Most of the time, her lies were not caught. The same is true for other college applicants, and most probably lie less than Chandra did.

It goes without saying that students should not lie on their applications, but it is perhaps understandable why they do. Unenforced rules do not feel much like real rules. If the police gave tickets to everyone who went 1 mile over the speed limit, we would understand that the speed limit was true to its name. That doesn’t happen, so most people go a bit over: the enforcement is where the real limit exists.

A student’s extracurricular activities are not fact-checked. No one is checking whether their application essays are accurate, highly edited by someone else, or written by artificial intelligence.

If you think people aren’t lying – especially when there are few limits on them doing so and the rewards for doing so can be very high – then you’re lying to yourself.

Even grades lack authenticity because they are now so inflated. For instance, the University of California, San Diego found that a quarter of its students who could not do even middle school math had perfect 4.0 high school GPAs in math. Some high schools have many valedictorians, such as San Juan Hills High School, which had 242 valedictorians in 2025. Even though 12th-grade students currently have the lowest reading and math proficiency on record, 84% of students at 4-year universities report that they had A-averages in high school. Consequently, grades have become poor signals of academic preparedness. 

Between the inflated grades, potentially AI-written essays, and invented activities, colleges don’t have much else to go on except teacher recommendations, which apparently some students still fake.

Colleges need objective assessments like the SAT and ACT to provide them with a standardized measure of basic academic preparedness. But, since Covid, most colleges have not returned to requiring these test scores. In so doing, they choose fiction over fact.

Imagine you apply to a job and an employer says to you, “There is relevant information that helps us predict your success at this job – and the most recent research shows it’s 390% as predictive as any other information – but it’s optional to send it to us. If you don’t send it, that’s fine – we won’t penalize you.”

First, you would wonder what was wrong with this employer. Every employer should want the most relevant information possible to assess whether a new hire will succeed at the job. Second, you would probably not believe them that they won’t penalize you for not submitting it: only those with low scores would not submit their scores, so it would not make sense to hire those who don’t submit that information. Third, if they were telling the truth that they won’t penalize you, then you would assume that they don’t care about the quality of the work or the success of the worker.

In college admissions, it’s a combination of all three.

Test-optional colleges would rather make decisions in the absence of useful information than with it. At top colleges, where the average SAT score is typically around a 1540 out of 1600, research shows that the GPA of students who did not submit test scores matched that of students with about a 1310 on the SAT.

It seems illogical to admit students with significantly lower unreported test scores, unless you realize that test-optional colleges don’t prioritize academic achievement: they want to attract as many applicants as possible so that they look more selective and admit whomever they want (legacies, recruited athletes, full-pay students, etc) without lowering the college’s reported average SAT/ACT score

Now it starts to make sense: colleges, especially test-optional ones, have larger concerns than authenticating the information in a student’s application, even their academic preparedness.

Colleges could require a proctored essay. For instance, the ACT offers one that students can complete. Zero colleges require it.

They could try to verify even one item on each student’s extracurricular list. They don’t.

They could require a standardized entrance exam measuring academic achievement to validate that the students’ grades accurately indicate their academic preparedness. Most don’t.

Kids might have the lowest math and reading proficiency in modern history, but they aren’t stupid. Kids can read between the lines: the truth doesn’t matter; looking good does.

College admissions will remain broken as long as the priorities of colleges remain broken. If and when they decide to value the truth, you’ll know. They’ll require it. Until then, many applicants and colleges will prioritize a false facade over true excellence.

About the Author: David Blobaum is a nationally recognized expert in the entrance exam and college admissions industry. He is the CEO of Summit Prep and the Director of Outreach for the National Test Prep Association, a non-profit that works to support the appropriate use of testing in admissions. 

The post An Authentication Crisis in College Admission appeared first on National Test Prep Association.

For many students, AI has become an everyday study tool, and its full integration into SAT/ACT preparation has been long discussed. AI can generate practice problems, write a study plan, and use analytics of your performance to identify weaker areas. So now that Gemini offers unlimited practice tests and questions, the test prep industry faces a pressing question: will this resource break the business model, or is it just more “AI slop”?

Let’s examine the question and consider what best serves student needs.

Where AI genuinely delivers value

Given very specific directions, AI can be an incredible source of targeted practice questions. If you ask ChatGPT to “create ten quadratic equations where students must use the discriminant to determine the number of solutions, with explanations,” for example, you’ll get usable practice material in seconds. If you request variations of a certain problem at different difficulty levels, AI delivers. 

AI may not be able to create complete, precisely worded standardized test questions, but for foundational skill-building, AI-powered tools genuinely help, and for students who cannot afford private tutoring, these tools provide meaningful support for building baseline competency. In addition, they’re available 24/7 and affordable. As a result, these tools do have a place in the test prep world.

The AI problem we’ve all encountered

If you use ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, however, you’ve likely encountered this issue—confident answers that turn out to be incorrect or even fictitious.

AI tools share a common weakness: prompting, or the ability give instructions that are specific enough to generate the correct type of answers. Prompting has become its own skill, and students often overestimate AI’s ability to understand their requests. As a result, students may attempt to create assessments or practice sets for themselves but end up with unusable outputs. 

While students are usually good at telling when something is unusable, they have more trouble detecting subtle errors – often the exact errors that the students themselves would make. For the SAT, on complex questions—the ones that separate a 1400 from a 1550—AI sometimes generates tempting but incorrect answers with the same confident tone that it presents correct answers. Students cannot distinguish between reliable explanations and plausible-sounding errors without the expertise to verify the content themselves. 

The Google Gemini situation

Google’s January 2026 launch made headlines by offering free, Princeton Review-vetted SAT practice tests inside Gemini. The pitch sounds compelling: unlimited practice, instant feedback, personalized study plans, and no cost barrier. The combination of AI’s computing power and Princeton Review’s long-established reputation appears to be the best of both worlds.

But early testing by professional tutors reveals significant problems. Private Prep’s analysis found that the platform lacks test-day tools (I.e., calculator, highlighters, or testing interface), clear and easy to follow feedback, and accurate question styles. Furthermore, the tests have mediocre to poor content matching with the real test that students will encounter on test day, and question types appear in random order rather than in the consistent sequence of the real exam. Students practicing on a platform with different interface tools, different question ordering, and different passage characteristics may develop habits that don’t transfer—or worse, these students might receive inflated feedback that creates false confidence. As Jason Robinovitz, a founding board member of National Test Prep Association, put it: “What Google is really doing is scaling an already flawed model, then placing a highly confident but imperfect AI on top of it. The result risks being a convincing simulation of preparation rather than the real thing.”

What human tutors provide that AI cannot replicate

Content knowledge and domain expertise is essential to test prep, but one cannot neglect the impact that soft-skills and personal connection have on student learning. Skilled human tutors excel at managing psychological readiness, building the accountability that drives sustained effort, and recognizing when a student needs content knowledge versus test-taking strategy. On the other hand, AI has a significant deficit in recognizing when students are:

• Experiencing frustration or confusion
• Losing motivation
• Hiding comprehension gaps due to embarrassment
• Dealing with test anxiety
• Using inappropriate resources to generate correct answers

These aspects of behavior and learning are just as much a part of the learning and test preparation process as the content knowledge. 

The optimal model

Right now, the most compelling application of AI for tutors is a thoughtful integration. Beyond managing the learning process, a good tutor serves as a curator of study materials, a difficult task for a student both learning something new and still learning how to prompt. 

Consider this format: AI handles micro-adaptivity—generating practice problems and delivering immediate feedback on foundational skills outside of lessons—while human tutors provide personalized education, address motivation, build student confidence, and provide accountability.

The question isn’t whether AI will replace human tutors—the evidence shows that as of now, it cannot. Instead, the question is “how can we thoughtfully integrate AI and the human tutor element to provide a learning experience better than either approach provides alone?”

Ultimately, AI is in the test prep world to stay. As such, professional tutors must be prepared to answer questions about it and use it where it excels. But professional tutors will also keep their jobs for some time yet.

The post Can Google Gemini replace your SAT tutor? appeared first on National Test Prep Association.

How does a top math student end up relearning fractions? A newly released report from UC San Diego by the Senate-Administration Workgroup on Admission documents a series of changes that may have contributed to this dilemma. The elimination of standardized testing, intended to support disadvantaged students, may have ultimately harmed them more than other groups of students.

The Problem That Multiplied

Between 2020 and 2025, the percentage of incoming UCSD freshmen unable to demonstrate middle-school-level math proficiency increased from about 1% to 12%—that’s 916 students in the incoming class. This was an unexpected situation, given that 94% of incoming students had taken math beyond the minimum requirements: 42% had completed calculus or precalculus, and another 44% had taken statistics. The issue isn’t a lack of strong transcripts; it’s that those transcripts don’t reflect actual preparation. As a result, the rapid increase in the need for remedial classes has caused a strain on support resources for these students and has led UCSD to begin rethinking the college admissions process. 

