Changes to the ACT in 2025

In response to the shorter, digital version of the SAT, the ACT announced that they too will be modifying their test.  The two major problems students have with the ACT are (1) it takes too long to complete a full test and (2) they often do not have enough time to answer all the questions.  These changes will tackle these concerns, making the ACT much more competitive with the SAT. 

Here is what we know for sure about the new ACT:

  • The ACT will be about an hour shorter (2 hours of testing instead of 3) thanks to making the sections shorter and making the Science section optional.
  • Composite scores (still given from 1-36 points) will be an average of just the English, Math, and Reading sections.
  • Students will have more time per question.
  • The ACT will continue to offer both paper and digital versions of the test.
  • According to ACT, the changes “will roll out starting with National online testing in spring 2025 and then for school-day testing in spring 2026.”

What do we need to find out about the new ACT?

  • What is the precise design of the updated ACT test?  If it is consistent with the format of the test used in a research study in June of this year, it will likely have these parameters:
    • English:  35 minutes, 50 questions, 5 or 10 questions on each passage
    • Math:  50 minutes, 45 questions
    • Reading:  40 minutes, 36 questions, 9 questions on each passage
    • Optional Science:  45 minutes, 36 questions
  • What sort of ACT practice materials will be provided?  When the SAT changed its format, it made four brand new SAT practice tests available to students prior to the first administered test.  Since the ACT does not routinely make significant updates to its structure, it is unclear how much material they will make available prior to the first test. 
  • When will the switch for the national paper ACTs take place?  The announcement from ACT does not make this clear, only referring to the national online testing.  The switch to the newer format on the national paper tests won’t happen before February of 2025, but it could happen sometime during 2025 or even early 2026.  We will have to wait and see. 
  • How will colleges use ACT scores?  Our best guess is that the ACT composite score with just the English, Math, and Reading sections will be sufficient.  However, students who want to demonstrate their competency for science-related majors may be well-served by doing the ACT science. 

What should students do about the new ACT? 

  • Rising seniors in the class of 2025 do not need to do anything.  These changes will go into effect after college applications have been submitted. 
  • Rising juniors in the class of 2026 may want to try the paper ACT before it goes away; they can also try the updated ACT when it is convenient do so.  When the SAT changed to its digital format, many students took advantage of trying both the paper SAT before it went away and the newer digital SAT.  It is highly likely that colleges will accept scores from either the newer ACT or the current ACT.  When students prepare for the new ACT, they will likely be able to use existing practice materials; they can try working through them at a slightly slower pace to reflect the more generous time constraints on the new ACT. 
  • Underclassmen—classes of 2027 and later—may want to wait to begin focused preparation on the ACT until there is more information available.  If a highly motivated sophomore wants to take the longer ACT before it goes away, they might go ahead and give it a try. 

Please reach out to us with questions you may have about these major changes to the ACT and how they affect your testing plans.    

Preparing for the Digital PSAT

Schools across the United States will administer the new Digital PSAT/NMSQT for the first time this October. Unlike in previous years, schools have much more flexibility in scheduling the PSAT when it is convenient for their students. Accordingly, some schools will have the PSAT early in the month and some later in the month. What are some specific things students can do to prepare for the Digital PSAT?

  1. Download the Bluebook Application and take one full-length Digital PSAT. Doing this will help students become familiar with the computer interface of the new PSAT, with its built-in calculator, timer, highlighter, annotating features, and more. Students will also become comfortable with the adaptive format and pace for the Digital PSAT. In general students will feel more comfortable with the timing on this test, so they should try to slow down instead of speed up.
  2. Take additional Bluebook SAT tests as needed–there are four available in the Bluebook application that students may try. The timing and format of the Digital PSAT and Digital SAT are identical; the only major difference between the two tests is in the allocation of math concepts, with the Digital SAT having slightly more advanced material. So, by trying Digital SATs, students will be well-prepared for the Digital PSAT.
  3. Practice with the Barron’s Digital PSAT review book. I made four full-length practice PSATs that students can try, along with a wealth of review exercises.

For further free Digital PSAT resources, check our page here. Best of luck to everyone taking the upcoming Digital PSAT!

Digital SAT Tutoring Myths and Facts

The SAT will be making the most significant change in its history when it switches from a linear, paper-based test to an adaptive, computer-based test in March of 2024 for students in the United States.  Given this overhaul, many tutors and test prep companies may not present the reality of what high quality Digital SAT and Digital PSAT test preparation should entail.  Let’s break down the three biggest Digital SAT Myths and set the facts straight. 

Myth #1:  You can use the same materials to prepare for the Digital SAT as you did for the paper SAT. 

Fact:  The Digital SAT has many never-before-seen SAT question types that require a complete overhaul to current test prep. 

