If you’re reading this, you may have tried taking a practice ACT and wondered why the science test is so hard. Let’s start with the obvious. The science test is comprised of 7 passages and you are given 35 minutes to answer a total of 40 questions. Also, the use of a calculator is not permitted on this test although it is allowed on the mathematics one. The test covers biology, chemistry, earth and space sciences, and physics. The questions after each of the given passages on the test are based on the concepts data representation, research summaries, and conflicting viewpoints. This is what you know about the science test before you start but of course this doesn’t help much when trying to complete this section. On the first run, many students are only able to get about halfway though the science test within the given time.
How to Finish the Science ACT Test Quickly and Accurately
Let’s look at some useful tips that can help you to finish the test within the short time frame and answer as many questions correctly as humanly possible. First of all, note that this is not really a science test! Rather, it’s a reading comprehension test! For you to do well, you don’t need to brush up on your chemistry, biology, or physics. Instead, you need to make sure that you properly analyze the information in the passage and use it answer the multiple choice questions. You must take into account that unlike the SAT, points are not deducted for incorrect answers. Therefore, make sure to answer all 40 questions so that you can be awarded as many points as possible.
Time Management on the Science ACT
Since you don’t have a lot of time to complete the science test, you should allot a certain amount of time to complete each passage. For example, since there are 35 minutes to complete 40 questions, take about 3 – 5 minutes to read each passage and answer its associated questions. Shorter passages with relatively easier questions are found at the beginning and will typically take less time to answer than later more complex passages. Note that even if you take 3 or 4 minutes to answer each of the first few passages and about 5 minutes each to answer the last few, you should have a couple minutes left over to answer any skipped questions.
Scanning Your ACT
Probably the most important step you can take to get through each passage and still have time to answer questions in 5 minutes or less is to not read every line of the passage the first time around. Instead you should quickly scan the passage and then spend about 15 seconds analyzing any graphs, tables, or figures accompanying the passage. This whole process should take no longer than 25 – 30 seconds. The remainder of the time should then be used to answer the questions related to the passage you just scanned. You should look specifically for the information needed to answer the question as quickly as possible.
In general, you may still find that the process outlined above is difficult to accomplish within the time allotted, but with enough practice, it becomes less challenging with every practice test you take!
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