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ACT is an essential exam to enroll in US universities and each year a huge number of candidates take these exams. SAT is pretty similar to this exam but the major difference is science. ACT includes a separate science section - candidates who are willing to enroll in undergraduate science programs may need to take ACT. Get a detailed description of ACT science here.
The major areas tested in ACT science are physics, chemistry, biology, and earth/space science. The section of science in ACT consists of 40 questions in total. Duration of this ACT science is just 35 minutes.
The questions of ACT science appear after 7 (approx.) different passages. These passages may represent parts of research papers, data interpretations, infographics, and contradicting views. Candidates have to read these passages very carefully to answer the questions.
This should be mentioned that all the answers can be given by understanding and analyzing the passages. The candidates simply need to derive the answers logically from the passages to obtain the points.
As mentioned, ACT science is an exam on 4 different segments of science - it includes physics, chemistry, biology, and natural science. Each of the segment has a distinct syllabus:
In ACT science section only and only MCQs are given and there is no negative marking system in ACT.
Moving on to a scoring method of ACT exam - here, four sections (English, Math, Reading, and Science) are scored separately. In the end, an average score of all these sections is given as an overall ACT score. So, the target of the candidates will be to secure a higher score in all the sections so that the average turns a decent one.
In ACT science test, mainly 3 types of passages are found:
Among 40 questions, ACT science question paper includes
*Note that these question number approximate - it may differ a little bit in the real exam.
In ACT science exam, each passage format comes with different task types:
Research Summary passages ask the candidates to
Research summary passages are based on candidates' practical knowledge - here candidates need to instantly answer which experiment is needed on a specific situation.
The main tasks of Data Representation passages are
Here candidates need to have specific knowledge of science. The passage and the questions will ask the candidates to analyze the given information based on scientific solutions.
Conflicting Viewpoint passages ask the candidates to
So, a candidate must have a thorough understanding of theories and practical skills to qualify ACT science exam.
ACT happens to be an important exam for admission in us universities and this is nonetheless a tough exam. Though it is an exam about high school-level science topics, sometimes it becomes very difficult for an examinee to get the required score. Most importantly, having knowledge is not enough to pass the test. A candidate must have sufficient time management skills to complete the given tasks within a given time. For example, in ACT science 40 questions are given and duration is only 35 minutes. It indicates that a candidate cannot spend even 1 full minute on a question. Along with this, the examinees have to go through the passage and apply theoretical and practical knowledge to extract the answer - all within the duration of 35 minutes. So, excellent time management is needed. Daily practice will make all the tasks easy for the candidates.
So, this is all about the ACT science exam and candidates have to practice daily. They may hire science tutors or practice with formatted papers to qualify for the test on first attempt.
With a passion for writing, Rachita is in the field of content writing for more than 5 years. Here, she writes the blogs for MyPrivateTutor Singapore. Being a literature student, she has a strong addiction to reading as well. On a lazy day, she just needs a cozy setting and her favorite book or web series.
