The science section of the ACT exam will now be optional

JULY 19, 2024

By Ayana Archie

NPR

Summary of "The Science Section of the ACT Exam Will Now Be Optional"

In a significant change to the ACT exam, the science section will now be optional, and the exam duration will be shortened. This announcement, made by the ACT organization, aims to provide more flexibility for students and reduce test fatigue.

Key Changes

Optional Science Section: The science section, traditionally a core part of the ACT exam, will become optional starting with online testing in spring 2025 and "school-day" testing in spring 2026. This change follows the precedent set in 2005 when the writing section was also made optional. Students now have the option to choose between several versions of the test: the ACT core exam (including reading, math, and English), the ACT plus writing, the ACT plus science, or the ACT plus science and writing. This flexibility allows students to highlight their strengths and showcase their abilities more effectively.

Shortened Exam Duration: The duration of the ACT core exam will be reduced from three hours to two hours. This reduction will be achieved by shortening reading passages and eliminating 44 questions. The goal is to make the testing experience more manageable for students, helping them perform better without the fatigue that typically accompanies longer exams.

Scoring and Format: Despite these changes, the scoring system will remain the same. Each subject will still be scored on a scale from 1 to 36, with the composite score being the average of the core subjects. Students will continue to have the choice of taking the test online or using the traditional paper and pencil method.

Implications

These changes come in response to declining ACT scores, which reached their lowest in over three decades in 2023, indicating a lack of student preparedness for college-level coursework. By making the science section optional and reducing the test duration, the ACT organization aims to alleviate some of the pressures associated with the exam and help students perform to the best of their abilities.

For further reading, the full article can be accessed at NPR.

Original Article

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OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com