How to Prepare for the ACT (Updated for the 2025 Changes to the ACT)

The ACT has long been a rite of passage for college-bound students, but as of 2025, the ACT changed significantly, so it’s important that you are referencing the most up-to-date resources for your ACT prep.

The 2025 changes to the test’s format are some of the most significant adjustments the test has seen in many years, but overall they are a welcome change for many students, as they’ve made the ACT shorter, more flexible, and less stressful.

Below you’ll find everything you need to know about the current ACT format, timing, scoring—plus a comparison to the SAT (which also underwent significant changes in 2024)—to help make sure you know how to prepare for the ACT to get your best score.

Table of Contents

• What is the format of the ACT?
• Should I take ACT Science?
• Should I take ACT Writing?
• How long is the ACT?
• Is the ACT digital or on paper?
• How is the ACT scored?
• What are the changes on the ACT in 2025?
• How can I use old ACT practice tests in my prep?
• How does the 2025 ACT compare to the digital SAT?
• When should I start preparing for the ACT in 2025?

What is the format of the ACT?

The ACT tests 5 subject areas (but only 3 of which are required and 2 of which are optional).

Required:

• English – grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and rhetorical skills.
• Math – algebra, geometry, and basic trigonometry.
• Reading – comprehension of passages from fiction and nonfiction.

Optional:

• Science – interpreting data, charts, and experiments (no advanced science knowledge required).
• Writing – an essay analyzing different perspectives on a topic.

As of April 2025, the Science test is optional on the digital ACT. As of September 2025, the Science test is optional on the paper ACT. As of 2026, it is optional on school and district testing.

So should I take the ACT Science test?
With the Science test now optional and not averaged into your overall score, you may wonder whether or not you should take it. In general, we recommend that students who plan to major in science AND/OR who believe they can score above the 90th percentile on ACT Science take the Science test.

Should I take the ACT Writing test?
The ACT Writing test (an essay) has been optional for some time and very few colleges require it, but if you are a strong writer applying for competitive programs or are looking to score scholarships, you likely will want to consider the Writing test to enhance your application. (Note that it may not be your choice: your high school may require you to take the ACT essay if it’s using the ACT to meet state testing standards).

How long is the ACT?

If you take just the English, Math, and Reading tests, total ACT testing time is 2 hours and 5 minutes.

If you take the English, Math, Reading, and Science tests, total ACT testing time is 2 hours and 40 minutes.

And if you take the English, Math, Reading, Science and Writing tests, the total ACT testing time is 3 hours and 20 minutes.

The number of questions, time per section and time per question on the ACT breaks down like this:

Prior to April 2025, the ACT was 2 hours 55 minutes without Writing, and 3 hours 35 minutes with Writing. So if you are looking at older practice exams, here’s the breakdown you’ll see on those ACT tests:

English: 45 minutes (75 questions)
Math: 60 minutes (60 questions)
Reading: 35 minutes (40 questions)
Science: 35 minutes (40 questions)
Writing: 40 minutes (1 essay)

Is the ACT digital or on paper?

Unlike the SAT, which has moved almost all students over to the digital version of the test, the ACT says it plans to continue to give students the choice to take the ACT on the computer or on paper.

Note that if you are taking the test in 2025, the Science section will be optional on the digital ACT starting in April 2025 and optional on the paper ACT starting in October 2025, so choose wisely if you are hoping to avoid the Science section.

How is the ACT scored?

The ACT is scored on a scale of 1-36 for each section of English, Math, Reading, and Science. Your overall composite score is an average of your section scores of English, Math and Reading.

As of 2025, Science is not included in your overall composite score, but is provided as a separate score from 1-36 if you take the Science test.

Examples:
Pre-2025:
English: 26
Math: 28
Reading: 22
Science: 20
Composite score: 24

2025 and after:
English: 26
Math: 28
Reading: 22
Science: 20
Composite score: 26

As you can see, whether or not Science is included in your composite score can impact your score significantly.