Three Key Changes

The authors of the report identified three changes that could explain the increase in the need for remedial support: COVID-related learning loss, dramatic grade inflation, and the elimination of standardized testing from UC admissions in 2020.

Each change made sense at the time. The pandemic led to disruptions in the education system that predominantly affected low-income populations. Students were struggling with online learning during the pandemic, so teachers showed leniency. And standardized tests seemed to disadvantage low-income students, so removing those tests from the admissions process seemed equitable.

Together, these changes created a perfect storm in which the information colleges needed to assess college readiness effectively vanished… just as the reliability of grades was eroding. Which brings us to an uncomfortable question at the heart of this report. 

Did Removing Standardized Testing Harm Disadvantaged Students?

The test-optional admissions narrative promised that eliminating standardized tests would help disadvantaged students the most. While UC San Diego has drastically increased enrollment from under-resourced schools, students from these schools represented 53% of those in remedial math and yet made up only about 20% of incoming students. And while these courses are meant to build a foundation that these students lack, many students unfortunately never catch up. In required college calculus courses, for example, 24-52% of students who began in remedial math earned D’s, F’s, or withdrew from an advanced math course required by their major. Additionally, over half of engineering majors who were in remedial courses failed or withdrew from advanced calculus. The report states plainly: “Indeed, there are data that show that few, if any, students who place into Math 2 (remedial math) have successfully completed an engineering degree.”

Imagine this: a student from a disadvantaged background arrives excited to become an engineer. Their transcript shows they have taken calculus, and maybe even achieved a 4.0 GPA. They spend several quarters catching up while their peers advance. As they catch up, college costs mount. The engineering degree that they came for becomes effectively unreachable. 

The equity that the narrative promised may in fact be missing, which invites new questions. Do universities have the resources and nimbleness to support an increase in remedial math students? Is there a better way to select youth who are most likely to succeed from target populations? Is it more equitable to use an established, standardized metric like the SAT in admissions after all? 

The report shows that the single best predictor of math placement—better than GPA, better than courses taken—has been SAT math scores for over two decades. Before 2020, a talented student from an under-resourced high school could demonstrate readiness through a strong test score. After 2020, this same student could be lost in the shuffle, continuing to fall through the cracks as their high GPA becomes not the exception but the norm.

The Uncomfortable Truth

The report makes a controversial recommendation: UCSD should consider returning to standardized testing. MIT and several other elite universities have already done so, finding that test scores provide crucial information that can’t be gleaned from transcripts alone. To the surprise of many, test scores are especially useful for identifying talented students from under-resourced backgrounds.

The irony is sharp. The tool that was supposed to be a barrier to equity may in fact be essential for it. Without test scores, admissions officers fell back on proxies—school reputation, essay sophistication, application polish—that all favor wealthier students. Meanwhile, talented students from struggling schools lost a vital way to prove their abilities, and underprepared students from those same schools were admitted to universities where they would likely fail. As the report notes, “admitting large numbers of underprepared students risks harming those students and straining limited instructional resources.”

What Happens Next

Several universities have already reinstated test requirements, and many other universities are still examining the repercussions of remaining test-optional or test-blind. UCSD candidly seeks to understand which metrics are best to meet their equity goals. The question isn’t whether the SAT and ACT are perfect. They’re not. The question is whether removing them made things better or worse for the students these policies were meant to help.

Based on what’s happening at UCSD, the answer seems increasingly clear: the reintroduction of standardized testing into the admissions process is probably a logical next step. And for the students discovering that their straight-A transcripts didn’t prepare them for their math-intensive majors—that answer matters a lot more than any abstract admissions philosophy, however noble. Hopefully, the results of the UCSD study can inform decisions about the use of standardized testing at the school, at the other California state schools, and in the college landscape as a whole.

Written by Ricardo Moreno.

Edited by the NTPA Blog Committee.

The post When A’s Don’t Add Up: What a UC San Diego Study Reveals About College Readiness in the UC’s Test-Blind Era appeared first on National Test Prep Association.

YouTube has certainly figured out what I do for work. I often get test prep ads when I open my YouTube feed. The gist of the ads usually goes something like this:

Your SAT scores reflect how good you are at taking the SAT.^[1]

I’ve worked as a test prep tutor for more than twenty years. My colleagues and I have read and heard these sentiments before. One of the more famous ones was popularized by the CEO of Princeton Review, who claimed that “the SAT only tests your ability on mastering the SAT.”^[2]

This viewpoint, long marketed, has become pervasive among parents, students, and counselors: the SAT (and ACT) are exams defined by tips, tricks, and strategies largely divorced from actual learning. This perception appeals to consumers who believe they can gain an advantage by purchasing test preparation to help them “hack” the tests. However, for the most part, this perception is incorrect. Both the SAT and ACT involve clearly defined, essential academic skills that are easy to find within virtually all high school curriculums. This blog will identify several of these important skills.

Exploring Why Standardized Testing Is Important to Student Success

Understanding why standardized testing is important means seeing how it measures readiness and pinpoints areas for improvement. After all, academic skills do not exist in a vacuum. They represent a student’s ability to succeed in the classroom and the workforce as a critical thinker and an effective communicator worldwide. If standardized tests do, in fact, measure these skills, they serve a dual purpose. First, they are a tool for institutions to measure readiness to judge who is more or less likely to succeed at those institutions. Second, they serve as a tool for students and schools to identify areas of strength and needed improvement. By crystallizing crucial academic skills for students, the schools that teach those students, and the institutions that decide whether to accept those students, standardized tests can be a tool that improves society.

Standardized Testing And Strong Vocabulary

The first benefit of standardized testing is its focus on high-frequency vocabulary.

Both exams, in slightly different ways, test English vocabulary. When people hear “vocabulary,” they often think of “SAT words:” obscure words that few, if any, would ever use:

• lugubrious
• apocryphal
• parsimonious

You know – rare, polysyllabic words that just roll off the tongue. However, these sorts of words very rarely appear on either test. The tested words consist of high-frequency words regularly seen in literature, journals, and scholarly articles. Furthermore, vocabulary is not an isolated skill: a study by Johnson O’Connor found the following:

Vocabulary test scores correlated directly with existing rankings on the corporate ladder. Top executives had the highest average score, while lower managers achieved the lowest average scores.^[3]

As such, one’s vocabulary has a wide-ranging predictive capacity for academic and workplace success.

The Pros Of Standardized Testing In Reading Skills

Among the pros of standardized testing is that it presents challenging reading materials that mirror scholarly texts found in real life. New to the Digital SAT is the format of short paragraphs with a single question attached. Among the most difficult are the social and natural science passages, which receive complaints from students for their abundance of technical terms. These paragraphs usually briefly describe an experiment or study, its research question, and its findings. While the descriptions are taken out of context, such descriptions are very frequently present in newspaper articles, journal articles, and non-fiction books. Furthermore, descriptions in these places will often be accompanied by graphs or other representations of data, the interpretation of which is directly tested in the ACT Science section. Basic descriptions of experiments or studies, along with accompanying data representations, are present in almost every field of study, whether physics, psychology, business, or history.

Standardized Testing Assesses Writing Proficiency And Crucial Communication Skills

Standardized testing emphasizes punctuation and grammar, the essential foundations of clear and effective writing. Punctuation and grammar are also included in both tests. Grammar is one area in which students usually haven’t learned all the material before they enter tutoring. With the advent of tools like Grammarly that can correct grammatical flaws in one’s writing, students often ask why they need to know grammar at all. However, those sites only identify and fix basic mistakes, and they certainly do not suggest how grammar can be used effectively to improve the quality of one’s writing.

A mastery of grammatical rules means a mastery of the ability to connect ideas, form boundaries between them, and express their relations precisely. Practically, good grammar is essential when writing a cover letter for a job in the real world. In these letters, poor grammar may be enough to rule out an application in an increasingly competitive job market; conversely, excellent grammar might make one stand out. Certain mistakes seem tiny and irrelevant when the meaning is clear, but grammatical mistakes – like it or not – cast doubt on the thoroughness and communication skills of the writer.

One might be able to get through high school using Grammarly, but as one seeks to express more advanced ideas, strong grammar—the ability to create sentences that are not just “correct” but effective—takes on increasing importance.^[4]

Standardized Testing Benefits Core Math Literacy

Standardized testing addresses core math skills that address everyday problem-solving and benefit students’ financial lives. Let us switch our focus to Math. Certain math topics with manifold real-life applications are deeply embedded in the SAT and ACT curriculums. For example, understanding percentages applies to almost every financial decision you’ll ever make (e.g., credit cards (and rewards), mortgages, car loans, compounding, etc.). Understanding basic statistical concepts like mean, median, standard deviation, and probability is essential to success in both the social and natural sciences in college and beyond. Understanding and interpreting data representations like scatter plots, frequency tables, and bar graphs is required to grasp many newspaper articles, journal articles, and textbooks. It is very hard to question the relevance of these topics mentioned above.

