Discover How the Digital Version of the ACT Affects Future College Applicants

Summary:

The ACT is now available in a digital format. This article provides you with the updates, changes, and status of the transition.

Key Points:

• The digital ACT offers more accessibility features and maintains the same cost, subjects, and timing as the paper version.
• Students can now choose between taking the ACT in digital or paper format, with no significant difference in scoring or preparation strategies.
• New college application trends include second early decision options and increased emphasis on diverse extracurricular activities like volunteering and internships.

The SAT was created in 1926 (nearly 100 years ago) as a means for college recruitment boards to gauge the intelligence of potential scholars. On the other hand, the ACT was created more than thirty years later (in 1959) as a direct competitor to the SAT. The difference being that the ACT wouldn’t just test cognitive reasoning, it would test information learned in school. In fact, part of the purpose of the ACT was to provide other colleges and public universities with an admissions exam to use, as the SAT was only used by selective institutions located in the northeast. 

Remarkably, the SAT was taken by more than 1.9 million students in the graduating high school class of 2023. Conversely, the ACT was taken by nearly 1.4 million students in the same year. 

As the world moves onward toward complete digital conversion, the SAT and ACT are not to be overlooked, as both programs are working toward digital conversions this year. Here, we provided color on the SAT’s digital conversion. 

Before we take a look at what differences digitizing the ACT is bringing, and what other college applications are on the horizon, it should be noted that the digital version of the ACT has been available internationally for a number of years, only recently being updated for Americans.

Let’s review the updates.

Digital Updates to the ACT

Adaptive: No, unlike the SAT, the online version of the ACT is NOT adaptive (meaning, the questions don’t get harder or easier depending on how well you’re doing).

Advantage of online testing: The main advantage of online testing is that you have a choice in how you test. There are some additional advantages to taking the online test, too: 

• Your testing experience can align with your test prep experience. Many of the ACT’s test prep options, including free practice exams, offer online components. Sitting down with a computer at a test center on test day will feel similar to preparing at home. 
• You may have taken the ACT online as part of school-day testing. If you have, you will experience many similarities when taking the national online test option. With online testing, you may have already noticed enhancements like seamless pacing, improved efficiency, and streamlined essay writing.
  

Choice: The governing board of the ACT, (called ACT, Inc.) is now offering you a choice between testing formats: traditional paper and pencil or online testing. This means you can maximize your performance and confidence by taking the ACT in the way that feels best for you. 

Cost: Whether you sign up for the paper or digital format, the ACT will cost the same, which means that fee waivers will also apply to either format of the test.

Enhanced Accessibility: An online option allows you additional accessibility features, including support for screen reader users, text-to-speech functionality, zoom, and answer masking. These are not "features" for many students, but necessities for equal access. By offering an online option, more students are able to meet their goals for academic and career success.

Location:  If you choose to take an online test, you will need to register to do so at a nearby testing center. You are not permitted to use your own computer, so you must use one that is provided to you.

Registering: Registering for an ACT test date will be largely the same. The only difference now is that you will have the option to select if you’d like to complete an online test or a paper test.

Score: Score reports will not be available any sooner through the digital format, you will still receive scores through their ACT accounts and can use super scores at schools that accept them.

Subjects: The ACT will still test you on the same range of subjects — math, English, reading, and science. 

Test Preparation: The overall strategies for preparing for the ACT remain largely the same as the digital format. The tried-and-tested approaches, such as mastering grammar rules (content) and employing strategies (such as the process of elimination) are still vital.

Time: You will still have the same amount of time to complete the ACT, whether online or on paper.

The digital evolution of the ACT test brings with it many questions and considerations for you and your parents. As you navigate this transition, it's important to understand the implications to make informed decisions.

How Does a Digital ACT Impact Students?

You should ask yourself several crucial questions as you prepare:

• Do I need to take a standardized test?
• Should I take the ACT or the SAT?
• When should I take the test? Ideally, students should aim for at least two official administrations of the ACT or SAT and have completed at least two marking periods of Algebra II before attempting their first official exam.
• Which version of the test should I take: paper and pencil or digital? Will both be available at the time I'm testing?

All these questions are vital to ensure you make the choices that are right for you. This handy online university tracker will help you keep all your options organized by university. But how else is the college application process evolving?

Other Updates to the College Application Process

Beyond updates to the ACT, there are a number of other college applications trends on the horizon to be aware of:

Some schools are moving beyond using a single early decision method to create a second early decision option. Early decision is the process of choosing one university to be your top choice through a binding commitment to enroll. If you get accepted, you are required to attend that school. 

Second early decision means that if you don’t get into the first school chosen for early decision, you can choose a second early decision option, with the understanding that this school’s acceptance would also be binding. 

Future scholars are diversifying their extracurricular activities to set themselves apart. These can include:

• Acting as a tutor to serve underprivileged communities.
• Taking college prep courses online to determine subjects that interest you, while also demonstrating your work ethic.
• Volunteering at local non-profit organizations.
• Job shadowing or interning at local businesses that interest you.
• Finding a mentor that works in an industry that you potentially see yourself working in.

With the fast-paced innovations in technology that the world is seeing, it’s no wonder that college preparation methods, including the ACT and pre-college programs offered online, are turning digital. These are exciting times for digital natives like you to begin your collegiate journey.  Good luck!