The ACT has changed what counts toward the Composite score, and that change has reopened the SAT versus ACT decision for families across Long Beach and the surrounding region. Starting September 2025, all ACT tests use an enhanced Composite score based only on English, math, and reading. Science remains a section but is no longer a Composite component. The enhanced ACT became available for national online testing in April 2025 and for the ACT National Saturday paper test in September 2025.
The current structure is English, 50 questions in 35 minutes; Mathematics, 45 questions in 50 minutes; Reading, 36 questions in 40 minutes; and Science, 40 questions in 40 minutes. According to Mr. Test Prep, the online ACT test prep service founded by Michael Romano, this shift alters which students the ACT favors. A student whose relative weakness sat in science used to carry that weakness into the Composite; now they do not. The reverse also holds, and it gets less attention: a student who leaned on science to lift a Composite has lost that lift.
Pacing is the second variable, and it differs sharply between the two tests and between ACT sections. English asks 50 questions in 35 minutes, while Reading asks 36 in 40. For a student who is accurate but deliberate, those are not the same test. None of this shows up on a transcript. "Two students can know the same material and produce dramatically different scores," Romano said.
Romano's position is that guessing at the answer costs a family more than measuring it, which is why the recommendation sits in a free session rather than behind a paid program. The company's free two-hour trial session includes a diagnostic and a direct SAT vs. ACT recommendation. Sessions are held online, for students in Palo Alto, the Bay Area, and beyond.
The Mr. Test Prep Method™ covers content, question logic, and pacing across two-hour Zoom sessions. A-Game Access™ covers performance under time pressure through four components: A-Game, The Nine, the A-Game Cue, and Smile Into the Action. The system does not promise perfect performances, does not eliminate nervousness, and does not guarantee outcomes. Romano graduated from Duke University in '91 with a major in Psychology, has worked with students since 1997, and has taught more than 4,000 SAT, ACT, and PSAT students.
For families in Long Beach and the surrounding area, the change means that a test decision made under the old math may no longer be valid. Students who once relied on science to boost their ACT Composite may now find the SAT a better fit, while those who struggled with science may benefit from the new ACT structure. The free trial session includes a diagnostic test, after which Romano holds a Zoom call with parent and student covering diagnostic results, which tests to take and when, prep frequency, and target scores, then emails a written proposal. Families can book by phone at +1 (650) 575-5867 or through the Mr. Test Prep website.
As the standardized testing landscape continues to evolve, Mr. Test Prep's advice underscores the importance of data-driven decisions. With the ACT's Composite change, the stakes for choosing the right test have never been higher, and families are encouraged to measure rather than guess.