The Digital SAT has many new types of questions:

  • Rhetorical Synthesis writing questions that ask you to integrate information to accomplish a task
  • Targeted Quantitative and Textual Evidence questions that ask you to determine what would support or undermine an argument
  • Poetry, Humanities, and Drama Analytical Reading questions
  • Mathematics questions that allow the use of a built-in Desmos Calculator
  • Individual Digital SAT reading/writing questions accompanied by short texts of no more than 150 words (instead of the current multi-question passages of up to 750 words)

Given all these changes, using the same old books and materials as used with the current SAT will not work.  To make the changes even more significant, a major source of material for many test prep providers will no longer be available.  The Question-and-Answer Service currently allows students who take the SAT in March, May, or October to pay for access to their test booklets and answers.  Many test prep providers make copies of these booklets and use them as the material for their students.  The College Board is putting an end to this practice by no longer having the Question-and-Answer service.  Periodically, new practice tests will be made available online, but there will be far less material available directly from the test makers. Given this lack of material, many test prep providers may suggest that the paper-based Question and Answer services will work to prepare students for the Digital SAT.  While there are some overlaps in the math and grammar content of the old SAT and the Digital SAT, it would be a disservice to students to not have a new body of material ready to go for the redesigned test. 

Myth #2:  The same strategies and methods that worked on the paper SAT will work on the Digital SAT. 

Fact:  The adaptive nature and new interface of the Digital SAT demand major changes to testing strategies and instructional methods. 

The Digital SAT will have a section-adaptive format in which the second module of the Reading/Writing and the second module of the Math will be easier or more difficult depending on the student’s performance on the earlier module of each type.  This means that each question will have more of an impact on the score and that students may feel more stressed when they try to predict whether they are taking the easier or more difficult module.  Digital SAT tutors should be able to help students develop a personalized plan to manage their pacing and test anxiety given these new parameters.

The Digital SAT has an extremely useful Desmos calculator embedded into its interface, enabling students to use new approaches to attack inequalities, systems of equations, parabola problems, and absolute value questions.  A high-quality Digital SAT tutor can show students how to fully take advantage of this new calculator tool, along with other embedded tools like the annotation feature, answer-eliminator, and countdown timer. 

Currently, the strategies for the paper-based SAT reading passages are geared towards helping students focus for longer periods of time to absorb the general meaning of a 750-word text.  Also, students on the paper-based SAT can skip around on questions when they don’t fully understand the meaning of the text, trying more specific and easier questions before attempting broader and more difficult questions on a given passage.  With the Digital SAT reading questions, students will need to think deeply about shorter selections of text and thoroughly consider argumentative evidence on several questions.  There will also be a much greater emphasis on vocabulary knowledge with words-in-context questions, so students should be sure to bolster their knowledge of complex words.  Tutors must update their instruction to reflect the new reading comprehension strategies needed to succeed on the Digital SAT. 

Myth #3:  Everyone should just take the ACT since it is familiar. 

Fact:  Tutors should recommend the Digital SAT or the ACT based on what is best for the student, not for the tutor. 

The ACT has remained in roughly its current form for many years, and there is a wealth of preparation books and released tests available for students and tutors to use.  Since the Digital SAT represents a true revolution in test prep, the business models of many tutors may be at risk—they will no longer have the Question-and-Answer services available from College Board to create their curriculum.  Thus, many tutors may recommend that students steer clear of the Digital SAT.  While the ACT may be better for some students and the Digital SAT better for others, be wary of those who may recommend the ACT simply because it has been around for longer.  Many students will like the new format of the Digital SAT and should not be dissuaded from trying it simply because a switch to this test would be inconvenient for the tutor. 

If you need help preparing for the Digital SAT, we at BWS Education are ready to go with updated methods and materials to help you do your very best. We had the first publication about the Digital SAT to market in August of 2022, a comprehensive Digital PSAT book released in May of 2023, and an upcoming Digital SAT book coming out in August of 2023. All these books have questions and strategies fully aligned with the very latest information from College Board.  We have also compiled a wealth of free Digital SAT Resources for anyone to use.  When you prep with BWS, you will work with tutors who are at the very cutting edge of the transformation of the SAT.  We look forward to working with you. 

Columbus GRE Tutoring and Test Preparation

We are pleased to announce that we are now offering GRE tutoring to clients in the greater Columbus, Ohio area and in the greater Indianapolis, Indiana area.  Several of our newly hired tutors scored exceptionally well on the GRE, and are available to tutor students applying to graduate school.  GRE tutoring is currently offered at $80 per hour with an associate tutor.  Please fill out our registration form to get started:

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3 Things Students Can Do to Prepare for the New 2015 PSAT

What should students do to prepare for the new PSAT?

1. Read widely and deeply. Students should read texts from a variety of content areas, from world literature to natural science, to become familiar with the types of materials they will encounter. The PSAT reading will not be difficult for most students to finish, so they should focus on learning to read well rather than read quickly.

2. Learn grammar fundamentals. Many students have not had thorough training in grammar. The new PSAT will expect students to thoroughly understand proper punctuation, parallelism, subject-verb agreement, and a host of other topics. Since grammar is often not taught in depth at many schools, students may want to review independently.

3. Brush up on algebra and statistics. There is very little geometry and trigonometry on the new PSAT. If someone is trying to qualify for a National Merit Scholarship, they will want to study geometry so they can be prepared for the handful of questions that will arise. If someone has more moderate goals, they can emphasize algebraic and statistical fundamentals.