ACT PrepScience Reasoning

Basic Test Taking Tips40 questions – 35 minutes

Learn these Instructions Instructions: These are the actual

instructions:There are seven passages in this test.

Each passage is followed by several questions. After reading a passage, choose the best answer to each question and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document. You may refer to the passages as often as necessary. Calculator use is not permitted.

Science Reasoning TestThe Science Reasoning Test has seven science passages:

3 Data Representation passages – 15 questions

3 Research Summaries passages – 18 questions

1 Conflicting Viewpoints passage – 7 questions

The QuestionsEach science passage is directly

followed by several questions on that passage:

Data Representation passages are accompanied by 5 questions

Research Summaries passages have 6 questions

The Conflicting Viewpoints passage has 7 questions

Science ContentBiology, including cell biology, botany, zoology,

microbiology, ecology, genetics, and evolutionEarth/Space Sciences, including geology,

meteorology, oceanography, astronomy, and environmental sciences

Chemistry, including atomic theory, inorganic chemical reactions, chemical bonding, reaction rates, solutions, equilibriums, gas laws, electrochemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and properties and states of matter

Physics, including mechanics, energy, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, fluids, solids, and light waves

Recognizing the PassagesData RepresentationThe Science Reasoning Test contains

three Data Representation passages. These passages contain one or more charts (such as tables, graphs, or illustrations). 5 questions for each Data

Representation

Research SummariesThere are three Research Summaries passages on the Science Reasoning Test. These passages generally present two or three related experiments and the data collected from them. 6 questions for each

summary

Conflicting ViewpointsThe test contains only one

Conflicting Viewpoints passage. This passage presents you with two or three alternative theories on an observable phenomenon—such as cloud formation or the movement of tectonic plates—and requires that you understand the differences and similarities between the viewpoints.

7 Questions

The QuestionsHow Many?

Of the 40 questions on the Science Reasoning Test, 15 will accompany Data Representation passages, 18 will follow Research Summaries, and 7 will cover the Conflicting Viewpoints passage.

Read the Chart. These questions ask you simply to

identify information given on the chart and are perhaps the most straightforward questions on the Science Reasoning Test. These questions are the equivalent of specific detail questions on the Reading Test.

Use the Chart. These questions require that you use

the information given in the chart to determine other, unstated information. For example, some of these questions might ask you to make a guess based on the information given, as to what would happen if one of the variables in the experiment changed.

Handle Graphs.Translate the information in the charts into words or translate words or numbers into a chart will be the type of questions asked in this section. This shows that you understand what the graphs or charts mean.

Take the Next StepIn these questions you become the scientist and determine what the next step in an experiment should be. You will usually be given a goal for an experiment and the current scenario. You then decide what must be done to achieve the goal of the experiment.

Questions in Conflicting ViewpointThere will be three main types of questions on this section. They are:

1. Detail questions ask you to identify specific information from the arguments presented.

2. Inference questions ask you to draw out implied information from the arguments.

3. Comparison questions ask you to find and analyze similarities and differences between the arguments.

Dealing With Scientific Jargon1. Don’t let the words throw you!

In fact, once you get past the language, the questions on this test tend to be fairly straightforward and simple to answer.

Break the words down into its root words that you understand (Make it simple)

Take practice tests that use the science jargon and look up the words

How to Read the PassageDo a quick read – Read the first

paragraph completely because it will describe overall intent of the section. Then:Read the first sentence of each of the following paragraphs.

Read the conclusion If you are a fast reader, you can read all the text very quickly.

What you should do?Do not spend a long time on each sentence.Make quick notes on the following things:

What is being tested? Why is it being tested? What are the variables? What are the factors that stay the sameJot these things down in the margins as you

read.Or, you can underline them as you read and

make note of what the underline means

Answer the QuestionsRead the question and before you look at

the choices, try to answer the question on your own. If you don’t know the answer then –

Re-read the question and, if necessary, restate it in your own words so you understand what it is asking.

Refer back to the passage.Formulate an answer in your own words,

without looking at the answer choices.Match your answer to the choices

provided.

Base your answer on the text, not what you think that you know. All of the information that you need is in the text of the passages.

Harder questions are usually last (but not always).

If you are clueless, reread the passage in about 1 minute and try again.

Practice TestsTake as many practice tests as possible

– They are your friend.Buy study guides with practice tests.Go on line and take “free” practice

tests.Use College Board “free” practice tests.The more you practice the better

prepared you will be.

Never leave a question BLANK!!!After your practice test, analyze your

answers.Determine why you missed the question.

Lack of knowledgeGuessed wrong Careless Error

Remember – Never leave a question Blank

Talk to yourself!?Talk to yourself and ask yourself

questions while you are taking the test.

Of course, you can’t talk out loud during the “real” test, but you can during the practice test.

Not only does this help you by hearing what you are thinking, but it helps you by the fact that you can hear your mistakes as you are thinking them.

Take Study BreaksOnly study for 30 – 45 minute sessionsTake a break – 10 -15 minutes before

you hit the study session again.Your brain can only remember so much

and after 45 minutes it starts to forget the stuff that you are learning.

You remember the first 15 minutes and the last 15 minutes. The stuff in the middle of your study session gets lost.

Top 10 Test Taking Tips1. Skim the passage for the big

picture – Don’t read every word

2. Focus on trends and patterns.

3. Identify Variables and Controls

4. Focus on Differences more than Similarities.

5. Use your pencil, underline, make notes, ask questions.

6. Don’t get bogged down in words or detail (especially numbers).

7. Don’t get intimidated by “science words”

8. Summarize what you read

9. Figure out the wrong answer ploys!Answer contradicts information or states it backwards

Mentions passage but does NOT answer the question.

Speculation that is not directly related to the passage

Only partially supports the question

10. Chill! Don’t make the test harder than it really is! Just be glad when the question is incredibly easy and answer it. Don’t think that you have to look for a trick!