This is the most common Enhanced ACT question I get from parents right now, and it deserves a clear answer instead of a shrug.
Science is optional. It doesn't count toward the Composite. So should your student take it?
For most students: yes, at least once. Here's the reasoning — and the case where the answer flips.
What actually changed
On the Enhanced ACT, the Composite is the average of three sections — English, Math, and Reading. Science is an optional add-on. A student can take it, and it reports as its own score, but it doesn't fold into the Composite.
That's a real simplification. Three subjects to master instead of four, on a shorter test. For families chasing score-based scholarships tied to the Composite, it's genuinely good news.
The decision, in four questions
1. Is any target school or program STEM-leaning?
Engineering, nursing, pre-med, computer science, or a named honors STEM track. If yes — take Science. The add-on fee is small. Retaking an entire test date because a program wanted a score you skipped is not.
2. Is the school list still forming?
Most sophomores and juniors don't have a final list. Take Science. Optionality is worth far more than the fee, and you're buying a score that can never be added retroactively.
3. Is this the student's first sitting?
Take it. A first sitting is a baseline, and a full baseline is more useful than a partial one. ACT Science is largely a data-and-graphs reading section rather than a science-content test, so many students score better on it than they expect — and a strong Science score is a real thing to show a STEM program.
4. Is this a final retake with a fixed target?
This is the one case where skipping makes clean sense. Senior year, school list locked, no target program asks for Science, and every remaining hour needs to go toward the three Composite sections. Skip it, shorten the test day, and protect focus and energy for the sections that decide the number.
Take it early, when it costs you almost nothing. Skip it late, when your target is clear and your energy is the scarce resource.
The energy argument, honestly
There's a real case for skipping: a shorter test day means a fresher student across English, Math, and Reading. That matters, and it isn't nothing.
But notice when it matters most — on the final attempt, when the target is known and the whole day exists to serve one number. On a first or second sitting, with the school list still moving, that trade usually runs the wrong way.
If your student does take Science
Don't over-study it. ACT Science rewards a skill more than a body of knowledge: reading figures quickly, finding the trend, and locating the one line in a passage that answers the question. Students who treat it as a chemistry exam study the wrong thing and get discouraged for no reason.
An hour spent learning how to attack a data-representation passage does more than a week of reviewing biology notes.
The short version
- Sophomore or junior, list still forming → take Science.
- Any STEM-leaning target program → take Science.
- First sitting of any kind → take Science.
- Final retake, list locked, no program requires it → skip it and protect the energy.
When in doubt, take it. It's a small fee for a door you can't reopen later, and one fewer thing to second-guess in the spring.
Common questions
Is ACT Science optional now?
Yes. It's an add-on section that reports separately from the Composite.
Does Science count toward the Composite?
No. The Composite is English, Math, and Reading only.
Do colleges require it?
Most don't, but some schools and specific STEM programs still want it. Check each target school directly.
How much does it cost to add?
A small add-on fee at registration. Confirm the current amount at act.org.
Section options and fees are set by ACT, Inc., and colleges set their own requirements. Confirm current section options at act.org and check each target school's testing policy before making a final decision.