Granted, some math topics (e.g., Pythagorean Theorem or Quadratic Formula) are not needed in real life – memes to this effect abound. Another successful day without using the Quadratic Formula! However, these topics are universally taught in high schools, and standardized college entrance exams are supposed to mirror what students learn in school. So, one could certainly object to the scope of math curriculums in schools, but one cannot blame the SAT/ACT for testing what all students are taught. The tests do mirror well what is taught in schools (e.g., systems of equations, circles, trigonometry, quadratic equations, probability, ratios, etc.), and the old-school “logic” or “reasoning/IQ test” problems are mostly a relic of the past.

Standardized Tests Be Kept To Foster Tech Skills

Standardized tests encourage technology usage, mirroring modern academic and workplace demands.

In Math, both tests reward those who use technology effectively: the TI-84 for ACT (and SAT) and the Desmos calculator for SAT. Many times, students, parents, and teachers have questioned the validity of these calculators, asking if the students are even doing “actual math” anymore. However, in today’s classroom and workforce, the ability to use technology to facilitate tasks is of paramount importance. Maybe it won’t be a calculator, but young adults increasingly must use technology to complete any significant task.

The rise of ChatGPT and AI, in general, perfectly illustrates this trend. While there was much commotion about its use in academics, it’s here to stay, and its utility for completing academic work will only grow as we all become more familiar with it. Mastering a calculator is a proxy for the ability to use technology broadly.

Standardized Testing Is Good At Building Procedural Skills

A final reason standardized testing serves a positive role is that it pushes students to develop procedural thinking, which is transferable to various roles. Finally, let’s even admit to some degree that the SAT/ACT involves some test-taking skills that are not particularly applicable to real life. As critics have often stated, when in life are you presented with four short choices for which you must use the process of elimination to find the best one?

However, almost all jobs involve unique and idiosyncratic procedures that can’t be used outside the job. In some cases, yes, preparing for the SAT involves learning unique and idiosyncratic techniques. However, learning a set of systems and procedures is an essential abstract skill, and people who can do so successfully – through a structured, diligent study plan – will be more likely to succeed in most academic and work contexts.

Understanding The Overall Benefits Of Standardized Testing For Society

When appreciating the benefits of standardized testing, we see that these assessments support societal growth and academic progress by encapsulating fundamental skills for school and workplace success.

Students often find standardized tests tedious and pressure-packed. Taking a standardized test feels like as much fun as going to the dentist. However, just like one needs healthy teeth, however unpleasant the process might be, one needs adequate academic skills to thrive in the world, and one needs a way to check on the adequacy of those skills periodically. Standardized tests serve exactly that function and more.

No one should argue that standardized tests should be the only way this is done. In many cases, it shouldn’t even be the primary way. But it is necessary as a sorting mechanism and an informative one. As such, the presence of standardized tests is beneficial for society.

About the Author

Ben Sexton, owner of Sexton Test Prep & Tutoring, founded the company in 2005 in MetroWest Boston. His company offers SAT/ACT, SSAT/ISEE test prep, and academic tutoring for grades 5-12. Ben began tutoring in 2003 and expanded his business in 2012, now managing a team of 20 tutors and two managers. He holds degrees from Skidmore College and Boston College. Ben also serves on the NTPA Blog Committee. He enjoys boxing, strength training, and following Boston sports in his free time.

About the Editor

Marc Gray, owner of Odyssey College Prep and Education Director of Powerful Prep, streamlines college admissions with advanced aptitude testing. An active blogger, he writes on college admissions, test prep, and aptitude testing. As Chair of the NTPA’s Blog Committee, he updates members on the latest in test prep, college admissions, aptitude testing, and community news.

References

^[1] The Princeton Review. (n.d.). 4 SAT myths. Retrieved December 9, 2024, from https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/4-sat-myths

^[2] “Curious What People Think of This Scatterplot of College Admission Results.” College Confidential, 7 Jan. 2025, https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/t/curious-what-people-think-of-this-scatterplot-of-college-admission-results/3679385/101?page=7. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

^[3] Ragland, Greg. Discover the Astonishing Correlation Between Vocabulary Size and Success in Business and Life. Vocabulary Zone, https://vocabularyzone.com/career-success/discover-the-astonishing-correlation-between-vocabulary-size-and-success-in-business-and-life/. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

^[4] Gray, Lori. “Why Grammar Should Matter to You: From Résumés and Cover Letters to Narratives, Make Sure Your Grammar Holds Up.” Voices Berkeley, 22 Feb. 2021, https://voices.berkeley.edu/why-grammar-should-matter-you. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

The post Recognizing How Standardized Testing Benefits Society appeared first on National Test Prep Association.

This article is part of a more extensive series on the Enhanced ACT. Based on the updates the ACT makes available, much of its content might change as more announcements come from ACT.org.

Change #1: More Time Per Question

(Back to Table of Contents)

The average time per question will increase by approximately 10 seconds across various subjects, giving students more time to complete each question.

The ACT has provided an estimated time per question for each subject in the new format:

• English: 42 seconds per item (up from 36 seconds)
• Math: 67 seconds per item (up from 60 seconds)
• Reading: 67 seconds per item (up from 53 seconds)
• Science: 60 seconds per item (up from 53 seconds)

Change #2: Shorter Test

(Back to Table of Contents)

The total testing time will be reduced to 125 minutes for the composite score, significantly shorter than the current 195 or 175 minutes. To make this happen, there will be fewer questions per section. There will be approximately 44 fewer items in total across the English, Math, and Reading sections. These changes will make the total test time comparable to that of the digital SAT.

Change #3: Optional Science Section

(Back to Table of Contents)

Students can choose to take the Science section. If selected, it will appear as a section score and be used to calculate the STEM score but will not be included in the composite score calculation.

The Science section requirements will continue to vary across colleges and programs. The ACT expects varying requirements at both the school and program admission levels. Additionally, all data, including composite and subject scores, will be used for class placement and scholarships.

Change #4: Less Reading

(Back to Table of Contents)

The ACT will feature shorter passage lengths in the English and Reading sections. This contrasts with the SAT, which has removed passages in favor of short paragraphs. Previously, the ACT offered a stark contrast, allowing test takers to choose based on whether they were better at grasping longer narratives or parsing dense paragraphs. While the ACT will continue to offer multi-paragraph passages, they will not be as long, making the test more approachable for students who were daunted by the length of the passages.

Change #5: Question Content

(Back to Table of Contents)

The following changes are being made to the English, Math, Reading, and Science Sections:

English Section

• Adding Stems: Each question will include an introductory statement to guide students’ understanding of the context.
• Shorter Passages: The passages will be more concise.
• Argumentative Passages: Some passages will now be argumentative.

Math Section

• Fewer Answer Choices: Multiple-choice questions will have fewer incorrect options, making it a bit easier to pick the right answer.
• Essential Skills Integration: More questions will integrate several skills rather than test them individually.
• Advanced Topics: Some new, tougher topics will be added to challenge students.

Reading Section

• More Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: There will be more questions that ask students to combine information from different parts of the text.
• Diverse Literary Texts: Expect to see a broader range of stories and writings from different cultures and viewpoints.

Science Section

• Design and Engineering Focus: Each test will include at least one passage dedicated to design and engineering topics.
• Increased Emphasis on Background Knowledge: More questions will test students’ learned understanding of disciplinary core ideas.

Ensuring Score Consistency

(Back to Table of Contents)

The benefit of longer tests is that they tend to report scores more consistently. By shortening the test, the ACT sought to verify that they weren’t undermining score consistency. Additionally, they want to ensure that the old and new versions of the ACT produce similar results. They have already conducted initial simulations and studies to confirm that scores will not significantly differ between the old and new ACT forms. So far, the simulations testing consistency indicate positive results. These efforts will continue throughout the upcoming academic year to ensure that scores remain comparable year after year.

Field Test Items: Placement and Scoring

(Back to Table of Contents)

The new ACT will incorporate experimental questions, referred to internally as “field test items,” directly into the test itself. Previously, these questions were included in a separate fifth section. The ACT has clarified that the placement of field test items will vary from form to form, and specific details about their placement cannot be disclosed. Importantly, field test items will not contribute to a student’s score. Only questions that impact a student’s score will be included in the Test Information Release (TIR) materials.

Impact on Previous Scores and Superscores

(Back to Table of Contents)

A significant concern for rising seniors and other students is whether their previous composite scores will be recalculated in light of the new enhancements. The ACT has confirmed that previously issued scores and super scores will not be recalculated. For students taking the test post-transition, their composite scores will be based on the English, Math, and Reading sections. New super scores will also be calculated from the best scores in these sections.

