The ACT is one of the two national tests many colleges use to judge students’

comprehensive skills. It contains four subject areas: English, math, reading and science, with an optional writing test. Traditionally, the ACT required students to retake the whole test if they wanted a better score. However, with the new change, students won’t have to retake the entire test.

Beginning with the September 2020 ACT test, some changes will be made including  retaking sections, ACT superscoring and faster results with ACT online testing. 

ACT section retesting helps students to concentrate their efforts to one specific section

each time they take the ACT. With the current testing format, students have to take the whole test every time, so they have to study every section every time. However, with the new ACT change, students can now choose a section they want to retake and can take that section only. 

“I’ve taken the ACT before, twice,” Senior Katrina Fierro said, “I like that, if you do bad in

one section you can make up by retesting. I was a little disappointed that the changes were made after I took the tests.”

             The second change is superscoring. Superscoring means that students can select each section score and combine it to form a new ACT complete score. Traditionally, the ACT didn’t allow students to do a superscore. They were only allowed to use a whole score that they took, and if they wanted a better score, they had to retake the entire test. Now, students don’t have to.

“I feel disappointed that I couldn’t use the ACT superscoring to my benefit,” Senior

Yashitha Surendranath said, “It’s unfair to the graduating seniors and I personally think I could’ve scored higher with the new ACT policies.”

                The last new change is that the ACT can now be taken in two formats: on paper or online. This gives students the ability to choose how they would like to work on the test, broadening the choice and freedom of the students. Also, if students take the online test, they will receive their score about two business days faster than the paper ACT test.    

“I don’t feel angry toward this new changes because everything has to be changed at

some point,” Senior Sarah Choi said, “It’s true that we don’t get the benefits but thinking of my sister who is in Junior currently, I don’t feel angry that much.”

The new changes in the ACT may or may not help students on their way to college. The

officials of ACT gave a strong positivity of the new change and is certain of the results.