SAT and ACT: Navigating the Constant Changes

By: Stephanie Handley

Every day, it seems, headlines announce new information about the SAT and ACT.

Since its debut in 1926, the SAT has become almost a rite of passage in American culture, joined in 1959 by the ACT.

But in 2020, most colleges and universities dropped their testing requirements, partly due to accessibility during the pandemic but also in response to longstanding questions about the test’s fairness for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Since 2020, however, the issue has become complicated: some schools remain “test-blind,” others have gone “test-optional,” and a growing number of elite colleges have returned to requiring tests. The tests themselves are changing. And navigating these changes has become more confusing than ever.

Do the SAT and ACT Still Matter?

It depends. 

Many schools—including the CSU and UC systems—remain “test-blind”: they won’t consider SAT and ACT scores even if students send them.

A growing number of elite schools—including Brown, Caltech, Cornell, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, NYU, Purdue, Stanford, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Texas, and Yale—have announced a return to requiring standardized test scores.

And many “test-optional” schools fall somewhere in between: students can, but do not have to, submit test scores.

While there is no single answer as to whether students should send scores, SAT and ACT scores can still provide valuable information about college preparedness and complex-problem solving and communication skills. They’re also considered in context of a student’s family and school background, so what might seem like a “low score” can still benefit some students.

The New Digital SAT

The SAT, now offered only in a digital format, is shorter (two hours and 14 minutes). The reading passages are shorter, too: each question is based on its own 25–150 word passage.

The math section now allows students to use an embedded graphing calculator for the entire test. 

You may have heard that the test is “adaptive.” The term is a bit misleading, as the test does not “adapt” based on students’ responses to each individual question. All students receive various but equally challenging versions of Module 1 for each section of the test; students’ performance on Module 1 determines whether they get the “easy” or “hard” version of Module 2 in each section.

Upcoming Changes to the ACT

In July 2024, the ACT announced that they, too, would be rolling out changes to their exam. The test will be shorter, both in length (losing about 44 questions) and time (now only two hours and 5 minutes), giving students more time per question. On the math section, students will select from four, rather than five, answer choices. The biggest change is that the science portion of the exam will be optional.

These changes will go into effect starting in April 2025 for students who take the computerized version of the test and in September 2025 for students who take the paper version.

Elite Prep Can Help

You don’t have to navigate all these changes alone. Elite Prep offers a variety of SAT and ACT test preparation programs, and our world-renowned curriculum, including a digital SAT testing platform,  is closely aligned with the most recent versions of the exams. Our experienced college counselors can help you make the right test-related decisions for your child and their future goals.

eliteprep.com/irvine | (949) 252-9124 | irvine@eliteprep.com

Elite Prep's Newport Beach branch is located at Jamboree and the 73, and we’re eager to meet you and your students this winter, whether you’re interested in Digital SAT classes, AP and Honors courses for credit, Elite College Consulting, ACT classes, Elite Premier Tutoring, LEAD Extracurriculars, or High School and Middle School Enrichment courses.

eliteprep.com/irvine| (949) 252-9124 |irvine@eliteprep.com