Concordance Between ACT and SAT Scores

(Back to Table of Contents)

Despite the upcoming changes, studies indicate no significant impact on ACT scores. Consequently, current plans must be revised to adjust the concordance tables between the ACT and SAT. Any future updates to these tables will follow the typical iterative process.

Availability of Practice Materials

(Back to Table of Contents)

For students preparing for the paper test, the “Preparing for the ACT” booklet will include one full practice test. Digital practice tests will also be made available. Additionally, the ACT collaborates with Wiley and other education companies to update test prep materials, ensuring students access relevant resources.

Testing Platforms and Tools

(Back to Table of Contents)

The ACT will continue to use the PSI platform for international students and the Pearson TestNav platform for state and district (school day) testing. The Desmos calculator, currently available on the Pearson platform, is also planned to be introduced on the PSI platform. New annotation tools will also be added, although we don’t have details on what those will be.

Rollout Schedule: When ACT Enhancements Will Take Effect

(Back to Table of Contents)

In October 2024, the ACT will allow students to take the new form of the ACT, providing the test at no cost to around 8,000 national test takers. This will be entirely voluntary. Participants will receive college-reportable scores. Despite the new structures, the latest ACT aims to allow students to demonstrate their knowledge effectively, given the additional time per item.

National testing done online for the April, June, and July 2025 ACTs will use the new ACT form. During this transitional period, other test takers can choose between the existing paper format and the new online format. In many parts of the United States, the existing paper ACT will remain the most common available option.

Starting in September 2025, the enhanced form will be used for both the online and paper versions of the ACT—identical for national and international students. This change will take place in Spring 2026 for state and district testing.

International Testing Options

(Back to Table of Contents)

Due to ongoing supply chain delays and security concerns, the ACT will continue to offer the digital version of the test internationally, with the exception of students requiring accommodations that can only be met through special testing services.

Alignment of PreACT and WorkKeys Tests

(Back to Table of Contents)

The ACT plans to align the PreACT and PreACT 8/9 tests with the new test blueprint. However, no current changes are scheduled for the WorkKeys tests (an assessment that tests students’ job skills in applied reading, writing, mathematics, and Essential Skills).

Reporting Science Scores

(Back to Table of Contents)

Currently, students cannot opt out of reporting individual subject scores, including Science, once they have been taken. The ACT evaluates the possibility of allowing single-subject score suppression to serve students’ needs better.

Questions Test-Prep Experts Have About the Enhanced ACT

(Back to Table of Contents)

Will students be able to leverage the science choice to “game” their Composite score?

(Back to Table of Contents)

A: No. All Composite scores from all ACT programs (National, International, State & District, paper, online) will move to the new EMR calculated Composite score starting September 2025. This provides students and higher education with a consistent change over to the new calculation for all tests from that point forward.

Allowing students to choose to take the ACT with or without science does not impact the Composite score distributions across the population of applicants. If a student elects to take the science section, we will provide their science section score and STEM score on all reports; this includes sending those scores to institutions of higher education and other programs that have used these scores in the past.

When will practice materials be available?

(Back to Table of Contents)

A: We are working right now to provide practice opportunities that reflect the new test-taking experience. We are making an addendum to the 2024-2025 Preparing for the ACT guide that highlights differences between those preparing for September through February administrations, and those preparing for the Online administration in April, June, and July.

In addition, we are working with our administration vendor so that we are able to put practice tests into the platform that students will use on test day. We will be putting practice tests for both the current format of the online assessment, followed by the ACT enhancement format into the platform, and will announce when they are ready.

Will the types of items on the ACT be changing? Or more the structure and length?

(Back to Table of Contents)

A: The ACT test will continue to feature multiple-choice items in the English, math, reading, and science sections, and an open-ended prompt-based essay in writing. The standards and skills measured by the enhanced blueprint will remain comparable to those measured in the current ACT. Reporting categories will maintain the same meaning but may be rebalanced proportionally to accommodate stakeholder feedback. By and large, the content of practice materials that are currently available will provide students with experience on the content of questions that ACT will continue to ask.

As noted in the presentation, the structure of some of the items will change (English and math are most affected). In addition, the balance of items that align to the reporting categories in each subject is shifting, therefore, there may be more or fewer items that test specific topics.

Is there a cost difference to the student to take the ACT with or without science?

(Back to Table of Contents)

A: Final pricing will be set prior to the opening of registration for the April administration window. Our intention is to provide a “core” version of the ACT containing English, math, and reading that is less expensive than today’s four-section ACT. ACT remains committed to our fee waiver programs which will continue to apply.

Takeaways from the New ACT Changes

(Back to Table of Contents)

More updates will be forthcoming as the ACT rolls out these changes. Students and educators crave, perhaps more than anything else, to see a living, breathing practice test. You can find those updates here on the NTPA blog when the details are released.

Article Summary

(Back to Table of Contents)

Major Enhancements to the ACT

1. More time will be allowed per question.
2. The new test will be shorter in length.
3. The science section will be optional.
4. Reading passages will be shorter, doing less reading throughout.
5. Less significantly, minor changes will be made to the questions asked.

Rollout Schedule

1. In October 2024
   • Students will have the optional opportunity to use the new ACT form.
2. April, June, and July 2025
   • National testing done online will use the new ACT form.
   • Other test takers can choose between the existing paper format and the new online format during this transitional period.
3. September 2025
   • Both the online and paper versions of the ACT will be the new form for national and international testing.
4. Spring 2026
   • Both the online and paper versions of the ACT will be the new form for state and district testing.

About the Authors

(Back to Table of Contents)

Ari Freuman began tutoring in 2013, primarily serving Northern New Jersey and New York students. In 2020, he founded Ivy Tutor to address the need for proficient SAT and ACT tutors, building a team of dynamic and inspiring educators. Ari holds a master’s degree in psychology from SUNY New Paltz and a second Master’s in Statistics, leveraging his academic background to help students maximize their test scores. Based in Hoboken, New Jersey, Ari teaches students worldwide through virtual sessions. Additionally, Ari serves on the NTPA blog committee, contributing his expertise to the organization’s outreach efforts.

Marc Gray, owner of Odyssey College Prep and CEO of Powerful Prep, streamlines college admissions with advanced aptitude testing. An active blogger, he writes on college admissions, test prep, and aptitude testing. As Chair of the NTPA’s Blog Committee, he updates members on the latest in test prep, college admissions, aptitude testing, and community news.

The post The Upcoming Changes to the Enhanced ACT appeared first on National Test Prep Association.

As we step into September 2024, the landscape of test preparation continues to evolve, driven by shifts in college admissions policies, emerging research, and the ongoing debate over the role of standardized testing. In this September edition of our blog, we explore key developments that are shaping the future of test prep and highlight the latest findings, institutional changes, and trends that professionals in the field should be aware of.

1. The Return of Testing Requirements

(Back to Table of Contents)

One of the most notable shifts this year is the return of standardized testing requirements at several high-profile institutions. Stanford University made headlines in June 2024 when it announced a return to test-required admissions after a pandemic-era pause. According to Stanford’s official statement, the decision was driven by a belief that standardized tests offer a valuable metric to assess applicants’ academic potential, particularly in the context of high school grade inflation and inconsistencies in grading practices across schools.^[1]

Following Stanford’s lead, Rice University also announced updates to its admissions processes, moving from a test-optional to a test-recommendation policy. Rice’s decision emphasizes the importance of standardized testing in providing a more equitable comparison across different educational backgrounds.^[2]

2. Data-Driven Evidence from North Carolina

(Back to Table of Contents)

In North Carolina, recent data has sparked renewed debate over the value of test scores in college admissions. A June 2024 report from North Carolina State University and UNC-Chapel Hill demonstrated that students who submitted standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) performed better academically than those who did not, leading to calls for test-optional policies to be re-examined. For test prep professionals, this reinforces the argument that a strong ACT or SAT score remains a critical factor in helping students gain admission to top institutions and succeed once enrolled.^[3]

3. The Role of Merit Aid in College Admissions

(Back to Table of Contents)

Another key trend in 2024 is the growing role of test scores in securing merit-based financial aid. A recent article by Jeffrey Selingo published in New York Magazine highlighted the practice of “undermatching,” where students apply to colleges where their SAT or ACT scores are significantly higher than the institution’s median. By doing so, these students can often secure generous merit scholarships, reducing the overall cost of attending college. For test prep professionals, this trend underscores the value of test preparation not only in college admissions but also in helping families lower the financial burden of higher education.^[4]

4. Ongoing Research into Testing and Admissions

(Back to Table of Contents)

Several research studies released in the past year have furthered our understanding of the role standardized testing plays in college admissions. A 2024 paper by UC Santa Cruz professor Donald Wittman found that SAT scores were more predictive of student success at the University of California than high school grades. Wittman’s research also showed that SAT scores played an especially important role for socioeconomically disadvantaged students, suggesting that standardized testing can help level the playing field for students who may face systemic barriers in the college admissions process.^[5]

Similarly, a working group at Dartmouth College concluded in January 2024 that standardized test scores are a critical tool for identifying high-achieving students from less advantaged backgrounds. Without the objective data provided by SAT and ACT scores, the group found that it was more difficult to assess students from schools with fewer resources, making test scores an essential component of a holistic admissions process.^[6]

5. Grade Inflation and the Importance of Standardized Tests

(Back to Table of Contents)

One of the driving factors behind the renewed emphasis on standardized testing is the issue of grade inflation, which continues to grow across U.S. high schools. A National Center for Education Statistics report revealed that the percentage of high school students graduating with an “A” average has increased from 40% in 2010 to 55% in 2021. This rise in high grades makes it more difficult for colleges to distinguish top students from the broader pool, leading many institutions to emphasize SAT and ACT scores more.

