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What changed on the Enhanced ACT
ACT's Enhanced test keeps the same subjects but cuts the length. According to ACT, the test now takes 75 fewer minutes and has 44 fewer questions, Science is optional, and your Composite now averages English, Math and Reading (ACT Student Blog).
| Section | Legacy questions | Enhanced questions | Legacy minutes | Enhanced minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 75 | 50 | 45 | 35 |
| Math | 60 | 45 | 60 | 50 |
| Reading | 40 | 36 | 35 | 40 |
| Science | 40 (required) | 40 (optional) | 35 | 40 |
Enhanced counts and times are from ACT's test format page. Legacy counts and times are from Magoosh, consistent with ACT's "44 fewer questions."
Other changes worth knowing:
- Math answer choices dropped from five to four (Kaplan).
- Not every question counts. Each section includes field-test questions that aren't scored. On ACT's official practice test, 40 of 50 English, 41 of 45 Math, 27 of 36 Reading and 34 of 40 Science questions are scored (ACT practice test scoring key). The count can differ between test forms.
- Writing stays optional and still doesn't change the Composite (ACT Writing scores).
How scoring works now
Your Composite is the average of English, Math and Reading, rounded to the nearest whole number, with halves rounding up (ACT score guide). If you take Science, you also get a Science score and a STEM score, which is the average of Math and Science. Neither one changes your Composite.
You can turn practice-test answers into section scores and a Composite, including STEM.
When the change happened
- April 5, 2025: the first Enhanced ACT, taken by over 16,000 students online (ACT Industry Insights).
- September 2025: national paper and international tests switched to the new format and Composite (ACT Enhanced ACT FAQs).
- Spring 2026: ACT said the Enhanced ACT would roll out for state and district testing (ACT Student Blog).
What it means for old scores and superscores
ACT says Composite scores from tests taken before the new Composite rollout won't change (ACT). For superscoring, your best section scores can come from any test since September 2016, legacy or Enhanced, and Science isn't part of the superscore Composite (ACT superscore guide). You can combine legacy and Enhanced scores here.
If you have older scores, use the calculator's Old ACT tab to check a four-section Composite, and see how retakes and superscoring work.
Is the Enhanced ACT easier?
Shorter isn't the same as easier. Kaplan writes that "while the enhanced ACT is shorter than the old version, it is not an easier exam" (Kaplan). You do get more time per question: about 42 seconds per English question and about 67 seconds per Math question, compared with 36 and 60 seconds on the legacy test. Those figures are worked out from the section times above. The ACT timing guide has the full breakdown.
What other guides say
What we could confirm:
- ACT's own write-up of the first Enhanced test reports positive student reactions. Keep in mind it comes from the test maker (ACT Industry Insights).
- A test-prep analyst's view of Math: after studying the new Math section, MathChops wrote that students "will still feel a lot of time pressure" and that the test "will feel harder a little earlier than they expect," with fewer basic algebra questions and more quadratics (MathChops).
- Prep companies agree it isn't easier, just shorter and more flexible (Kaplan).
Frequently asked questions
What is the Enhanced ACT?
It's the current version of the ACT. It has 44 fewer questions and takes 75 fewer minutes than the old test. Science is optional, and the Composite averages English, Math and Reading.
What's the difference between the legacy and Enhanced ACT?
The legacy ACT had 215 questions across four required sections, and its Composite averaged all four. The Enhanced ACT has shorter English, Math and Reading sections, makes Science optional, and averages only English, Math and Reading for the Composite.
Does Science count on the Enhanced ACT?
Not toward the Composite. If you take Science, you get a separate Science score and a STEM score, the average of Math and Science.
Do my old ACT scores change?
No. ACT says Composite scores from tests taken before the new Composite rollout will not change.
Is the Enhanced ACT easier?
It's shorter and gives more time per question, but prep companies such as Kaplan say it is not an easier exam.
Related guides
Sources and how this page is built
How this page is built
Research current as of:
Cedrick Reese put together this explainer for TutoringForAct.com from ACT's own announcements, its test format and test-day pages, its superscore guide, and ACT's official practice test key. The legacy question counts come from Magoosh because ACT's current pages no longer list them, and they are checked against ACT's statement of 44 fewer questions. The page is rechecked whenever ACT changes the test format, timing or scoring rules.
Sources
- The Enhanced ACT Explained (ACT Student Blog)
- The ACT test format (ACT)
- Enhanced ACT vs. Legacy ACT (Magoosh)
- ACT Updates: Latest Changes to the Exam (Kaplan, June 22, 2026)
- ACT National Online Practice Test Scoring Key (ACT)
- Understanding ACT Writing Test Scores (ACT)
- Understanding Your ACT Scores (ACT)
- Students Give Vote of Confidence After Taking Enhanced ACT Test (ACT Industry Insights, April 2025)
- Enhanced ACT FAQs (ACT)
- How to Calculate Your ACT Superscore (ACT)
- Enhanced ACT Math Scouting Report (MathChops, May 6, 2025)
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