ACT SCIENCE

Basic Information 40 questions 35 minutes No calculators You will be given several sets of scientific information, followed by multiple- choice questions. Information is presented in three ways: Data representation (charts, graphs, tables, etc) Research summaries(descriptions of experiments and studies) Conflicting viewpoints ( several related views that contradict each other)

Content Covered Content includes biology, chemistry, earth sciences, and physics Advanced knowledge is not required, but general knowledge is necessary Focus is on science skills and practices, not recall of content Interpretation of data (45%--55%) Scientific investigation (20%--30%) Evaluation of models, inferences, and experimental results (25%--35%)

Passage Formats Data Representation (30%—40%) Research summaries (45%--55%) Conflicting viewpoints (15%--20%)

Data Representation Graphics and tables similar to materials found in scientific journals Questions ask for graph readings and interpretations of information presented

Research Summaries Descriptions of one or more related experiments Questions focus on design of the experiments and interpretation of results

Conflicting Viewpoints Presents several hypotheses that are inconsistent Questions ask you to compare and analyze the viewpoints

General Tips for the Science Section Pace yourself 2 minutes to read 30 seconds for each question Read the passages carefully Don’t try to answer the questions until you have read the passage and any graphs or charts