Changes to the ACT

 

 

 

 

Last week, ACT announced there would be upcoming changes to the test starting in September 2018 for students who are approved for extended time.

Below is the official announcement.

 

ACT National Extended Time and ACT Special Testing Timing Code 6

Examinees approved for National Extended Time or for Timing Code 6 will have 50 percent extended time for each section of the ACT, with a hard stop after each section. Examinees will no longer have to self-pace through the four multiple-choice sections over the allotted five hours. All examinees in the test room will begin the same section at the same time and have the same amount of time to complete that section.

Timing for the writing test isn’t changing. If taking writing, examinees will continue to have 60 minutes (50 percent extended time) to respond to the writing prompt after completing the multiple-choice tests.

 

There are positives and negatives to this change. It depends on the student and their perspective. For instance, taking the ACT self-paced reduced anxiety for some students knowing they did not have a time restraint for each section. It also allowed students to strategize and use more time on their “weaker” sections .

However, having a time restriction can also help students balance their time. Some students use too much on time on a section hurting their overall score in the long run.

Students can still take the self-paced ACT for the June and July ACTs. At Firat Education, we know the best and most efficient test strategies to help students with their scores whether they’re prepping for the ACT this summer or in September when the changes go into effect.