To Compete with SAT, ACT Trials Shorter, Digitized Test in June
In the competitive world of standardized testing, staying ahead means adapting to change. This year, both SAT and ACT embrace shorter as better.
The ACT just introduced an online version of its classic pen-and-paper format. With the SAT’s transition to a shorter format, as well, the ACT is taking another opportunity to match this change. Here's what educators, students, and parents should expect from potential new developments in ACT exam format, based on a recently announced trial in June 2024.
Background
The ACT began to offer an online version of its test in February 2024 at select locations nationwide. While ACT had been administered online internationally since 2018 – so a domestic rollout was inevitable – this move was seen largely as a response to the SAT’s shift to a fully digital format with the October 2023 PSAT.
The shift to a shorter, digital isn't just about keeping up with the Joneses; it's about enhancing the testing experience to align with contemporary educational practices and entice more students to test who don’t necessarily have to in a test-optional admissions landscape.
For instance, online testing presents several advantages:
Familiarity: Students often engage in online coursework and may have conducted statewide grade-level testing digitally, making the transition to a digital SAT or ACT test day less daunting.
Efficiency: Digital tests can improve the pacing of an exam streamline processes like scoring.
Accessibility: Online tests allow for features like screen reading, text-to-speech, and zoom functionality to be embedded in the interface, removing the need for alternative formats to accommodate students with learning disabilities.
Shorter is Better (According to Students)
When the College Board developed and piloted its digital SAT last winter, the biggest win they touted was its shorter administration time. As a student interviewed during the pilot noted,
“It felt a lot less stressful, and whole lot quicker than I thought it'd be,” said Natalia Cossio, an 11th grade student from Fairfax County, VA who participated in the digital pilot. “The shorter passages helped me concentrate more on what the question wanted me to do. Plus, you don’t have to remember to bring a calculator or a pencil."
This was a win not only for students, but for school admins, who (again, amid ascendant test-optional policies) are increasingly viewed by test makers as the end users of college admissions exams.
Unsurprisingly, ACT took note as well. Users registering for the Test Information Release (TIR) associated with the June 8th ACT test date would notice a caveat that recently popped up, announcing a randomized study that some registrants would be offered the opportunity to participate in. This special online testing event would yield a “college-reportable” ACT score on an ACT test “with fewer questions, and more time per question.”
This signals that ACT might trim its test down to match (or beat) SAT’s new 2 hour, 15 minute duration. Curiously, ACT’s announcement says nothing about an adaptive test, which is the assessment philosophy that actually allows SAT to be shorter and still produce thorough, statistically valid performance data.
The Future of the ACT
Another development at ACT this week signaled the testing landscape’s willingness to experiment and change things up. On Wednesday, ACT announced it was “partnering” with a private equity firm and jettisoning the “nonprofit” label as a result.
The first part of this announcement was less surprising: ACT laid off around 10% of its workforce last spring in response to cash troubles, so presumably the partnership with Nexus Capital of Los Angeles will bring a fresh infusion. It will also likely bring a new set of expectations around innovation, industry disruption, and scale. Our sources say most of the PE interest is on the Encoura side of things, so the flagship assessment product (the ACT exam) may remain untouched. (Encoura is an enrollment management platform acquired by ACT in 2018.)
In sum, we should expect ACT to be more responsive than it has traditionally been to shifting market needs. At the end of the day, their goal remains to present a picture of student academic performance that colleges find useful in admissions – but they need to court students themselves to do so. Following the trends of SAT, GRE, LSAT, and GMAT, it’s not surprising that ACT will likely be shortened or condensed to under 3 hours.
Navigating Your Options
Choosing between the ACT and SAT is usually the first step in a student’s test prep journey, and this impending change makes the tests that much harder to differentiate. Our guidance remains for students to start with full-length diagnostic practice tests and an introductory call with our team to discuss the results.
The digitization of the ACT is more than a mere response to the SAT's changes; it's a commitment to meeting students in the digital age. As we venture into this new era of shorter, digital exams, our tutoring programs will continue to provide up-to-date strategies to help students navigate the digital terrain with confidence.
Reach out today and take the first step toward testing success.
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