For test prep professionals, this trend highlights the importance of helping students achieve high test scores, as grades alone may no longer be a reliable indicator of academic potential. Standardized tests provide a consistent metric that colleges can use to differentiate students, particularly as grade inflation erodes GPAs’ value.

6. Changes to the ACT: What You Need to Know

(Back to Table of Contents)

In addition to shifts in college admissions policies, 2024 has announced significant changes to the ACT. According to Marc Gray of our own National Test Prep Association, these changes reflect a growing effort to modernize the test while maintaining its role as a key tool for college admissions.^[7]

Below are the most critical updates that test prep professionals should be aware of. Read the NTPA’s “Major Changes Coming to the ACT” article for a more detailed summary of the ACT changes.

Online Testing Format Expansion

(Back to Table of Contents)

The ACT is expanding its online testing options, allowing students to take the test on computers at official testing centers. While this option has been available internationally for a few years, it’s becoming more widespread in the U.S., offering students more flexibility and convenience. For many students, especially those accustomed to digital learning environments, the online format may provide a more comfortable testing experience. It should be noted that a paper and pencil version of the ACT will remain available to all students, which will continue to distinguish the ACT from the SAT.

Optional Science Section

(Back to Table of Contents)

The fourth section of the ACT will become optional. This section tests students’ knowledge of and proficiency in comprehending scientific concepts. Furthermore, there will be an increased number of questions that require students to utilize scientific knowledge not included in the passage.

More Time Per Question

(Back to Table of Contents)

ACT takers will be given more time per question in the Reading, English, and Math sections.

Faster Score Reporting

(Back to Table of Contents)

Students who take the ACT online can expect to receive their results within days, rather than the several weeks typically required for paper tests. This faster turnaround could prove crucial for students applying to colleges with rolling admissions or for those seeking to make last-minute decisions about where to apply.

Accommodations for Diverse Learners

(Back to Table of Contents)

The ACT is also updating its accommodation policies to better support students with disabilities. These changes include more flexible timing options and increased access to resources such as assistive technology. For students who require accommodations, these updates make the ACT a more inclusive and accessible test.

The ACT changes offer opportunities and challenges for test prep professionals. It will be essential to adjust tutoring strategies to help students achieve the best possible results in individual sections. For those working in test prep, staying updated with these changes will be crucial for helping students navigate this new landscape effectively.

Key Takeaways for Test Prep Professionals

(Back to Table of Contents)

• Increased demand for test prep: As more institutions revert to test-required or test-recommended policies, the demand for SAT and ACT preparation is expected to rise.
• Data supports the value of test scores: Recent research shows that standardized test scores are a strong predictor of college success and can help level the playing field for disadvantaged students.
• Grade inflation underscores the importance of testing: As high school grades become less reliable due to inflation, SAT and ACT scores provide colleges with a more consistent metric to assess applicants.
• Test scores and merit aid: High test scores can play a crucial role in securing merit-based financial aid, particularly for students who “undermatch.”

As the test prep landscape continues to evolve, staying informed about these trends will be key to helping students navigate the increasingly competitive college admissions process.

For updates, join our newsletter and keep checking the NTPA Blog.

About the Authors

(Back to Table of Contents)

Heather Krey has over two decades of experience in SAT and ACT preparation. She’s also World Class Tutoring’s leading test prep curriculum architect. Heather earned her bachelor’s degrees in engineering and psychology from Lehigh University and her M.Ed. degrees in Mathematics and Teaching from DeSales University and Kutztown University, respectively. She is certified in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and English and has taught roles at various Pennsylvania high schools. Heather has also worked as an adjunct professor at Cedar Crest College. Heather has been an NTPA member since its inception and is an active member of its blog committee.

David Blobaum co-founded and leads Summit Prep, a tutoring company with two centers in New Jersey that specializes in preparing students for the SAT and ACT. He graduated from the University of Chicago with honors from the college, and in his major, he received his Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology. Since then, he has devoted himself to helping students succeed through education. He serves as the NTPA’s Director of Outreach to help highlight how academic standards can help students, schools, and society.

Marc Gray, owner of Odyssey College Prep and CEO of Powerful Prep, streamlines college admissions with advanced aptitude testing. An active blogger, he writes on college admissions, test prep, and aptitude testing. As Chair of the NTPA’s Blog Committee, he updates members on the latest in test prep, college admissions, aptitude testing, and community news.

References

(Back to Table of Contents)

^[1] “Stanford to resume standardized test requirement for admissions.” Stanford Report, 7 June 2024, https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2024/06/stanford-to-resume-standardized-test-requirement. Accessed 11 September 2024.

^[2] “Rice announces updates to application processes | Rice News | News and Media Relations | Rice University.” Rice News, 17 June 2024, https://news.rice.edu/news/2024/rice-announces-updates-application-processes. Accessed 11 September 2024.

^[3] Robinson, Jenna A. ““Smoking-Gun” Data on North Carolina ACT Scores — The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.” The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, 6 June 2024, https://www.jamesgmartin.center/2024/06/smoking-gun-data-on-north-carolina-act-scores/. Accessed 11 September 2024.

^[4] Selingo, Jeffrey. “The New Trick Families Are Using to Lower College Tuition Bills.” New York Magazine, 25 June 2024, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/the-new-trick-families-are-using-to-lower-college-tuition.html. Accessed 11 September 2024.

^[5] Wittman, Donald. (2024). The University of California Was Wrong to Abolish the SAT: Admissions When Affirmative Action Was Banned. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 43, 10.1111/emip.12598.

^[6] Report From Working Group on the Role of Standardized Test Scores in Undergraduate Admissions. 30 January 2024, https://home.dartmouth.edu/sites/home/files/2024-02/sat-undergrad-admissions.pdf.

^[7] Gray, Marc. “Major Changes Coming to the ACT: What You Need to Know.” 22 July 2024, https://nationaltestprep.org/major-changes-coming-to-the-act-what-you-need-to-know/.

The post The State of Test Prep – September 2024 Edition appeared first on National Test Prep Association.

Edison Prep: A Spotlight on Excellence in Test Preparation

The NTPA proudly features Brian and Silvia Eufinger as this week’s member spotlight. As the founders of Edison Prep, Brian and Silvia have become renowned experts in test preparation. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Edison Prep serves students worldwide, primarily focusing on SAT and ACT tutoring. The company also offers highly popular AP History boot camps and subject tutoring in all levels of Math and STEM.

Member Details

• Member: Brian and Silvia Eufinger
• Business: Edison Prep
• Website: edisonprep.com
• Started: 2010

How Did You Become a Test Prep Tutor?

Edison Prep’s co-founders began tutoring in 2007 alongside their corporate jobs. We had both paid our way through college via merit aid from high test scores we earned self-studying during high school; we began tutoring 12 hours a week. Things went well, with many of our initial clients telling us we should ponder doing it full-time (‘you can always go back to corporate’). We finally listened, and in 2010, Edison Prep was born. We wrote our books and curriculum. For the first 12 years, it was just the two founders; since then, we’ve grown to a team of 16 as demand has exploded. The irony that test-optional caused our business to explode is not lost on us (or our clients, who often vocalize it on phone calls!). We are excited to have just had our 23,000th student! We can help many students because 90%+ of students begin with or only do one of our popular group classes.”

How Do You Incorporate Feedback From Students to Enhance the Learning Experience?

We revise our SAT and ACT books yearly and incorporate student feedback in numerous ways. We solicit feedback sometimes in sessions when appropriate, and we also do anonymous surveys of past students asking for constructive criticism, which has helped unearth blind spots and improve materials over time. A collective of 15 of the 255 pages in our ACT book were probably directly inspired by that anonymous survey feedback!

What Key Factors Should Students and Parents Consider When Choosing a Test Prep Service?

