ACT Writing Section Changing in September

With all the focus on the upcoming SAT changes, it’s easy to overlook the smaller changes to the ACT. The Science section has been slowly evolving with varying numbers of questions per section, for example. Perhaps the biggest change coming in September will be to the Essay Section. Gone will be the prompt for a persuasive essay. In its place you will have a short introduction to a topic and 3 different perspectives on that topic presented. You’ll then have 40 minutes to ‘analyse and evaluate the perspectives given,’ develop your own position on the topic and explain how your position relates to the other perspectives. This will all need to be supported with solid reasoning and examples. I personally prefer this to the former ACT essay and will give students a better chance to show off their analytical skills and not just their persuasive skills. While this section of the test is optional and won’t alter your composite score, it is required by many schools. Good luck!