The ACT has been piloting a digital test format since December 2023; combined with the SAT’s recent switch to all digital, this means that we are approaching a future in which the majority of college-bound high schoolers will take their college admissions tests online.

At this time, we believe the ACT will continue to offer a paper option for U.S.-based testers. For students who are more comfortable testing on paper, it is a great choice! But, we want to be ready for the possibility of more or only digital ACT exams.

Thankfully, our experts at Private Prep have been preparing for this moment for years! With remote learning growing in popularity, students today have gotten used to learning online. And today’s teenagers are digital natives—they are just as comfortable on the computer as anywhere else. In other words, a shift to digital testing was always basically inevitable. To get ahead of this trend, Private Prep’s tech and curriculum teams partnered to create an ACT Online platform for students.

Perks of the Platform

• Easy-to-use interface: ACT strategies lend themselves naturally to the tools available in the online ACT platform. Students can highlight, eliminate answer choices, check their timer, and more with the click of a mouse.
• Instant data: Sections can be scored immediately after they are taken. There’s nothing quite like that feeling of getting through a tough section and then seeing an excellent score pop up!
• Tutor feedback: Tutors can’t typically observe their students’ homework in the way they can observe their work in a lesson. With the ACT Online platform, tutors can see a student’s results and use that information to tailor their next lesson.

While we don’t recommend that students sign up for the ACT’s digital option at this time (as tech issues are possible), Private Prep’s ACT Online platform is available now for ACT students to launch their digital test prep journeys. Learn more about the upcoming changes to the ACT here, and reach out to your director to get more information.