ACT scaled scores from 1-36 correspond to different raw scores (number of questions correct), and the correspondence varies from test to test to account for slight differences in difficulty. Each test has a specific conversion between raw scores and scaled scores.

Our ACT score calculator can help you easily calculate your estimated score on ACT tests both for tests before 2025, and for 2025 and later.

ACT Writing is scored on a scale from 2-12 and is the sum of the scores of two essay graders who each score your essay from 1-6.

There is no penalty for guessing on the ACT, so make sure you put down an answer for each question.

What are the changes on the ACT in 2025?

The key takeaway? The ACT isn’t changing what it’s testing, just how it tests. The best way to prepare is to keep practicing with up-to-date resources that reflect these changes.

Key changes:

• ACT Science Test is optional as of April 2025 for the digital test and October 2025 for the paper test.
• The overall test is shorter by 44 questions.
• ACT English Test is shorter with 50 questions instead of 75 questions.
• ACT Math Test is shorter with 45 questions instead of 60 questions.
• ACT Reading Test is shorter with 36 questions instead of 40 questions.
• More time is allowed per question.
• ACT Math Test answer choices are reduced to 4 options from 5 options.
• ACT Math Test includes fewer advanced topics questions.

What’s staying the same on the ACT in 2025?

• The ACT includes the same question types (all multiple choice) and covers the same topics as prior ACTs.
• The ACT score scale remains 1-36 for section scores and the composite score.
• The ACT will still be standardized and present questions in order, without adapting to whether you get a question right or wrong, instead of being an adaptive test like the digital SAT.

How to continue to use old ACT practice tests for studying:

It’s likely that you’ll find pre-2025 ACT tests to be more challenging from an endurance perspective: there are more questions and fewer time per question. However, because the topics tested on the ACT are largely the same, using older practice tests in your prep is certainly fine, and may even be a confidence booster when you move to the more manageable test.

However, older tests are not good for practicing your pacing strategies without modification. The good news is they are easy to modify by just completing the number of questions per section in the new time limits as listed in the chart above.

For example, instead of doing 75 English questions, complete 50 questions in the new time limit and use our ACT score calculator to convert how many questions you got right to a scaled score equivalent from 1-36.

Pro tip: We recommend you skip the first questions in each section of an older ACT test to adjust to the right number of questions (i.e. do questions 26-75 instead of questions 1-50, since the first questions in an ACT section tend to be on the easier side.)

How does the 2025 ACT compare to the digital SAT?

The ACT and SAT now look much more similar than they did in the past. Still you might find that you prefer one or the other. Take both a practice ACT and SAT early in your prep to see which test feels more natural to you.

A few key differences between the tests:

• You still have the option to take the ACT on paper, whereas this is not an option for the SAT.
• The ACT contains longer reading passages with several questions on each, whereas the current version of the SAT includes only very short reading passages with one question per passage.
• The ACT breaks out Reading and English, whereas the SAT combines them into one section.
• The ACT has an optional Science section, which allows future STEM students to show off.

When should I start preparing for the ACT in 2025?

The earlier, the better. We recommend starting 3-6 months before your target test date.

Start with small, achievable goals: 20-30 minutes of prep a day goes a long way.

Make sure you also practice full-length, timed tests to build endurance—but don’t burn yourself out by doing more than one full-length exam a week. Every 2-4 weeks is better unless you are very short on time.

Whether you’re starting fresh or fine-tuning your strategy, a solid study plan includes:

• Review the ACT format: Make sure you understand any changes to the timing, sections, or content.
• Focus on content review: Brush up on algebra, geometry, reading comprehension, and grammar skills.
• Learn ACT-specific strategies: Practice pacing, guess strategically, and stay laser-focused under pressure.
• Take full-length practice tests: And make them timed. This is non-negotiable.You can find free official practice tests from the ACT here.

Our free ACT study schedules provide a step-by-step guide for managing your time throughout your study period and improving your score. You’ve got this!