Should I Take the ACT with Science?

If you’re getting ready for upcoming college admissions testing, you may be wondering, “Should I take the ACT with Science?” As of the new ACT test in 2025, the science portion is no longer a part of the base exam; like the ACT essay, students interested in taking it must select it as an “add-on” to the base ACT for an additional fee.

Let’s dive into the content on the ACT science test and the different factors you should consider when deciding whether you should take it.

The ACT Science Test

Following suit with the SAT’s transformation in 2023, the ACT has also been modified to be shorter and (optionally) digital. One major change to the ACT is that the science portion has become optional. 

Just as students have had to choose between the ACT or the ACT with Writing in the past, testers will now have to decide whether to take the base ACT or to add the science portion, the writing portion, or both. Because the science test is now separated from the base exam, students will receive a separate ACT Science score that does not factor into their composite score. 

While the old base ACT presented 251 questions to be completed in just over three hours, the Enhanced 2025 ACT tasks students with answering 171 questions in just over two. While the time limit and number of questions have been decreased across all sections of the test, part of this time and question reduction is due to the removal of the science section.

New ACT 2025 Format

As you can see in the table above, test-takers will have 40 minutes to answer 40 questions on the ACT Science test—5 minutes longer than the old science portion. This increases the amount of time students can spend per question from 52 seconds to 1 minute per question, making it a little easier to work through all the problems within the time limit.

What’s Tested on the ACT Science Test?

The 40 questions you’ll be tasked with answering across 40 minutes will consist of 6-7 small passages, each paired with 5-7 questions. Passages will typically include a description of scientific studies or hypotheses and at least one chart or graph.

If you’re deciding which version of the ACT to take and wondering, “Do you actually need to know science for the ACT?”, the answer is: “Not as much as you’d think.” The ACT Science test has never been a thorough examination of the extensive biology, chemistry, and physics concepts students learn throughout high school; rather, it tests data analysis skills and your ability to think through scientific hypotheses and experiments. 

In fact, you are only allowed calculator use on the ACT Math test because you won’t have much use for one on science questions. There won’t be complex problems that require specific formulas—at most, you’ll do basic operations that shouldn’t take too long.

That’s not to say you won’t need a basic knowledge of scientific ideas—the ACT with Science uses real-world scientific scenarios to test your ability to understand data portrayed in different ways and analyze parts of the scientific process, from hypotheses to experimentation. ACT Science questions fall into three categories: 

• Interpretation of Data. Analyze and manipulate data represented in tables, graphs, charts, and other diagrams. (36-47% of questions.)
• Scientific Investigation. Understand the basics of scientific experimentation. Know how to identify tools, design aspects, and procedures of experiments, and be able to compare, modify, and extend them. (17-31% of questions.)
• Evaluation of Models, Inferences, and Experimental Results. Judge whether presented scientific information is valid and make predictions based on that information. (25-35% of questions.)

So, whether you’ve taken IB, AP, Pre-AP, or on-level science courses, you will have learned the basic skills and knowledge required to succeed on the ACT Science test: the scientific method, how to read charts and graphs, how to create and conduct experiments, and scientific terminology. Effective test prep for this portion of the exam will consist of relearning those topics, studying them, and working through ACT Science practice tests.

Should You Take the ACT With Science? Things to Consider

Registering for the ACT Science test add-on will cost you a fee, 40 more minutes of test-taking, and the effort required to study for it. But is the price worth the benefits? Let’s cover the factors you’ll need to weigh when considering, “Should I take the ACT with Science?”.

The ACT Science Test Fee

The base ACT exam is $68. The fee of the Science add-on is $4, making the total price $72. (That total is $97 if you also add the Writing portion). Although the price increase of taking the ACT Science is quite nominal, look into ACT fee waivers if this increase makes the cost too high for you; ACT fee waivers cover the base exam plus the science and writing sections.

Your Comfort and Capability in Science

If you don’t think you’ll do well enough on the ACT Science test to stand out to your college(s) of choice, then you might not wish to take it. 

While the fact that you have an ACT Science score shows college admissions offices your motivation as a learner and desire to be a well-rounded student, a low score can seem like it isn’t worth the effort to prep for and take. For prestigious, test-optional colleges in particular, showcasing your weakness in science may dull the shine of an excellent composite score.

Not confident in your potential ACT Science score? Honestly, it may still be a good idea to take it. In case your ACT English, Reading, and Math scores are excellent, it’s not likely that your ACT Science score will be bad enough to impair your college application—even if science has never been your strong suit. Further, if you take the ACT with Science and your score is bad, you should retake the ACT and either omit the science section on your retest, or study to improve your science abilities and submit your superscore. 

Your Comfort with Test-Taking

Many students experience test-taking anxiety, and many others struggle to focus and manage their time during standardized tests. If you don’t tend to do well in testing environments, not taking the ACT with Science may sound appealing.

Still, if this sounds like you but you want to show college admissions offices your stellar STEM skills, Science is the final section of the test (unless you take the ACT Essay). This means that the optional 40-minute test you’re adding won’t directly impact your focus or stress on the other three portions—the bulk of the ACT will already be done by the time you start on science questions. 

Remember: take ACT practice tests in environments simulating the real test day to help you alleviate any anxiety and strengthen your ability to focus on exams.

College Requirements

Whether you should take the ACT with Science or not also depends on the colleges and universities you’re planning to apply to. 

Only a few colleges require an ACT Science score for applicants: the most well-known are Boston University and Georgetown University. Only a few other universities explicitly recommend submitting a science score, namely Michigan State University, and Duke University. Colleges are increasingly test-optional, so it’s not surprising that only a few state that they require or recommend the science section for those taking the ACT. 

Test-optional means that you have the option to submit your test scores or not, and your application is not negatively impacted by the fact that you chose not to submit scores. However, it’s important to note that, while most colleges don’t have mandatory requirements for the science section, taking the full ACT exam looks better on your application than not having it. Further, students applying to competitive STEM programs have stronger applications if they include the ACT Science score alongside their ACT Composite than those applying without strong STEM test scores. 

So, Should I Take the ACT With Science?

In summary, the reasons a student may not wish to take the ACT Science portion don’t outweigh its potential benefits. If you’re preparing to take the ACT, our recommendation is that you add on the science portion because it positions you as a better college admissions candidate.

The full ACT makes any college application look better than having the base test alone. It demonstrates well-roundedness and dedication; taking a completely optional test for a college application shows that you’re not afraid to study and have your knowledge tested. Even if the score is lower than you hope or expect, you can always study and retake the exam—but, out of all the ACT sections, English, Reading, and Math are most important to colleges.

Still really don’t want to take the Science test? You can always take the SAT and submit those scores instead—science and data analysis-related questions are dispersed among the only two sections, math and reading.

Prepare for the ACT With or Without Science

If you were wondering, “Should I take the ACT with Science?”, we hope this article has helped you reach your answer! While taking the science portion adds a $4 fee and 40 minutes to your ACT test, the cost of that time and money is generally worth it—especially if you’re interested in a STEM degree or plan to apply to high-ranking universities.

Whether you’re definitely signing up for the ACT with Science or leaning towards just taking the base exam, we still recommend you take a full enhanced ACT practice test before registering for either: that way, you’ll see what your ACT Science score would look like without any studying.

If you’re looking for affordable resources to help you on your ACT journey, study for the ACT online with Piqosity! Along with our full-length, online ELA and Math courses for grades 5-11, we offer full SAT, ACT, and ISEE test prep courses, each of which includes 12+ practice exams, dozens of concept lessons, personalized practice software, and more.

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