In this post, we’ll be talking about important changes to the new ACT. Most of you may know that the SAT radically changed in 2016– what you may not have realized is that the ACT has also changed!
But don’t panic– these changes aren’t as drastic as the recent SAT overhaul. In 2014, the ACT announced that would roll out a series of small changes as part of its commitment to making “continuous improvements” to the exam. We here at SupertutorTV have organized a list of all of the updates to the new ACT, including the one implemented as recently as 2016. Here is the breakdown of the modifications section by section:
THE ACT ESSAY
THE ACT SCIENCE SECTION
The science section used to include 7 passages, but over the last year-and-a-half, the test has trimmed that number to 6— giving you more time to focus on questions and wasting less of your time orienting yourself to a new experiment or setup. The number of questions in the section hasn’t changed, but from my subjective experience, I’ve observed that 1-2 more “outside information questions” or “logical reasoning questions” have been integrated with this adjustment. These questions can be a bit flummoxing, because you read the problem and look at the answer choices, only to discover that there isn’t any supporting evidence in the passage to back up any of the options.
Wondering what I mean by this?– here’s an example.
Example Question:
When the monarch butterflies use their stored lipids, the lipids must be broken down to produce energy-rich molecules that can be readily used by cells. which of the following molecules is produced as a direct result of the breakdown of the lipids?
A. ATP
B. Starch
C. DNA
D. Amino acids
The answer to this question is A– ATP. However, there are no hints or clues to support this answer choice in the passage that accompanies this questions. If you don’t possess the outside knowledge to know that ATP is the correct answer, you can always use the handy process of elimination. For example, DNA is our genetic code– not what lipids turn into; amino acids are the building blocks of proteins; starches are “carbs” while lipids are “fats” — these are not elements in a cycle but rather comparable categories. Following this manner, you can start crossing off some unlikely choices and you might be able to arrive at the correct answer. As long as you have some outside knowledge, or use logical reasoning and the process of elimination, you may be able to tackle these types of questions.
THE ACT MATH SECTION
THE ACT READING SECTION
ACT ONLINE TEST
Overall, these are all of the changes to the new ACT by section. It is also important to note that because the ACT has officially announced that it will continue to adapt the test over time, more subtle changes may emerge on any given test date without warning.
Taking the ACT soon? Check out our other posts on the ACT on our blog!
