Everything you need to know about the Digital ACT

The ACT will begin to offer a digital option to a limited number of US students in December of 2023.

Here’s what you need to know:

ONLINE TESTING:

• The digital ACT is not new. Many international students have already been taking the ACT digitally, but now it will be more widely  available to students in the US

• The ACT has no plans to do away with paper testing; they are now offering online testing as an additional option for students who prefer a digital format

• The digital ACT will not be immediately available to everyone. It is being piloted for 5,000 testers at a select number of test centers, so it’s important to double-check which option is available for your testing center when registration opens in July

• The ACT will continue to expand digital offerings through 2024

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAPER AND DIGITAL?

• Not much! The format of both tests remains the same. The digital option will not be adaptive and will still be taken at a testing center

• The digital option will provide more accessibility accommodations, including support for screen reader users, text-to-speech functionality and the ability to zoom in and hide answer options

• Testing fees and score distributions will remain the same for both paper and digital options, although students taking the digital ACT may receive scores sooner than those who take the paper test

WHICH OPTION IS BEST FOR MY CHILD?

• The Digital ACT might be best for your child if:

  • They need accessibility accommodations (other than extra time)

  • You’ll need scores back quickly

• Otherwise, we recommend the paper option for now!

  • Because the digital test is so new to the US, there are a limited number of accurate online practice materials. This means most of our students will stick to paper tests until the digital test becomes more widely available

  • Many of our students are far more comfortable with a pencil and paper, especially for a lengthy testing experience

  • Not all testing centers will offer digital tests right away, so for now, most of our students will prefer to stick with the more commonly offered paper option