Is your ACT the one your older sibling sat? It may not be. This article lays out the ACT as ACT, Inc. describes it now, so you know which sections you will face, which are optional and how the composite is built before you plan your practice. The details below are as of October 2026.
What changed from the ACT your sibling sat
ACT, Inc. calls the current test the enhanced ACT. According to ACT's student blog, published in February 2025, the enhanced test has 44 fewer questions overall than the earlier version, and the science section is now optional. The same post says math questions now have four answer choices instead of five, and that the 1 to 36 scale stays the same.
ACT's October 2025 industry post says the enhanced test, online and on paper, was fully rolled out at the September 6 national administration. It also says scores from tests taken before the rollout will not change. If your sibling sat the ACT a few years ago, their test was the earlier version, and their advice about pacing may not fit yours.
The four sections and their timing
ACT's FAQ for the enhanced test gives these section lengths:
| Section | Questions | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| English | 50 | 35 |
| Math | 45 | 50 |
| Reading | 36 | 40 |
| Science | 40 | 40 |
Adding the English, math and reading times from that table gives 125 minutes. Adding science gives 165 minutes. That is arithmetic on ACT's section times and leaves out breaks and any check-in time, so use it only to plan a practice session. ACT's own pages quote different totals for how much shorter the test is, so this article does not rely on a single total from them.
Science is optional, and so is writing
ACT's FAQ says some students may choose not to take the science assessment, which gives them a shorter testing experience while still receiving a valid, college-reportable score. ACT's industry post adds that students can choose whether to take the science and writing sections, and that colleges decide whether they require them.
That last point matters for your plan. ACT does not decide for you whether to take science or writing. The colleges on your list do. Before you register, check each college's admissions page for what it asks for, and let that decide whether you add either section.
How the composite is built now
According to ACT's student blog, the composite now averages the English, math and reading sections. If you take science, your report includes a separate science and STEM score instead of folding science into the composite. ACT's FAQ describes the same change for the superscore, which includes only English, math and reading for students who take the online test.
So when you plan your hours, English, math and reading are the sections that feed the composite. Science still gets reported if you take it, but it does not move the composite.
Paper or online, and which one applies to you
ACT's student blog says students can choose between online and paper testing. ACT's FAQ says that as of September 2025 the enhanced ACT is available on paper for the national Saturday test, and that for state and district testing the enhanced paper test starts in spring 2026. If your school gives the ACT during the school day, your school or district sets the format, so ask your counselor which one you will sit.
Practice in the format you will use. A paper test and an online test ask for different habits, such as marking up a passage with a pencil or working through it on screen.
What stays the same
ACT's student blog says the scale remains 1 to 36 and that the test still covers English, math and reading, with science and writing as the other two parts. ACT's industry post says the ability of the test to predict success in first-year college credit-bearing courses will not change. In plain terms, the enhanced test is a shorter, more flexible version of the same exam, not a different one.
ACT's FAQ describes the score distributions of the earlier composite, which included science, and the updated composite of English, math and reading as consistent. For you, that means a score from the enhanced test is meant to sit on the same 1 to 36 scale that colleges already know.
How to turn the format into a practice plan
Start with the sections that feed your composite. Take one timed section a day for three days: English in 35 minutes, math in 50 and reading in 40. After each one, write down the questions you ran out of time on, not only the ones you got wrong. Pacing is the part of the format you can rehearse most directly, because the question counts and minutes are fixed by the table above.
If you decide to add science, rehearse it separately. It is 40 questions in 40 minutes, so the time per question is one minute, and it is scored apart from the composite. Give it its own practice slot rather than squeezing it in after a long session, so you learn how it feels on its own.
A short check before you prepare
Work through this list before you spend practice hours:
- Confirm with your registration page whether your test date uses the enhanced ACT, on paper or online.
- Decide, with your colleges' requirements in hand, whether you will add science and writing.
- Time yourself on the section lengths in the table above, not on lengths from an older prep book.
- Treat advice from anyone who sat the earlier version as a starting point and check it against ACT's pages.
Exam dates, fees and rules change. Confirm the current details with the official exam body before you act on them.
Sources
- The Enhanced ACT Explained, ACT, Inc. (ACT Student Blog)
- Enhanced ACT FAQs, ACT, Inc.
- The Enhanced ACT Test: What You Need to Know, ACT, Inc. (ACT Industry Insights)
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