Is there a science section on the ACT

Okay, so I’m taking the ACT soon, and I’m really stressing out. I’m trying to plan out my study schedule, but I keep seeing conflicting information online. Some websites say there’s a science section, and others don’t mention it at all! My practice book is pretty old (my brother used it a few years ago), and it only has English, Math, Reading, and Writing.

So, is there actually a separate science section on the ACT, like its own standalone test with its own questions and time limit? Or is science just kind of woven into the other sections? I’m mainly worried about having to memorize a bunch of formulas and scientific facts I haven’t learned in ages. If there IS a science section, is it like a regular science test with lots of recall questions, or is it more about interpreting data and analyzing experiments? I’m better at the second one! Any clarity would be greatly appreciated.

Answer

Yes, there is a Science section on the ACT.

Purpose and Content:

The ACT Science section is designed to measure your scientific reasoning skills rather than your knowledge of specific scientific facts. It assesses your ability to:

• Interpretation of Data: Understand and analyze information presented in tables, graphs, and charts.
• Scientific Investigation: Understand the design and execution of scientific experiments.
• Evaluation of Models, Inferences, and Experimental Results: Evaluate the validity of scientific models, draw inferences from data, and determine whether experimental results support a hypothesis.

The science content itself is drawn from a variety of scientific disciplines, including:

• Biology: Concepts related to living organisms, their functions, and their interactions.
• Chemistry: Principles of matter, its properties, and how it changes.
• Physics: Fundamental laws governing motion, energy, and forces.
• Earth/Space Sciences: Topics related to Earth’s geology, atmosphere, and the solar system/universe.

It’s important to emphasize that the test focuses on your ability to reason with scientific information, not necessarily recall specific facts from these subject areas. Background knowledge can be helpful, but all the information needed to answer the questions is presented within the passages and accompanying data.

Format and Timing:

• The Science section is one of the four multiple-choice sections on the ACT (along with English, Mathematics, and Reading).
• It consists of 40 multiple-choice questions.
• You have 35 minutes to complete the section. This means you have approximately 52 seconds per question.
• The Science section is always the fourth section on the ACT.

Passage Types:

The Science section includes three types of passages, each designed to assess different scientific reasoning skills:

1. Data Representation: These passages present scientific information in the form of graphs, tables, charts, and diagrams. Questions ask you to interpret the data, identify trends, and make comparisons. There are typically 2-3 Data Representation passages.

2. Research Summaries: These passages describe one or more related experiments. Questions ask you to understand the experimental design, identify variables, and evaluate the results. There are typically 3 Research Summaries passages.

3. Conflicting Viewpoints: These passages present two or more different explanations or hypotheses for a scientific phenomenon. Questions ask you to understand the different viewpoints, identify points of agreement or disagreement, and evaluate the evidence supporting each viewpoint. There is typically 1 Conflicting Viewpoints passage.

Scoring:

• Each correct answer is worth one point. There is no penalty for guessing.
• Your raw score (the number of questions you answer correctly) is converted to a scaled score ranging from 1 to 36.
• Your Science score is averaged with your scores from the other three sections to calculate your composite ACT score.

Preparation Strategies:

• Focus on Scientific Reasoning Skills: Practice interpreting data, analyzing experimental designs, and evaluating hypotheses.
• Review Basic Scientific Concepts: While not the primary focus, a basic understanding of biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth/space sciences can be helpful.
• Practice with Official ACT Materials: Use official ACT practice tests to familiarize yourself with the format, types of questions, and pacing of the Science section.
• Develop a Test-Taking Strategy: Decide how you will approach the different passage types, manage your time, and handle difficult questions.
• Improve Reading Comprehension: The Science section requires strong reading comprehension skills to understand the passages and questions.

In summary, the ACT Science section is a crucial component of the overall ACT assessment, designed to measure your ability to apply scientific reasoning skills to interpret data, analyze experiments, and evaluate scientific information.