High school students will find the intense pressure to present their best efforts on the ACT exam a bit easier next year as they buckle down to the competitive college admissions process.

Officials at ACT, which makes the exam, said on Tuesday that starting next September, students who want to improve their scores would be able to retake single sections of the five-part test, which lasts about three hours , instead of sitting for all of them again. The change would allow students to avoid getting worse marks on sections they had taken earlier.

The new policy comes as educators, students and parents debate the role of standardized testing in college admissions and whether it is an appropriate measure of student ability or worsens persistent social inequities. A growing number of colleges and universities have made test scores an optional part of applications. But many students continue to feel compelled to score highly on the ACT and SAT exams, committing to time-consuming and often costly prep sessions to gain any edge they can.

After the change was announced on Tuesday, some parents, students and tutors wondered if the option to focus their improvement efforts would fan the frenzy over test scores, further disadvantaging students who do not have access to coaching.