In July of last year, ACT's CEO Janet Godwin made a momentous announcement: the ACT is changing. While the SAT has undergone numerous revisions over the past few decades, the ACT has more or less retained its essential form, albeit with the addition of an essay. Even the computer-based version of the exam introduced in 2018 maintains the format and structure of the original paper-based test—it's just on computer instead. There's a pretty good chance that a randomly chosen ACT English question from 20 years ago is still good practice for today's ACT.
All of that is changing, though, and as facts about the upcoming new ACT trickle through the internet, so do rumors. So, fact or fiction? Here's the truth about five common myths surrounding the new ACT.
Myth #1: All versions of the ACT are changing NOW.
Fact: The earliest changes to the exam rolled out with the April 2025 administration in the United States, but U.S. test-takers do still have the option to take the classic paper version of the ACT until September 2025. For students testing outside of the U.S., nothing is changing until September 2025.
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Myth #2: The new digital ACT is the same as the computer-based ACT already available.
Fact: The new digital ACT varies significantly from the computer-based exam currently administered. The new exam features shorter English and Reading passages and is shorter as a whole—approximately two hours long as compared to the nearly three-hour length of the current exam. The Science section is optional for students taking the new version of the exam and is no longer factored into the composite score.
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Myth #3: The computer-based version of the exam is changing, but the paper-based version is not.
Fact: The rollout of the new ACT is occurring in stages. It’s true that in the United States, the new computer-based version of the exam was released in April of 2025, but that U.S.-based students will still continue to have the option to take the same version of the paper-and-pencil test that exists now. However, ACT has announced that starting in September 2025 it will release a new paper version that mirrors the shorter format and structure of the upcoming digital ACT. Students will still be able to take the exam using bubble sheets and test booklets, but it won’t be the same exam they’re taking today.
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Myth #4: What? The ACT isn't changing!
Fact: Changes to the ACT have already begun to roll out! U.S.-based students who took the exam on computer in April 2025 saw a brand new test. Students preparing to take either the paper version of the test or an ACT administered abroad should prepare to see the new version in September 2025. You can read about the changes here.
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Myth #5: You won't be able to take the ACT on paper after September 2025.
Fact: ACT has announced that it's committed to continuing to provide a paper version of the new test for U.S.-based students who prefer not to test on computer—at least, for the foreseeable future. For some years now, students testing abroad have only had the option of testing on computer, and all evidence indicates that will continue to be the case.
Just the facts
So, in a nutshell, what's happening? Here's the timeline for the rollout of the new ACT.
- April 2025: The new digital ACT was rolled out for National online testers. Students taking a paper version of the exam and students testing abroad continue to receive the same exam as in past years.
- September 2025: The new digital ACT will be rolled out abroad, and students taking the paper-and-pencil test will receive an ACT that mirrors the structure of the new digital exam.
- Spring 2026: State and District test-takers will begin receiving the new ACT.
Learn more about how the content of the exam will change here.
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