Will the ACT Follow the SAT in Going Fully Digital? What Students Should Know About the Future of Testing

If you have been following the recent changes to the ACT and SAT, you may be wondering whether the ACT is eventually going to follow the SAT and become a completely digital test. The answer, as of 2026, is not yet. The ACT currently offers students both paper and digital testing options, while the SAT has already completed its transition to a fully digital format in the United States.

The ACT has made significant changes in recent years, including shortening the test, giving students more time per question, making Science optional for national testing, and introducing Desmos on the digital version. These changes make the ACT more similar to the modern SAT in some ways—but there are still important differences between the two exams.

As an ACT/SAT tutor, I want to explain where the ACT stands today, what the recent changes mean for students, and whether there is reason to expect the ACT to eventually become fully digital.

The SAT Has Already Gone Fully Digital

The SAT completed its transition to digital testing in the United States in 2024. Students now take the SAT using College Board's Bluebook testing platform rather than a traditional paper test. The modern SAT is approximately two hours and fourteen minutes long and gives students substantially more time per question than the traditional ACT.

The digital SAT also introduced several important changes:

• Shorter overall testing time

• Shorter Reading and Writing passages

• Fewer questions

• More time per question

• Adaptive testing, meaning the difficulty of the second module depends partly on performance in the first

• Calculator use throughout the entire Math section

• A built-in calculator, including Desmos

The result is a very different testing experience from the traditional SAT students took for decades.

The ACT Has Chosen a Different Path

Unlike the SAT, the ACT has not eliminated paper testing.

Students can currently choose between:

• Paper ACT

• Digital ACT

The digital ACT is administered through ACT's secure testing platform, while students taking the paper version continue to complete the test with traditional pencil and paper. ACT also allows students to bring an approved handheld calculator regardless of which format they choose.

This gives the ACT an important advantage for students who simply perform better on paper.

Some students find that they read more comfortably, annotate more naturally, or concentrate better when they can physically interact with the test. For those students, the ACT's continued paper option is significant.

The Digital ACT Now Has Desmos

One of the most important developments for digital ACT students is the introduction of Desmos.

Students taking the ACT online have access to a built-in Desmos graphing calculator during the Math section. ACT itself provides tutorials specifically designed to teach students how to use Desmos and other calculator strategies on the ACT.

This is a major change because Desmos can be used for much more than basic arithmetic.

Students can use it to:

• Graph equations

• Find intersections

• Identify roots

• Evaluate functions

• Create tables

• Check algebraic solutions

• Analyze transformations

• Solve certain problems without traditional algebra

Learning Desmos strategies can therefore become a major part of effective digital ACT preparation.

The Enhanced ACT Is Also Much Shorter

The ACT has moved considerably closer to the SAT in terms of overall testing experience.

The Enhanced ACT reduced the number of questions and shortened the core test while giving students more time per question. The paper version adopted these enhancements beginning in September 2025.

The current ACT consists of required:

• English

• Math

• Reading

with Science and Writing available as optional sections for applicable national testing.

This is a major departure from the traditional ACT, which included Science as part of the Composite score.

Science Is Now Optional—but I Still Recommend Taking It

The ACT's Science section is now optional for national testing, and Science is no longer included in the new Composite score. The Composite is calculated from English, Math, and Reading. However, a student's Science score is still reported separately.

I generally recommend that students still take Science.

Why?

First, taking Science gives colleges additional information about a student's academic abilities. Second, the ACT Science section is much more manageable than many students initially assume.

With the right strategies, the section requires relatively little outside science knowledge. Much of the information needed to answer the questions can be found directly in the passages, graphs, tables, and experiments.

In my experience, Science is actually one of the easiest sections to master strategically.

The ACT Still Has One Major Advantage Over the SAT: Paper Testing

For students who strongly prefer paper, the ACT remains the obvious choice.

The SAT's transition to digital testing means students who want a traditional paper-and-pencil national college admissions test currently do not have that option.

The ACT, meanwhile, continues to provide both formats.

This can be particularly helpful for students who:

• Prefer writing directly on a physical test

• Like physically marking questions

• Find extended screen time tiring

• Read more effectively on paper

• Prefer traditional test-taking

For these students, the format itself may be an important factor when choosing between the ACT and SAT.

Is the ACT Eventually Going to Become Fully Digital?

This is the big question.

There is currently no announced date for the ACT to eliminate its paper option nationwide.

The ACT has instead continued to support both paper and digital testing while expanding its digital capabilities. The organization has described the digital format as an additional option rather than announcing a complete transition away from paper.

That means students should not choose the ACT assuming that paper testing is about to disappear.

If you perform better on paper, the ACT remains a very legitimate option.

Of course, testing policies can change in the future, so students should always check the current ACT testing options when registering.

The ACT and SAT Are Becoming More Similar

Interestingly, the most important trend may not be that the ACT is becoming digital.

It may be that the ACT and SAT are becoming increasingly similar in their overall testing experience.

Both tests now:

• Are significantly shorter than their older versions

• Give students more time per question than previous formats

• Allow calculators throughout the Math section

• Offer digital testing

• Use modern computer-based testing technology

• Reward strategic pacing

• Allow students to take advantage of powerful calculator tools

• Are accepted by colleges throughout the United States

At the same time, important differences remain.

The ACT still offers paper testing.

The SAT is fully digital.

The ACT has an optional Science section.

The SAT has no separate Science section.

And the ACT remains somewhat more of a time-crunch test, even though its recent changes have made the pacing considerably more manageable.

What This Means for Students Choosing Between the ACT and SAT

The format question is important—but it shouldn't be the only factor.

The most important question remains:

Which test allows you to demonstrate your strengths most effectively?

A student who loves paper, performs well under faster pacing, and likes straightforward questions may prefer the ACT.

A student who prefers digital testing, wants more time per question, and enjoys using Desmos may prefer the SAT.

And because colleges generally treat the ACT and SAT interchangeably, there is no need to take both simply because you think one is more respected.

The goal should be to identify the test that fits the individual student and then go all in on mastering it.

What I Recommend to My Students

I don't believe students should choose the ACT or SAT based solely on whether one test is paper or digital.

Instead, I recommend looking at the student's:

• Math strengths

• Reading strengths

• Grammar knowledge

• Pacing ability

• Comfort with technology

• Calculator skills

• Test-taking preferences

• Performance on diagnostic tests

During an initial consultation, I can often get a good sense of which test appears to be a better fit for a student. From there, a diagnostic test can help confirm the decision.

Once we identify the better test, I prefer to have students focus their preparation on that exam rather than splitting their time between two tests indefinitely.

Final Thoughts: Don't Choose a Test Based on Its Format Alone

The ACT may eventually move toward a fully digital model someday, but that is not the reality today. As of 2026, students can still choose between paper and digital ACT testing, while the SAT has already gone fully digital.

The more important development is that both exams are evolving rapidly.

The ACT is shorter, more streamlined, offers Desmos on its digital version, and has made Science optional. The SAT is shorter, adaptive, fully digital, and provides an embedded calculator.

These changes make choosing the right test more important than ever.

Contact me today to get started with expert ACT/SAT tutoring and take the next step toward college success!