged.

If you prepped on the old format, take a breath: almost everything you studied still applies. Below is exactly what changed, what stayed the same, and what (if anything) you need to do differently.

What is the Enhanced ACT?

The Enhanced ACT is the redesigned version of the ACT that rolled out in 2025. ACT (the organization) describes it as a shorter, more flexible test. It is the same exam at its core, just restructured.

Three things drove the redesign: a shorter overall test, more time per question, and the freedom to skip Science if you don’t need it. None of the underlying subject matter changed.

By 2026 the transition is complete. Every national test date now uses the Enhanced format, on both paper and computer. You no longer have a choice between “old” and “new,” so if you find a guide that tells you to “stick with the Legacy ACT,” it is out of date.

Enhanced ACT vs. Legacy ACT: side-by-side

Here is the full picture of what changed, section by section. The content tested in each section is the same. What changed is the number of questions, the timing, and whether the section counts toward your Composite.

The headline: the required part of the test (English, Math, Reading) is reportable after about two hours, versus roughly three hours on the Legacy ACT. If you skip the optional Science and Writing sections, your test day is dramatically shorter.

Pro tip: The best way to understand the new pacing is to feel it. Take a free ACT practice test timed to the Enhanced format so the shorter sections and roomier per-question timing become muscle memory before test day.

The three biggest changes, explained

If you only remember three things about the Enhanced ACT, make it these.

1. Science is now optional and out of your Composite

This is the single largest change. On the Legacy ACT, Science was one of four sections averaged into your Composite score. On the Enhanced ACT, Science is optional, and even if you take it, it does not count toward your Composite.

Your Composite is now the average of three sections: English, Math, and Reading. If you do take Science, it still produces a separate score and feeds a combined STEM score alongside Math.

2. The test is shorter, with more time per question

The Enhanced ACT has 44 fewer questions than the Legacy version. Counterintuitively, the test being shorter means you get more time on each question, not less. The question count dropped more than the time did, so the pace is a little calmer in every section.

This is good news if pacing was your enemy on the old ACT. You still need to move efficiently, but you have a bit more breathing room per question.

3. Math has four answer choices, not five

On Legacy ACT Math, every question gave you five answer choices. On the Enhanced ACT, Math questions have four choices, which matches the other sections.

This is a small but real strategy shift. A blind guess is now a 1 in 4 shot instead of 1 in 5, and eliminating choices pays off faster.

Pro tip: Never leave a Math question blank. There is no penalty for wrong answers, and with four choices, even one eliminated option makes an educated guess worth taking.

What did NOT change

This is the part most panicked students miss. The Enhanced ACT is a restructuring, not a new exam. According to ACT, the following are all unchanged:

• The content. The same topics, skills, and standards are tested in every section. Enhanced ACT Math covers the same math; Reading tests the same reading skills.
• The scoring scale. Scores still run from 1 to 36, and section scores still average into the Composite (just three sections now instead of four).
• The difficulty of the material. ACT reports that scores are comparable across the two formats and that benchmarks are unchanged.
• No penalty for wrong answers. Guess on everything you can’t solve.
• Paper or online. Unlike the digital SAT, the ACT is still offered both on paper and on computer. There is no forced switch to digital.
• Not adaptive. Every student sees the same test. The ACT does not adjust difficulty based on your answers.

In short, what you know about ACT content and strategy still holds. The changes are about structure, timing, and choices, not subject matter.

Is the Enhanced ACT harder?

No. The Enhanced ACT is not harder than the Legacy ACT. The content and difficulty of the questions are the same, you get a little more time per question, and ACT reports that scores are comparable across both formats. A given score on the Enhanced ACT means what it meant on the Legacy ACT.

If anything, two changes work in your favor: more time per question, and a shorter overall test that leaves you less fatigued by the end. The material itself did not get tougher.

The one honest caveat is that fewer questions means each question carries slightly more weight toward your section score. There is a bit less room to absorb a careless mistake. The fix is the same as it always was: practice with the current format and pace yourself.

Should you take the optional Science section?

Now that Science is optional, this is the most common question students ask. Here is a simple way to decide.

Take Science if:

• Any college on your list requires or recommends an ACT Science score. Some selective programs and STEM-focused majors still want it, so check each target school’s testing policy directly.
• You’re applying to STEM programs and want to show strength in scientific reasoning.
• You aren’t sure where you’ll apply yet. Taking it keeps your options open.
• Science is one of your stronger areas and could lift your overall application.

You can skip Science if:

• None of your target schools require it, and you’ve confirmed that on their admissions pages.
• You want the shortest possible test day.

Remember that the ACT Science section is a scientific reasoning test, not a science-knowledge test. Most questions ask you to read charts, graphs, and data; only a handful rely on outside science facts. If you’re on the fence, it’s a low-cost insurance policy: it doesn’t touch your Composite, and it adds a STEM score you can choose to send or not.

Pro tip: Because admissions policies change and vary widely, don’t rely on a blog’s list of “schools that require Science.” Check the testing requirements page for each college on your list, and email admissions if it’s unclear.

I studied for the old ACT. Does my prep still work?

Yes, the vast majority of it does. This is the question almost no other guide answers, so here’s the practical breakdown.

What transfers completely:

• All your content review. Grammar rules, math concepts, reading strategy, and science reasoning are identical. Lessons and notes from Legacy ACT prep are still accurate.
• Your section strategies. Two-pass triage, eliminating trap answers, reading actively in English, and pre-phrasing in Reading all still work.

What to adjust:

• Retrain your pacing. The section lengths and per-question timing changed. Practice with Enhanced-format timing so your internal clock matches the real test.
• Update your Math guessing. With four choices instead of five, elimination is faster and a guess is a better bet. Small mindset shift, real payoff.
• Practice with current-format materials. Use older materials for content review if you like, but do your timed, full-length practice on Enhanced-format sections so nothing on test day surprises you.

The bottom line: you are not starting over. You’re recalibrating timing and one Math habit on top of knowledge that’s still completely valid. A current ACT study schedule can help you slot that recalibration into the weeks you have left.

When did the ACT change? (rollout timeline)

The Enhanced ACT rolled out in stages across 2025 and into 2026. Here is how it happened, according to ACT:

• April 2025: The Enhanced format launched on the online (computer-based) national Saturday test.
• September 2025: The Enhanced format arrived on the paper national Saturday test, and the new three-section Composite calculation began applying to all ACT tests. This marked the full national rollout.
• Spring 2026: ACT State and District testing and ACT International testing transitioned to the Enhanced format.

As of 2026, the rollout is complete. Whichever ACT you sign up for now is the Enhanced ACT.

How to prepare for the Enhanced ACT

Preparing for the Enhanced ACT looks a lot like preparing for any ACT, with a few format-aware tweaks:

1. Take a timed practice test first to get a baseline and feel the new pacing. A free ACT practice test is the easiest place to start.
2. Decide on Science early so you know whether to include it in your practice routine. Check your target colleges before you commit.
3. Build a study schedule that fits your timeline, and practice full sections at Enhanced-format timing. Our full walkthrough on how to prepare for the ACT breaks this down step by step.
4. Use the score calculator to translate raw performance into a Composite as you practice. Our ACT score calculator is already updated for the new three-section Composite.

The Enhanced ACT is shorter and a little more forgiving on timing, but the path to a great score is unchanged: know the content, practice in the current format, and pace yourself. And of course, Magoosh ACT prep can guide you through all of it with lessons and practice built for the Enhanced format.