ACT Announces New Rules for 2020

ACT Announces New Rules for 2020

By Zach Hester, Reporter • zach@southerntorch.com

USA — Beginning in September 2020, students will have more options than ever when it comes to taking the ACT. 

According to act.org, starting with next year’s school year, students will be able to retake individual sections of the test, take the test online, and allow students to combine section scores to send a “superscore” to the colleges of their choice. 

The ACT is a critical test for college admission and scholarships. The test contains five sections: reading, English, math, science and writing. The writing section is scored out of 12 points, but the other sections are scored out of 36. The scores are then all composited into one score. The test costs $68 with writing, $52 without that section.

The section retesting will allow students who have already taken the test to retake a section that they feel they could improve on, rather than take the entire test again. A price has not yet been determined. 

Online testing options will result in faster scores for students. National test days at ACT centers (selected locations at first) will provide paper and online options. The results are delivered in two days — compared with two weeks for traditional, paper testing.

Finally, superscores will allow students who have taken the test on multiple occasions to combine scores from separate tests to form a better score overall, instead of receiving their score from one test. According to act.org, research shows that superscoring is more predictive of how students will perform in their college courses.

“Students come first at ACT, and these groundbreaking new options will directly benefit them, providing more choices, an improved testing experience and a better opportunity to showcase their readiness and reach their maximum potential,” said Suzana Delanghe, ACT Chief Commercial Officer. “With these changes, ACT is evolving to meet students in the digital world in which they live. We want to do a better job of helping them succeed.” 

For more information, visit act.org.