We always tell potential clients that we are in one of the least scalable industries on earth if maintaining quality is paramount. Not impossible, but very difficult. Most NTPA members know this intuitively, having inherited many students from big-box agencies who have economies of scale yet don’t pay their staff well enough to avoid employee turnover, attract top tutors, or have nimble curricula that evolve as the test content continues to evolve. We proudly pay our staff 200-400%+, which is what most other firms in town pay since we don’t think quality tutors can be retained in the long term without paying them like professionals. When parents are skeptical, we are fond of sharing our famous Our Industry Is Broken article that illustrates the reality of our business via raw truth from GlassDoor.com. Parents should seek out testimonials, text mom “Class of 20XX” group threads at their high school for referrals, and rely on real client feedback rather than flashy ads. Tutor experience, communication skills, past score improvement results, and soft skills are paramount in our industry, and parents should ask questions to determine how potential tutors stack up on those variables!

What Strategies Do You Employ to Continually Assess and Improve the Effectiveness of Your Tutoring Methods?

The flagship services at our company are our ACT and SAT group classes, which 90%+ of students do as either the first step of their prep or their entire prep. These classes provide a natural environment to do lots of A/B testing with our students to see which ways of teaching content stick better and produce better results, rapidly iterating and incorporating what works best into our curriculum. We take notes on what works best and incorporate it into each new edition of our book. Version 14 of our ACT book is about to arrive and our Digital SAT book will be on Version 3 by New Year’s!

Do You Have a Standout Story of a Student’s Breakthrough Moment That Encapsulates the Impact of Your Tutoring Approach?

One of our students was about to be the first student in his family in four generations not to be able to make it to the Naval Academy after notching an ACT that was a literal slot machine score: 21/21/21/21. Dejected, he and his parents were about to give up and not even pursue tutoring, so we asked him to trust us and give us three weeks to show that this test is not magic nor an IQ test, but coachable content—’commas, rectangles, and putting in the reps.’ We focused exclusively on grammar for the first three sessions (the easiest section to improve), and he did his part, completing eight 45-minute grammar sections those first three weeks, pulling his English score up 10 points to a 31 in the process. Once he saw that initial proof of concept, he was pumped and locked in; he maturely paused his 10-hour-a-week job at Zaxby’s (his idea, not ours) and reallocated those 10 hours to three practice tests a week. He got his service academy nomination, got his score up to a 32, and enrolled in the Naval Academy.

We always tell potential clients that we craft our tutoring style as part teacher, part standup comic (to make material memorable and make it stick), and part Tony Robbins-style motivation, which improves tutoring efficacy and makes it more fun to boot! A slightly different spin on Roosevelt’s people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

How Has Your Tutoring Enhanced the Community?

Our tutoring has enhanced the community in three main ways: increasing odds of admissions to more selective schools, saving families $50M+ in earned merit aid, and enhancing college readiness for students, including those whose math, reading, analysis, and grammar gaps were impacted by COVID learning loss (or just had not been adequately covered at their home schools).

We also like to do meaningful pro bono work. Our two founders came from humble backgrounds and used these tests as a way to transform our college process and avoid student debt, so we pay it forward in our tutoring. We don’t go out of our way to publicize it, but always endeavor to have at least one scholarship student in each of our classes. We have cultivated a network of high school counselors and youth pastors that we let designate students for those spots who they know would really make use of the prep, and have had the pleasure of meeting some amazing kids as a result!

Tell Us About a Time a Student Really Surprised You With Their Boldness.

When our company was in its infancy (3 months old) and didn’t have a brick-and-mortar yet, we drove to clients’ houses. One particularly entitled student did not do homework for our co-founder Brian three weeks in a row, despite us asking for parents to help enforce homework completion, and Brian had to be stern with him. He said, ‘What makes you think it’s acceptable to not do homework three weeks in a row?’ and the student shot back, ‘Um…cause I’m the client?’ with the most smug face in history.

This remains to this day the rudest moment in company history. That was the end of the abbreviated session, and Brian followed up with the mother the next day. Brian had to, unfortunately, breathe while talking with his mom, bifurcating one sentence at the most inopportune time. ‘Ma’am, with all due respect, we work with winners when he’s ready to be one. Please call us back, and we can always reschedule.’ It did not go over well. Over the following three weeks, nine of that mother’s book club members quietly called me and signed up for tutoring because she had told them what happened, saying, ‘But please don’t tell her.’ If we could map our referral chains backward to those nine OG clients, probably 10% of them came from those nine clients and their subsequent referrals.

The post Edison Prep: A Spotlight on Excellence in Test Preparation appeared first on National Test Prep Association.

NOTE: This article is the first of many updates on the New ACT Changes. The NTPA will post additional blogs as more information is released from the ACT. 

Shorter ACT Test with Fewer Questions

Back to Top

There will be fewer questions across the English, math, and reading sections, cutting 44 items in total. The new English section will have 50 questions, the math section will have 45 questions, and the reading section will have 36 questions. This change aims to make the test more manageable without compromising its ability to assess a student’s readiness for college. The ACT will feature a shorter test with 44 fewer items across the English, math, and reading sections. The new core test will last just two hours, compared to three hours for the current test.

Embedded Experimental Questions in the ACT

Back to Top

Experimental questions will be embedded within the test to field test certain questions. Students won’t be able to distinguish these experimental questions from regular ones. For instance, out of 50 English questions, 10 will be experimental and won’t count toward the final score. Of the 50 English items, 10 will be experimental and won’t count toward the final score.

Optional Science Section on the ACT

Back to Top

Acknowledging that science might not be every student’s strength, the ACT makes the science section optional. This change provides flexibility for students who excel in other areas and don’t necessarily need a science score for their college applications. However, for those who choose to take it, the science sub-score and STEM score will still be reported, although they won’t be part of the composite score. The ACT remains the only standardized test with a dedicated science section, but it will become optional to provide more flexibility for students. Students can choose to take the ACT with or without the science and writing sections, providing greater flexibility.

In many ways, the ACT Science section functions similarly to the Optional ACT Writing Section. The New ACT format will make the science and writing sections similar in the following ways:

• The science section will be an optional add-on, just like the writing section is currently.
• If a student takes the science section, they will receive a science sub-score and a STEM score, similar to how students receive a writing sub-score and an ELA score for the writing section.
• However, the science score will not be part of the composite score, just like the writing score does not count towards the composite score.

Understanding ACT STEM and ELA Scores

Back to Top

Your ACT STEM score is an average of your science and math scores, the same way that the English, reading, and writing scores make up your ELA score. If you don’t take the optional writing section, then no ELA score is reported. Similarly, no STEM score will be reported if you don’t take the optional science section. Remember, however, that neither science nor writing will contribute to your composite score (the 1-36 scale we all know).

This allows students to highlight their strengths in science when applying to colleges, especially those with holistic admissions processes.

Changes to ACT Reading and English Sections

Back to Top

Passages in the English and reading sections will be shorter. Additionally, the number of questions that require a lot of contextual reading in the Math section will be decreased. This means you will see fewer word problems with many setups. With this, the hope is that students will spend less time reading, leaving more time to solve the problem. The English section will include added stems to each item, reducing the need for students to scroll back to read instructions.

ACT Math Section Changes: Fewer Multiple-Choice Options

Back to Top

The Math section will reduce the number of answer choices from five (ABCDE) to four (ABCD), which aligns with the format used in many other standardized tests. The math section will also reduce the number of distractors from five to four, which aligns with common practices in other standardized tests.

Improved Accessibility in the ACT English Section

The instructions will now be attached to every English question rather than at the beginning of the section. This change is particularly beneficial for students using screen readers, as it eliminates the need to scroll back and forth to understand the instructions. Instructions for each English item will be embedded within the question to improve accessibility, particularly for students using screen readers.

Ensuring Score Comparability on the ACT

To avoid confusion, the ACT will ensure that scores from the new format are comparable to the old format. Studies and simulations are being conducted to validate this equivalence. Colleges will receive scores on the same 1-36 scale we already have. Studies and simulations are being conducted to ensure score comparability between the new and old formats, maintaining the 1-36 scoring scale.

ACT Registration Pricing Changes

Back to Top

The new format, which excludes the science section, will be less expensive than the current full ACT. However, the actual price has not yet been determined. Students who wish to add the science section can do so for an additional fee, which will be lower than the writing test fee ($25) since the science section is machine-scored and the writing test requires human scoring. The new ACT format will be less expensive than the current one, with additional fees for the optional science and writing sections.

ACT Rollout Schedule

Back to Top

These changes will be implemented gradually:

• April 2025: Launch of the new format in the national online testing market.
• September 2025: All national and international test-takers will use the new blueprint.
• February 2026: State and district testing will switch to the new format for the spring testing window.

