<p>I'm in desperate need of help on the ACT Science Section. I got 30, 29, 28 on the math, writing and reading respectively, but then a 23 on the science! Obvoiusly, this is bringing me down big time! Does anyone have any strategies or advice for someone like me on the ACT Science section. I'll take any ideas on how to improve my score, quick! Thanks everyone!</p>
<p>This is the advice I posted regarding the Science section before the June ACT. I thought I would dig it up and post it again, as it seems to be relevant. I hope it helps.
Originally posted on 06-09-2005:
My advice on the science section is this: don't panic. When I got to the science section of my first practice test, I looked at the page filled with technical data and I was like "OH MY GOSH! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THIS STUFF." I put my book away and spent the rest of the night bemoaning my inability to achieve a passable score in this area. The next day I took a deep breath, got out my book, and had an epiphany: ALL THE INFORMATION I NEED IS RIGHT HERE. I feel that the most important piece of advice I can give you is to stop trying to understand the information. Some passages will be about obvious phenomena that you have understood for many years, others will be super-technical discussions on topics most people will never even hear about, and still others will expect you to give the ideas of a fighting scientist who states that the sun revolves around the earth as much credence as the opposing viewpoints. When you look at the information in a neutral way, without attempting to link it to anything based in actual reality, the answers to the questions become quite obvious. If a question asks about how wallawallawooferin levels relate to the Ph of the blood, simply look at the graphs and diagrams and ask yourself do the levels go up or down? Answering science questions on the ACT is often as simple as determining whether a graph has a positive or negative slope.
Disclaimer: I am not saying that it is a beneficial strategy to ignore the subject of each passage completely. It is important to understand what is being discussed enough to be able to glean the appropriate facts.
Disclaimer II: I really hate to tell anyone to ignore meaning, but I do believe that this strategy should be able to help you.
Disclaimer III: I guess my advice just barely counts, because I got a 31 in Science (just barely above 30.)</p>