Stressing over college admission tests? Congrats, you’re just like every other high school student in the country. But fear not, because the creators of the ACT have just launched a new and improved version of their exam that might take some of the pressure off. 

The ACT (American College Testing) is a standardized test created to see how well students perform in four subjects: Grammar, Reading, Math and Science (plus an optional writing section). Each section is scored out of 36 points, and then all of your scores are averaged to make your composite score. Scoring high on this exam can significantly strengthen your college application.

So what’s new? For starters, the enhanced ACT no longer requires you to take the science section, so if you’re someone who struggled in biology, chemistry, or physics, it’s your lucky year. Even if you decide to take the science section, it won’t be included in your overall score. That means less pressure if things don’t go the way you’d hoped. However, some colleges still require you to take the ACT with the science section, so you might want to make sure the schools you are applying to require it before making your decision. If you’re looking to apply to competitive STEM majors, scoring well especially on the science section looks very good to admission officers. 

Another major update: the test is now shorter. With the new changes, it is now 75 fewer minutes, has 44 fewer questions, and students now receive more time per question. This will allow them to take their time (somewhat) and think about their choices more thoroughly. The math portion of the test now has 4 answer choices instead of 5, and the reading section’s passages are now shorter as well. These changes to the length of the exam will surely be good news to all. 

Though the new ACT has its perks, there are also some cautions to beware of. With fewer questions, each one now carries more weight than before. This means that a single wrong answer has much more impact than it did before. These changes require some students to change their study habits and switch over to drilling the new practice tests. 

The next registration deadline is November 7 to take the December 13 ACT. If this new version sounds like a better fit for you, make sure to register and start studying.