Students taking the test in April, June, and July of 2025 will first see the new ACT blueprint. This will be a smaller sample group as part of a “slow launch” before the new blueprint is rolled out nationally in September 2025.

Preparing for the New ACT Format

Back to Top

How might you prepare for this new test when there are no examples out yet? Thankfully, practice exams in the new format will come out in late 2024 or early 2025. This will give a good few months before the first new ACT test will be administered in April 2025.

Additionally, students can still opt to take the test online with paper and pencil.

Remember, also, that the ACT format has changed quite a bit, but the questions themselves will target the same knowledge and academic content. So, using practice tests with the old format is a decent option, too. Practice exams for the new format will be available online by late 2024 or early 2025, giving students several months to prepare.

ACT Changes for Educators and Tutors

Back to Top

These changes to the ACT are designed to provide greater flexibility, reduce test anxiety, and improve accessibility for all students. By offering an optional science section and reducing the reading load, the ACT is adapting to meet the diverse needs of today’s test-takers. As always, students should stay informed about these changes and plan their test preparation accordingly.

For tutors, it’s essential to start familiarizing yourself with these changes as soon as possible. Make sure to inform your students about the optional science section and the reduced number of questions. Begin integrating strategies that will help students manage their time effectively with the shorter reading passages and fewer multiple-choice options in math. Keep an eye out for the release of the new practice exams in late 2024 or early 2025, and incorporate these into your tutoring sessions to give students a feel for the new format. Stay updated on any further announcements from the ACT organization to ensure you have the latest information.

What We Still Don’t Know About the ACT Changes

Back to Top

As the ACT undergoes these changes, several components of the test remain unclear. Neill Seltzer, a veteran tutor and an active NTPA Member, was kind enough to provide me with a few questions to ask the ACT Leaders. While some were answered, many were not. Here’s a summary of what we’re still waiting to learn.

Availability of Practice Tests

Back to Top

It’s unclear how many practice tests will be when the new ACT goes live. We do know that practice exams in the new format will be available by late 2024 or early 2025. Will there be enough practice materials to cover the new test format comprehensively, and will these materials be sufficient to ensure thorough preparation for all test-takers? We’re not sure yet.

One thing is for certain: the Official ACT Prep Guide will look quite different.

Release of New ACT Practice Materials

Back to Top

We know practice exams will be released online. The exact timeline for their release eludes us. However, more announcements will ensue as we inch closer to the ACT’s release. Additionally, we don’t know the form these materials will take—will they be available as online tests, downloadable PDFs, or interactive modules? The sooner we gain more clarity on these details, the sooner students and educators can plan their ACT Prep strategies more effectively.

Licensing of Question Content

Back to Top

The ACT has a history of working with test prep providers, but it remains uncertain whether the new question content will be licensed to these providers. If licensing is available, when will it be accessible, and what will the process entail? This information is essential for test prep companies to align their materials with the new ACT format.

Detailed Question Specifications

Back to Top

One major uncertainty is when the detailed specifications for the new questions will be released. Will the new questions differ significantly in design from the current ones, or will there simply be fewer of them? This information is crucial for educators and students to prepare for the new format adequately.

Online Test for International Students

Back to Top

These changes will take effect for National online testers in April 2025 and then in September. They will roll out for both online and paper/pencil testers. However, questions remain about how the transition to the digital format will be managed for international students. Will there be any region-specific adaptations or considerations to ensure a smooth transition?

Conclusion

Back to Top

For now, we await more information from the ACT organization. The leaders I spoke with at the ACT want to tell us as much as possible. And so, we’ll be informed and prepared as soon as they’re ready to tell us more. Keep an eye on official announcements and updates, and we’ll continue to provide the latest insights and guidance to help you navigate these changes effectively.

Summary of ACT Changes:

Back to Top

• Shorter Test with Fewer Questions:
  • 44 fewer items across English, math, and reading sections.
  • New English section: 50 questions; Math section: 45 questions; Reading section: 36 questions.
  • The new core test will last just two hours, compared to three hours for the current test.
• Optional Science Section:
  • The Science section becomes optional, with sub-scores reported separately.
  • Provides flexibility for students who do not need a science score for college applications.
  • Students can choose to take the ACT with or without the science and writing sections, providing greater flexibility.
• Changes to Question Format and Accessibility:
  • Fewer multiple-choice options in math (ABCDE to ABCD).
  • Shorter reading passages and contextual questions in English and math.
  • Embedded instructions for better accessibility, especially for screen readers.
• Testing Options:
  • Students can still opt to take the test online or with paper and pencil.

About the Author

Marc Gray, owner of Odyssey College Prep and CEO of Powerful Prep, streamlines college admissions with advanced aptitude testing. An active blogger, he writes on college admissions, test prep, and aptitude testing. As Chair of the NTPA’s Blog Committee, he updates members on the latest in test prep, college admissions, aptitude testing, and community news.

The post Major Changes Coming to the ACT: What You Need to Know appeared first on National Test Prep Association.

I’m asked this question several times a week by parents, and reasonably so. It’s an honest question. Performing well on standardized tests can influence the trajectory of many opportunities for high school students. In my tutoring practice, we measure a cluster of variables to help determine which test is a better fit for students.

• Processing Speed
• Practice Scores
• Verbal Memory
• Abstract Reasoning

When the choice is left to students, I’ve noticed many now gravitate towards the Digital SAT. This makes an odd sense. After all, the Digital SAT is new, digitally intuitive, and, most notably to students, a shorter test (2 hours and 14 minutes)^[1] compared to its ACT counterpart (2 hours and 55 minutes).^[2]

TIR and Other Benefits of the ACT

One of the ACT’s greatest advantages is its Test Information Release (TIR) feature. This feature boasts a unique and industry-defining accomplishment. Aside from the LSAT, the ACT is the only test that gives students the exact copy of the test they took, with its accompanying questions and answers. In the 2024 -2025 test cycle, the ACT offers TIR tests roughly five times (see table below).

TIR Test Dates	Availability
April 2024	Saturday and non-Saturday testing
June 2024*	Saturday testing only *A special study is being conducted in June 2024. TIR service will not be available for the online test mode.
September 2024	Saturday testing only
December 2024	Saturday testing only
February 2025	Saturday and non-Saturday testing

Adapted from the ACT website

Due to the importance of this ACT advantage, we’ll cover this feature extensively in a subsequent post. Additionally, we’ll briefly touch on other advantages the ACT possesses.

How the ACT Helps Students

We’ve written on the societal benefits of standardized testing previously. However, in addition to capitalizing on scholarship opportunities, scoring well on the ACT opens doors in higher education for students that would otherwise be closed.

Finally, many of the students we test prep tutors teach are fantastic literaries. They comprehend the nuts and bolts of grammar mechanics, can wax poetic or rein in their prose to be more laconic, and read and analyze text critically. The ACT provides these high school students a unique opportunity with the ACT Writing Section.^[9] Yes, the ACT Writing Section is optional. But what if students wield their pen fluently or with more mastery than their calculator? A high ACT Writing score on their college applications may speak to their writing prowess.

Conclusion

In the coming articles, we’ll cover these topics on the ACT:

• ACT TIR
• Education Benefits
• Scholarship Opportunities
• ACT Writing Section

If that sounds relevant to you, please follow along. The NTPA blog also covers the state of test prep, best practices in education, and the success of NTPA members. If you’re a student, you’ll learn how to best leverage the benefits of the ACT in your test prep and college applications. As an educator, you’ll discover insights you can use in advising your students. Stay tuned, and let us know in the comments what other test prep topics you’d like the NTPA blog to cover.

-Happy Testing

About the Author

Marc Gray, owner of Odyssey College Prep and CEO of Powerful Prep, streamlines college admissions with advanced aptitude testing. He guides students in creating unique passion projects for their applications. An active blogger, he writes on college admissions, test prep, and aptitude testing. As Chair of the NTPA’s Blog Committee, he updates members on the latest in test prep and community news.

Editor

Ben Sexton, owner of Sexton Test Prep & Tutoring, founded the company in 2005 in MetroWest Boston. His company offers SAT/ACT, SSAT/ISEE test prep, and academic tutoring for grades 5-12. Ben began tutoring in 2003 and expanded his business in 2012, now managing a team of 20 tutors and two managers. He holds degrees from Skidmore College and Boston College. Ben also serves on the NTPA Blog Committee. He enjoys boxing, strength training, and following Boston sports in his free time.

References

^[1] The College Board. “How Long Does the SAT Take?” College Board Blog, 8 February 2024, https://blog.collegeboard.org/how-long-does-the-sat-take. Accessed 5 July 2024.

^[2] ACT. “What You Need to Know for Test Day.” ACT, https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-day.html. Accessed 5 July 2024.

^[3] McGibbon, Mike. Mathchops, https://www.mathchops.com/. Accessed 5 July 2024.

