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Each member of a research group visited either the Virgin Islands or Hawaii...
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Science Reasoning Strategies
The Science Reasoning part of the ACT consists of 7 science passages, each 100-300 words long. Each passage is followed by a question set containing 5-7 questions. Altogether, there are 40 questions on the Science Reasoning Test. You have 35 minutes to answer them.
The topics could come from many different fields, including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. But have no fear. The ACT Science Reasoning Test doesn't test your knowledge of all of these different subject areas. Instead, it tests your ability to apply scientific reasoning based on information you're given in passages that address these subject areas.
In addition to using your basic science knowledge, you'll also use basic math skills on this part of the test. You'll have to do some arithmetic to compute the answers to certain questions. You can't use calculators on Science Reasoning, but you won't need to because the math required is pretty simple.
Science Reasoning Question Types
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Lookup Questions: Lookup questions are the easiest question type that you'll see on the Science Reasoning test. They simply require you to "look up" information given in a table or graph. If you can read the table or graph, you can answer the question correctly. To ace a Lookup question, you just look at the table or graph in question and locate the answer! It's that simple.
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Spotting Trends Questions: These questions ask you to determine the value of a new piece of data not given in a table or chart. To answer a Spotting Trends question correctly, you must use your logic skills to deduce the value of a new piece of data, based on the other data that you've been given.
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Inference Questions: These questions ask you to draw conclusions and make predictions based on the information given in a passage. They're a bit more difficult than Lookup or Spotting Trends questions, because they require higher reasoning skills. To score well on an Inference question, you must again use your logical skills of deduction. This time you use logic to deduce a conclusion or prediction based on information given in a passage.
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Scientific Method Questions: These questions ask you to identify the purpose and procedures of an experiment or to come up with ways to test a given scientific hypothesis. They might also ask you to devise entirely new experiments. Scientific Method questions can be pretty difficult. To answer them correctly, you must draw on your knowledge of scientific procedures and your understanding of how research is conducted.
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Compare/Contrast Questions: These may ask you to determine similarities or differences between the viewpoints given in the passage. They may also require you to identify particular features of one or both viewpoints. To score well on Compare/Contrast questions, you must use your understanding of scientific arguments to differentiate between two or three given views.
Pacing Strategy
Always read the easiest passages first, and answer the easiest questions first, too.
The easiest passages take less time to read and contain concepts that are easier to understand. You're more likely to finish these passages quickly, with greater confidence about answering the questions.
The easier questions can also be answered simply, without much effort on your part. If you answer these questions first, you'll rack up some easy points before moving on to the harder questions. The harder questions may be a gamble, but you'll have scored as many points as you can before tackling the tough questions.
Two rules for choosing easier passages:
- Data analysis passages are easier than compare/contrast passages. You'll only have one compare/contrast passage on the test. Save it for last.
- Passages with one table or figure are easier than passages with two or more tables or figures. Passages with one table are usually easier to read and contain easier questions, since you only have to look up information in one place. Similarly, passages with two tables are easier than those with three.
Two rules for choosing easier questions:
- Always answer lookup and spotting trends questions first, and then inference and scientific method questions. Save compare/contrast questions for last.
- If a question gives you trouble, move on. One of your prime strategies as a successful test taker is moving on from questions that bog you down. If a question seems too hard, or if it takes more than a minute to answer, guess at it and move to the next question.
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