The ACT science exam does not require students to have in-depth understanding of biology, chemistry and/ or physics. It simply tests students on how to read and analyze scientific passages.
One of the passage types for ACT Science is data representation. Students will be asked to analyze tables, bar graphs, scatter plots, pie chart, histograms and various curves. These passages are easier to work with because they require a lesser amount of reading. As such, students are encouraged to work on questions associated with these types of passages first. They can be simple to work with if attention is paid to detail.
Here are a few quick tips to conquer data representation questions:
- Read the questions before you read the passage: this will allow you to hone in on important details while reading the passage.
- Check title, axis-labels and legends for charts and graphs: oftentimes more than one graph will be presented to analyze different information. At such times, axis-labels will determine which graph to use.
- Pay attention to the units: the chart axes may be labelled in millimeters while the question is asking for meters.
- Interpolate or extrapolate graphs to find missing information: use a general trend to find unknown information.
TestPrep Academy is the premier SAT/ ACT services company for high school studies. We offer instructional programs and curriculum for students preparing for the PSAT, ACT and SAT.
