ST1 The Enhanced ACT: Format & Choices
Understanding the format of the enhanced ACT helps you walk in calm and spend your energy on questions, not surprises. The test is multiple choice, and each question gives you four answer choices to weigh. Knowing that structure lets you use smart strategies like elimination and educated guessing from the first question on. A concrete tip: with four choices, crossing off even one or two wrong options sharply improves your odds when you have to guess, so never leave a question blank. This page gives you a short, plain overview of how the sections and answer choices are set up, plus free interactive practice so the format feels familiar before test day. Getting comfortable with the layout and the four-choice format now means fewer distractions and steadier pacing when it counts.
Lesson
The ACT you will sit is not the ACT your older sibling sat. ACT rebuilt it: the enhanced test went live for National online testing in April 2025, on paper for the National Saturday test in September 2025, and for State and District testing in spring 2026.
Four things changed that matter to you
- It is shorter. 44 fewer questions. The three sections that make your Composite take 125 minutes of testing, where the legacy test ran 175 minutes across four sections.
- Math has four answer choices, not five. ACT states the count "has been reduced from five to four." Every multiple-choice section now uses four.
- Science is optional — and it no longer counts toward your Composite.
- You get more time per question in every section, because the question counts fell faster than the clock did.
The two decisions you make at registration
Science and Writing are add-ons you choose. On the National (Saturday) test the choice is yours. In State and District testing your school or state decides, not you — if that is how you are testing, ask which sections you are scheduled for rather than assuming.
Should you take Science?
Skipping it cannot lower your Composite — that is arithmetic, not opinion, because the Composite is built from English, Math and Reading only. But two things push the other way:
- Colleges decide, not ACT. Some programs ask for it. Check the requirements of the schools you actually intend to apply to before you drop it.
- The STEM score needs it. STEM is the average of Math and Science, and it is only reported if you sat Science.
ACT's own framing is that some students "may choose not to take the science assessment" and get "a shorter testing experience while still receiving a valid and college-reportable score." Both paths are legitimate. Decide it deliberately, early, and then prepare for the test you are actually taking.
Order on the day
English, then Math, then a break, then Reading. Science, if you are taking it, comes after Reading. Writing, if you are taking it, comes after every multiple-choice section.
8 questions, 8 distinct question types · you answer 12 at a time and can keep going for as long as you like.
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Frequently asked questions
How many answer choices does the enhanced ACT have?
Each multiple-choice question on the enhanced ACT gives you four answer choices. Fewer options means eliminating even one or two wrong answers noticeably improves your odds on a guess. Because there's no penalty for wrong answers, you should always fill in a choice for every question rather than leaving any blank, even when you're unsure.
Is the Science section part of the enhanced ACT?
On the enhanced ACT, Science is optional and is not included in your Composite score. If a college or scholarship you're targeting wants a Science score, you can still take it; otherwise you can focus on the sections that make up your Composite. Check the requirements of the schools you're applying to before deciding.
Should I guess on the enhanced ACT?
Yes, always. The ACT does not subtract points for wrong answers, so a blank and a wrong answer score the same, zero, while a guess gives you a chance at a point. With four choices, eliminate any you can and pick from the rest. Make sure every question has an answer bubbled before time runs out.
How is the enhanced ACT structured?
The enhanced ACT is a multiple-choice test with four answer choices per question, covering core academic sections. Science and the Writing (essay) are optional, and the Composite is built from the core sections. Beyond that, focus your prep on the skills each section tests and on getting comfortable with the four-choice format through practice.