4 Important Changes You Should Know about the New ACT and SAT

Times are changing, and so are college admissions tests. Keep up-to-date with these four important changes you need to know:

ACT Superscoring. In addition to the traditional composite score, the ACT score results will now include the “superscore.” Previously, superscoring could be done by some universities, but now superscoring is done by the ACT and sent to all colleges to where you apply.  The superscore is the combination of the highest section scores from any test attempt.  A superscore will never be lower than the composite score. This is just one reason to consider taking the ACT instead of the SAT, which is dependent on college admissions policy. Read more about Superscoring.

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Online Testing. The SAT and the ACT both are making the switch to online testing. Starting in 2020, the ACT has gone hybrid, offering traditional paper tests and online tests at participating schools and test centers. 
The SAT, currently using the hybrid model, will abandon paper testing altogether and offer only online tests to all domestic and international testers starting in 2024.

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What are the benefits of online testing? Online-testers can get their scores faster than paper-testers: online test scores could be released within the week. That makes looming admission deadlines a little less stressful and possibly result in better scholarship chances by applying early!
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Section Changes. Online testing isn’t the only change coming to the SAT–the test itself is getting a revamp as well. Starting in 2024, the total test time will shrink from 3 hours to just 2. Additionally, the English section will opt for smaller passages with one or two questions, instead of longer passes with many more questions. Currently, the SAT has two math sections, calculator and non-calculator. With the online test, graphing calculators will be embedded in the testing software and testers can use them for both sections of the math test. Probably the most significant change is in the questions themselves, which will become adaptive, increasing or decreasing in difficulty based on the test taker’s performance. 

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Not to be outdone, the ACT is also tweaking its questions. The ACT reading section now had a new question type, called Visual Test Questions (VTQ). VTQs look very similar to science questions and use graphs and tables in addition to passages to test students' quantitative skills.  Want to prepare for the new question types? Take a look at the sample questions offered on the ACT website. 

Updates to the Accommodation Process. In order to conform more closely to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ACT has changed the way they grant accommodations for people with disabilities. Now, eligible students will be automatically granted accommodations based on previously agreed upon school accommodations. Accommodations include increased time per section, separate testing rooms, dictionaries in English and students native language, and more. See ACT's accommodation process here.

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​iLearn Academy can help you navigate the dynamics of college placement testing. Understanding these four changes is key to optimizing your score. Our test prep program helps students evaluate whether superscoring is right for them; whether online testing is the best option in order to submit for early admissions; and we hone your ability to identify and master new question types.