Online ACT to Include the Desmos Calculator: What Families Need to Know for December and Beyond
ACT recently announced a noteworthy update to its computer-based test: beginning with the December 2025 administration, students who take the digital ACT will have access to a built-in Desmos graphing calculator during the Math section. This development brings the ACT in line with the digital SAT, which has used Desmos for several years, and it adds a powerful new tool for students who prefer a graphing-based approach to certain problems.
However, before students rush to change their registrations, it’s important to understand the actual implications of this update. Desmos affects one specific aspect of the Math section on one format of the test. Everything else—content, timing, scoring, pacing—remains the same. And for many students, the broader differences between paper and digital testing will matter far more than the presence of a graphing calculator.
The New ACT Desmos Calculator
What This Change Actually Means
Up until now, the online ACT’s built-in calculator was essentially a digital scientific calculator – functional, but limited. Beginning in December, students testing on a computer will instead have access to the Desmos graphing calculator, which, as any SAT student will tell you, is a game-changer on the math standardized tests.
The paper ACT, by contrast, remains unchanged. Students will continue to use an approved handheld calculator and work entirely on paper, including writing directly in the test booklet.
It’s important to emphasize: the exam itself does not change.
The same questions appear on both formats. The only difference is that the digital interface now includes a graphing calculator.
That difference is meaningful, but it does not automatically outweigh the very real structural advantages of working on paper.
Why Desmos Can Matter on ACT Math
For students who are already comfortable with the Desmos online graphing calculator, the tool can streamline certain types of problems, especially those where algebraic manipulation is time-consuming or prone to errors. Questions involving quadratic functions, systems of equations, or function behavior can in many cases be resolved much more quickly by plotting them and examining the results visually.
Students who use Desmos well often save precious minutes on the trickiest portion of the Math section. For some, this alone can unlock a higher score.
But Desmos only helps on some questions, not all. And the digital ACT still has its own limitations and challenges that families need to weigh carefully.
Paper vs. Digital: The Real Tradeoffs
The arrival of Desmos does not alter the fundamental differences between the two test formats.
The paper ACT still offers several advantages that have nothing to do with calculators:
- Students can annotate directly on the test booklet, which is helpful on all sections of the test, especially math. We find that most students prefer this aspect of paper testing, and it’s been a deciding factor for most of them when choosing between paper and computer-based ACT testing.
- On Reading and Science, students can view an entire passage and accompanying data sets at once, without having to scroll through, as you do on the online version of the ACT.
- Diagrams and figures can be marked up, eyeballed, and even measured – which is a big deal on the ACT, where all the geometric figures and pictures are drawn to scale.
- Students can prepare with the enormous library of released paper ACTs – far more than what exists for the digital format. This is a significant factor when students are at the point in their prep where they’re honing their test-day skills at our testing center on Sundays.
The online ACT, even with Desmos, still requires students to scroll back and forth through passages, recreate geometric shapes on scrap paper, and stare at a computer screen for hours while taking what is already a fatiguing test. None of these challenges disappear simply because graphing is easier.
For this reason, the addition of Desmos does not suddenly make the digital ACT universally preferable. In fact, for most students, paper remains the better testing environment across three, if not four, of the sections of the test.
Should Students Switch to the Digital ACT Because of Desmos?
For the majority of students, the answer is no.
The global experience of taking the test on paper remains substantially easier to manage. The ability to write all over the booklet, view text in full, and stay oriented on Reading and Science typically outweighs the benefit of having an admittedly amazing calculator for the Math section.
There are students, however, for whom switching makes strategic sense – particularly those for whom Math is particularly more challenging than English, Reading, and Science. If you’ve already mastered the other three sections (or two, if you’re opting not to take the Science section) of the ACT, to the point where those sections come relatively easy to you, it would be wise to take an online ACT practice test and see how you fare on the English, Reading, and Science sections of that test. If you do really well even in the digital format, then switching to digital so you can take advantage of Desmos would be a smart idea.
A Strategy Worth Considering
Furthermore, because most colleges superscore the ACT, students can build their testing plan around their strengths:
- Start with the paper ACT to capitalize on the sections where paper gives you a real advantage.
- Once those scores are strong, shift to the digital ACT – after learning Desmos specifically for the ACT – and focus on mastering the Desmos calculator and using it to raise your Math score.
This approach allows students to maximize each section under its most favorable conditions. Colleges will ultimately see only the highest section scores across all test dates, so students can benefit from both formats without penalty.
Some students who are naturally more comfortable working on a computer may prefer to begin digitally from the start. But for most test-takers, paper remains the friendlier, more forgiving option.
Can Students Change Their Registration Format?
Yes. ACT allows students to change from paper to digital (or vice versa) up to the late registration deadline for each test date. There is a fee associated with the change, and families should be aware that digital testing centers may have more limited availability. For families considering making this “mode change” for the December ACT, the deadline to do so is Monday, November 24th.
Our Recommendation
The addition of Desmos to the digital ACT is an important upgrade, but it does not, in our opinion, outweigh the longstanding advantages of the paper format. For most students, the tactile, mark-up-friendly environment of the paper test will continue to lead to stronger outcomes on English, Reading, and Science.
A thoughtful, strategic approach – one that uses paper to secure strong section scores and digital to optimize the Math result – will serve many students extremely well, especially given that most (but not all) colleges superscore the test.
If you’d like help determining the best testing path for your student, or if your student wants to learn how to use Desmos effectively for ACT Math, First Choice Prep is ready to guide you through every step of this evolving landscape. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Leave a Reply