^[4] MentoMind. MentoMind, https://mentomind.ai/. Accessed 5 July 2024.

^[5] Terracciano, Kyle. No B.S. Prep: Increase your SAT® / PSAT® Score, https://nobsprep.com/. Accessed 5 July 2024.

^[6] Seltzer, Neill. “ScoreSmart | Digital SAT.” Score Smart, https://score-smart.com/digital-sat/. Accessed 5 July 2024.

^[7] Hanson, Brooke. “SAT® Courses.” SupertutorTV, Supertutor TV, https://supertutortv.com/the-best-sat-prep-course-ever/. Accessed 5 July 2024.

^[8] Test Innovators. Test Innovators | Prep for Success – Test Innovators, 4 June 2024, https://testinnovators.com/. Accessed 5 July 2024.

^[9] ACT. “Writing Test Prep.” ACT, https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/writing-test-prep.html. Accessed 5 July 2024.

The post Advantages of Taking the ACT – Intro appeared first on National Test Prep Association.

Member Details

Member: Brooke Hanson

Business: Supertutor Media

Website: supertutortv.com

Started: 2013

Before starting SupertutorTV, Brooke contracted with over ten education companies as a tutor and curriculum developer. She also employs her storytelling background as a college admissions essay coach and consultant and is a member of NACAC. Her recent essay coaching students have been accepted at universities such as Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton. In addition to her education work, Brooke is also a filmmaker. For two seasons, she was a showrunner for a Yahoo! video series with Emmy-nominated host Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance); she has co-produced, written, and edited a documentary for public television with actress Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Bring It On), and also has field-produced EPK and digital content for the star-studded fundraising efforts of Stand Up to Cancer. Brooke graduated with honors from Stanford University with a BA in American Studies and holds an MFA in Cinematic Arts Production from the University of Southern California.

Tell us how your background influenced your approach to test prep.

I originally went to USC for an MFA, intending to be a filmmaker. I’m a creative at heart, but once I graduated, I found that the reality of working in content creation in Hollywood had multiple complicating factors, from a lopsided job market (more supply than demand), long hours, and project-based work that meant I was always looking for the next gig. But working on the side as a tutor helped me keep afloat. Eventually, I began to see how rewarding working with students could be. People were grateful for my work, and I was often praised as the favorite tutor wherever I was working. I began to branch off then and build my own tutoring practice. I also began to do a bit of work creating short-form videos for YouTubers and for Yahoo! and got to the point where I wondered what would happen if, instead of helping others build their brands or selves, if I combined the two things I did and used my creative skills to make content that educates and entertains. That definitely informs my teaching– I want to make what I present interesting, compelling, and helpful all at once, whether with a 1:1 student or in a video. I want students to engage and remember what they learn.

What strategies do you employ to build confidence and reduce anxiety in your students facing high-stakes tests?

To build confidence with students, I ensure they’re prepared on all levels– content, approach, tips, and strategies. And I ensure we’ve practiced, drilled down what they need, and are ready. Readiness, for me, is a great way to build confidence. In terms of reducing anxiety, planning is one element we always discuss. Planning means we always anticipate if they struggle with test anxiety, this is going to be a long road, but also what is Plan A, Plan B, Plan C– even down to the college application plan– if I don’t get the score what colleges are still on the table– at what point do I switch tests. We put aside the “one and done” mentality and embrace that time and effort may mean persistence and multiple tests, possibly across the SAT and ACT. Once we can embrace that, we can move beyond the potential burnout because a first exam is disappointing and understand it’s a game of endurance and normalization of the process– this isn’t the end of the world, it’s one piece of a bigger agenda.

What key factors should students and parents consider when choosing a test prep service?

First, I always say private tutoring 1:1 is the gold standard. Many families worry that it’s too expensive, but then sign up for a $600 group class– that could have been ~4 1:1 one-hour sessions supplemented by our DIGITAL SAT online course and videos — and the latter, in many cases, I find can bring better results depending on how much time a student has to prepare. Still, there are a lot of mediocre tutors out there charging $90-200/hour. I’ve interviewed them! Doing a one-hour practice session with a tutor 1:1 before you commit to a package is always good. A great tutor will know how to approach questions, ensure students understand what they’re covering, synthesize ideas into memorable takeaways, and ideally push students to work on the problems themselves. Group classes can also be good– but be aware of your students. Will they do the homework? Will they participate? Classes are good for around 1/2 of my students, but 1:1 works for nearly 90%.

If you do want to do a class, do that first– early on. Give yourself time in case it doesn’t work out. Self-prep is amazing, but it takes a very special student to get the maximum gains possible — only about 5% of students are in that category, in my experience. And again, start early if you are self-prep. Ensure you have the runway to change course if you hope to save money and roll the dice on self-discipline. Also– in general, it’s easier to trust local and independent tutoring companies above the big franchises– small business owners must deliver high-quality education, while big brands can rely on name awareness and they can often get by without hiring the most qualified tutors– the actual teacher matters most, and I know people who have worked for those companies that are amazing– but there’s unevenness. Starting with the NTPA directory is a good move– these are vetted, dedicated tutors who sign a code of ethics and are committed to improving their craft.

How do you stay updated with the latest educational trends to enhance your tutoring approach?

I try to read, watch, and see what other tutors do– whether that’s my fellow YouTubers, books by independent tutors, or checking out other tutors’ websites, methods, etc. Talking to NTPA members is also really insightful– there’s so much diversity in how each tutor approaches their work, and those conversations have brought so much to what I do. The NTPA has great videos online from past sessions. I can’t always make the meetings, but these are great, too, for seeing other perspectives.

What challenges did one of your most successful students overcome, and how did you support them through that process?

I once worked with a student for just a couple of lessons, and he was able to jump-start his ACT reading from a 24 to a 36. In the rest of the sections, he easily scored over 30, but his reading process wasn’t working.

What was extremely eye-opening for him was simply borne out of a conversation with me about how he was approaching the passage and walking through a few passages together.

Essentially he was approaching the ACT as if it were a multiple-choice test at school, where a teacher is probably looking for students to identify information they’ve read in a closed book environment: reading the text beforehand and answering without access to that text. A test of recall. His entire approach was based on not actually internalizing the question; rather, he was simply picking the answer he remembered seeing mentioned in the passage. He had grown so accustomed to this working in his English classes that the shift to a test where the question matters weren’t automatic. Once he figured that out– it was like wildfire!

On the ACT, 90% of the time, every answer choice is in the passage. The question does not ask, “Which of these did the passage mention?”

A similar effect can plague students on the SAT: They replace whatever the prompt actually says with ” Does the passage say this?” But just because an answer choice states something “true,” it doesn’t make the answer choice “right.”

One of my favorite strategies is asking students to read the question and pretend it’s not multiple-choice to dodge this effect. Something happens when you don’t approach a test in multiple-choice mode and instead approach it as if it were an open answer: your brain works harder. You avoid the power of suggestion. You get total clarity.

What’s amazing is that such a small adjustment to their process can reap incredible results for some students.

In what ways has your tutoring service enhanced your community?

Every year, I get emails from students across the country (and world) telling me, “I watched your YouTube. I have few resources in prep and admissions, and I just got into Dartmouth” or Brown or wherever they get in or “I got a 36 on my ACT” cramming your videos the week before. Or I’m from Bangladesh, and I’m super low-income. I watched your channel and got a full ride from Stanford following your tips. What was really wild was attending my 20-year Stanford reunion and having 10 kids walk up to me, ask for a selfie, or yell “Supertutor!” and tell me how they used my videos or were 1st gen low resource, and I was their virtual counselor. It was like being a celebrity for two days. None of them ever purchased anything from me, but they knew me, knew what I did, and said thank you.

I don’t always see or hear the students I impact, so it’s been so cool to meet the incredible and energetic human beings whom maybe I could help, even in a small way. Below, I’ve shared one video I think is a great tool for students to use: a video we revamp each year — What’s a Good (Digital) SAT Score in 2024? Our viewers love that data, and sharing that data is one way we can help students understand their goals and possibilities.

What’s the Best Way For NTPA Members To Sample Your Content

A lot of people know us for our YouTube videos, but we’ve started diving into TikTok as a lot of our target viewers are there– we’ve randomly gone viral several times and now have millions of views and 300k+ likes– and are currently clocking more monthly views on TikTok than YouTube. The content is very different, and the strangest things take off (my comedy shorts did pretty well, and anything with the word “Harvard”). But we’re having fun and hopefully keeping up with the testing and admissions news cycle there, too, and have been getting more traction on new videos via the short forms than new long-form videos. If you don’t do TikTok, our SuperTutorTV Instagram Page also publishes our shorts.

The post NTPA Member Brooke Hanson: Founder of Supertutor TV appeared first on National Test Prep Association.