Any major changes to ACT exam in last 5 years?

[Pegasus]

Trying to decide whether I need to buy a new ACT prep book or can let DD use our older one.

 

Thanks!

[clementine]

The writing portion is very different.  As for the other sections, I am not sure.  

[Lilaclady]

You can check if your library has it. We got ours from the library but this is my dd's first time taking it.

[RootAnn]

They didn't do a major overhaul like the SAT did, but they've been very gradually changing the test over the last few years. Not a lot, but some. The reading & math tests are two that I've seen mentioned as slowly starting to incorporate more "Common Core" (their words, not mine) materials - probability & stats in the Math section & comparing/contrasting two passages in the Reading section. These changes aren't coming all at once.

 

You can use an older prep book, but I'd supplement with actual released tests. You can find two fairly recent ones at PrepScholar. I'd use the two most current. BTW, their "form number" listed for the 2015-2016 test is wrong on the webpage. Also, the current prep book (2016-2017) on ACT's website is the same as the 2015-2016 one downloadable on the PrepScholar website.

 

Edited to add a link. And yes, the writing portion has changed - along with a lot of changes to the report.

Edited January 4, 2017 by RootAnn

[Pegasus]

Thanks, everyone. This is very helpful.  DD did well the first time she took the ACT but if she can bring her composite score up by 1 point, it would mean another $4K in college scholarships at the schools we are looking at.