ACT Science Is Now Optional in 2026

The ACT's new format — which began rolling out in spring 2025 and is transitioning to school-day testing in spring 2026 — drops Science from the composite score. The Composite is now the average of English, Math, and Reading only. Science is still available as a separate section for $4 more, but your 1–36 score no longer depends on it. The test is also significantly shorter: 171 questions instead of 215, and about 2 hours instead of 3. Here's what every student taking the ACT right now needs to know.

If you took the ACT a year or two ago, the test you took is not the test being offered in 2026. The ACT has undergone its most significant structural change in decades, and the rollout is happening right now.

Here's what actually changed, why it matters, and what you should do about it.

The New ACT at a Glance

The core ACT now tests three sections: English, Math, and Reading. Science is optional. Your composite score — the single 1–36 number that colleges see — is the average of those three sections only.

SectionOld QuestionsNew QuestionsOld TimeNew Time
English757545 min45 min
Math604560 min50 min
Reading403635 min40 min
Science (optional)404035 min40 min

Total without science: 171 questions, 135 minutes of testing time. Total with science: 211 questions, 175 minutes.

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The math section loses 15 questions but keeps 50 of the original 60 minutes, which effectively gives you more time per question. Reading shrinks slightly in questions but gains 5 minutes — also more time per question. The overall result is that the new ACT gives test-takers 22% more time per question than the old format.

What the Optional Science Section Actually Means

The science section still exists. You can still take it. You will still receive a separate science score (1–36). But that score does not affect your composite.

What this means practically:

  • If a college you're applying to requires or recommends an ACT science score, you should take the section
  • If no colleges on your list request it, skipping science is a reasonable choice — it saves you about 40 minutes and $0 (the core test is $68; science adds $4)
  • If you are in competitive STEM programs or applying to engineering, pre-med, or science-heavy majors at selective schools, verify whether the department or program wants to see your science score separately

The safest move for students who are undecided about their school list: pay the $4 and take the science section. It provides optionality without meaningful extra preparation burden.

Some colleges have begun specifying whether they want the ACT science score for certain programs. Check each school's admissions website directly — don't assume the composite is the only number they review. STEM-focused programs at state flagships are most likely to still use the science score for placement or scholarship decisions.

The Rollout Timeline (Why This Matters Right Now)

The new ACT format has been phasing in:

  • April 2025: National online Saturday tests switched to the new format
  • September 2025: All national Saturday testing (online and paper) moved to new format
  • Spring 2026: School-day testing transitions to the new format

This spring transition is happening now. If you are a junior taking the ACT through your school during a school-day administration in spring 2026, you are taking the new format — fewer questions, no mandatory science, different timing.

If you have been using older practice tests or prep books that were printed before 2025, your materials may not reflect the current test structure. Check publication dates.

How to Prepare for the New Format

The content knowledge tested in English, Math, and Reading has not changed significantly. What has changed is the question count and timing, which affects test-taking strategy.

Math: 45 questions in 50 minutes is roughly 67 seconds per question — up from 60 seconds. This is meaningful time for harder problems. You can slow down slightly on complex questions without the same time pressure as before.

Reading: 36 questions in 40 minutes is about 67 seconds per question — up from 52 seconds under the old format. The passages are also slightly shorter. Skimming less and reading more carefully is now viable.

Math answer choices: The new format uses four choices per question instead of five. This slightly changes the elimination strategy on guesses.

The best free preparation resource for the new format is directly from ACT: their official practice materials have been updated to match the current test. Start there before buying third-party books.

See our full ACT prep guide for a breakdown of study strategies by section, and our ACT test dates for 2026–2027 to find your next available test window.

SAT vs. ACT: Does the Science Change Anything?

If you were on the fence between the SAT and ACT before, the science change might slightly favor the ACT for students who dislike science reasoning questions. Removing science from the composite eliminates what was often students' weakest section.

On the other hand, the digital SAT has been fully established since 2024 and has its own adaptive format advantages. The choice between the two tests still comes down to which format plays to your strengths.

Our SAT vs. ACT guide walks through exactly how to make this decision based on your skill profile, not general advice.

If you previously scored in the 25–30 range on ACT Science but were strong in English and Reading, your new composite under the revised format could look different than your old composite — possibly better. If you are retaking the ACT in 2026, calculate your projected new composite before assuming your old score was your ceiling.

What About the Schools That Reinstated Test Requirements?

The shift to the new ACT format is happening at the same moment many colleges are reversing course on test-optional admissions. Brown, Caltech, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, UT Austin, and several other universities have reinstated SAT/ACT requirements in recent application cycles. More are expected to follow.

The ACT change makes the test slightly more accessible — shorter, lower stakes without science — at the same moment more schools are requiring it. That's a meaningful shift in the landscape.

If you're a sophomore or younger and assumed test-optional was permanent, update that assumption. Our breakdown of whether to submit SAT scores to test-optional schools is still relevant for this cycle, but the broader trend is toward required testing.

What You Should Do This Week

  • Confirm your upcoming test date uses the new format. All 2026 test dates do.
  • Get official ACT practice materials from act.org — not older third-party books
  • Decide on the science section based on your specific school list. For most students, pay the $4 and take it
  • Check your prep timeline against our ACT test dates guide — registration deadlines for spring dates are close
  • Review your target scores using our guide to what counts as a good ACT score in 2026

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Footnotes

  1. ACT, Inc. (2026). ACT Test Format and Structure. ACT. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/ACT-test-format.html ↩

  2. NowTestPrep. (2026). How Standardized Tests Are Changing in 2026. https://nowtestprep.com/articles/how-standardized-tests-are-changing-in-2026 ↩

  3. EdisonPrep. (2025). ACT 2025 Updates: Optional Science Section, Shorter Test, and Impact on Class of 2026. https://edisonprep.com/upcoming-changes-to-the-act-and-what-it-means-for-the-class-of-2026/ ↩

  4. Compass Prep. (2026). Will They or Won't They? Tracking Colleges' New ACT Requirements. https://www.compassprep.com/new-act-policies/ ↩