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 first administration of the new digital test in April 2025. but the new paper version of the test went live in September 2025. For students testing outside of the U.S., the test content isn’t changing until April 2026, although the Science section is already optional for international test takers.
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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. In the United States, the only new computer-based version of the exam was released in April of 2025, but the new paper version that mirrors the shorter format and structure of the digital ACT was rolled out in September 2025. Students are still be able to take the exam using bubble sheets and test booklets, but it isn’t the same exam the would have taken prior to September.
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Myth #4: What? The ACT isn't changing!
Fact: The ACT has changed markedly this year! U.S.-based students who took the exam on computer in April 2025 saw a brand new test, and students who took the exam on paper saw the new version starting in September 2025. U.S. students preparing to take either version of the test should now prepare to see the new exam. 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: U.S.-based students taking the paper-and-pencil test received a new ACT that mirrored the structure of the new digital exam.
- Spring 2026: State and District test-takers will begin receiving the new ACT, and the new digital ACT will roll out abroad.
Learn more about how the content of the exam will change here.
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