Reactions from the First Digital ACT
Saturday marked the debut of the new, digital Enhanced ACT. We’ve gathered reactions and insights from those who took the test, and here’s the lowdown on what they experienced.
Overall Format: Familiar—but with Variations
No curveballs in the format itself. Students who prepped using the ACT Online Testing system felt right at home navigating the digital interface. While there were at least three different form codes floating around, nothing structural was unexpected. Chalk one up for solid prep and transparency from ACT on this front.
ENGLISH: Legacy Vibes
ACT went with a 6-passage setup: four passages with 10 questions each and two with 5 questions each. This section stayed true to the classic ACT format—very close to the legacy version (the one we know and sort of love). No big surprises here, and most students felt it was a fair representation of what they’d practiced.
MATH: The Plot Thickens
This section was the talk of the breakroom. As predicted, the reduced number of questions and answer choices (down from five to four) led to a noticeable shift in difficulty. Fewer questions, more time per item… but to keep scores stable, ACT had to up the ante. And they did.
The difficulty ramped up fast—what used to feel like a gradual climb now felt like a cliff, with harder problems showing up as early as the teens. On top of that, students faced unfamiliar concepts, including:
Volume of a right circular cone
Volume of a pyramid
Linear correlation coefficient
Linear regression (without the help of Desmos!)
We suspect some of these were experimental, but students still had to wrestle with them mid-test. Standard content area ratios remained consistent, but overall, this section felt tougher than usual.
READING: A New Order
The question types stayed the same, but the passage mix changed. Traditionally, ACT Reading rolled out in this order: Literary Narrative, Social Science, Humanities, Natural Science.
On Saturday, students saw:
Literary Narrative
Literary Narrative (again!)
Informational (non-narrative)
Informational (dual passage)
The dual passage was different too: 2 questions on Passage A, 3 on Passage B, and 4 comparing both. It’s hard to say definitively whether this shift made the section harder, but based on student reactions, the unfamiliar structure definitely added some complexity.
SCIENCE: Optional, But Old-School
Students who opted into the Science section reported a strangely familiar experience—in a good way. The passage types and structure were nearly identical to pre-2016 ACTs:
3 Data Representation (5 questions each)
3 Research Summaries (6 questions each)
1 Conflicting Viewpoints (6 questions)
In a sea of change, Science was the calm. It felt like the one section where students could breathe.
Bottom Line
If you’re planning to take the digital ACT in the coming months, here’s our advice:
Get comfortable with the online platform. ACT Online Testing is your best friend.
Take math prep seriously—especially if you’re used to Desmos or haven't seen regression concepts before.
Don’t expect your old reading strategies to carry over seamlessly. New structure = new rhythm.
Science (if you choose it) might be the most straightforward section.
This test is evolving, and this first sitting gave us a lot of insight. We’ll keep collecting data and sharing tips as more students take the plunge. If you’ve got questions or want to talk strategy, we’re always here.