<p>I'm having trouble with the science section as I keep running out of time. I use a timer to practice with, and at the end I leave around 7 questions unanswered. I answer conflicting viewpoints last and don't read the experiments and jump straight to the questions. Please Please PLEASE share tips on how you work through this section, I always feel extremely rushed. Thanks in advance!!</p>
<p>Sounds like you’re doing some things right. You didn’t mention the “Charts and graphs” questions. You can save a lot of time on these if you do them correctly. You almost never have to read any of the words in these problems. Just look up the answers from the tables, pictures, etc. </p>
<p>Similarly, on the experiments section, very often you don’t have to read the passages. Don’t read anything unless it’s necessary.</p>
<p>In general, you should only use the passages to look up answers to questions - NEVER read the passages before the questions. This wastes too much time. In fact, in many questions you will not have to read the passages at all. Often you will just have to look up the answers in the appropriate charts, graphs, tables, figures, etc.</p>
<p>As you’ve already said, always save the conflicting arguments passage for last. This passage can suck your time away quickly if you’re not careful. Again, do not read the passage first here - use the passage to look up the answers, but always start with the questions.</p>
<p>Also pacing is important. Do not get hung up on one question. If you’re spending more than a minute on a question it may be time to move on and come back to this question later. Don’t worry - that time was not wasted. When you come back to it you will still retain the thought you previously put into in.</p>
<p>Strawberrys the best way to attack the science section is to read the question first and then find the answer. Don’t read the passages.</p>
<p>You should be able to increase your speed (and improve your science score) simply by reading the questions before the passage. I know because I’ve tried. As everyone has been saying, the science section requires very little critical thinking; its just a matter of finding he answer in the midst of all the data. It takes a little while to get the hang of, but given a few days you should get the hang of it.
I personally skim the conflicting viewpoints passages before reading the questions. I found it easier to answer the questions when I knew what each scientist’s viewpoint was.</p>
<p>strawberrys</p>
<p>This is what I do, and it has been helping me.</p>
<p>I have been improving- I started at 19 and now am hitting 24-26 each time I take a practice test. </p>
<p>*** THIS IS NOT A SCIENCE TEST- IT IS A READING TEST***</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Save Conflicting Viewpoints for last. When I do get to it, I do viewpoint 1 questions first so I do not get confused.</p></li>
<li><p>I do Data Analysis questions first -these passages have 5 questions.</p></li>
<li><p>I label the tables and graphs, and look for extremes on these. I also look for points of change. WRITE ON THE TEST BOOK</p></li>
<li><p>I do Research summaries second. These sections have 6 questions. it helps me to read these. But some people do not.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I hope this helps</p>
<p>I went from a 29 to a 34 in one test. I did not take any more practice tests for it, I just looked at science from a different viewpoint. I simplify everything each question it is asking into some basic premise for chemistry, charts, and the other section besides the viewpoints section.</p>
<p>For the viewpoints section, I underline everything that sounds like an opinion that could change from scientist to scientist. Then, when a question asks for something I might have had underlined, it is just quicker to reference.</p>
<p>I have never run out of time during this section, just made mental errors getting questions wrong. So I don’t know if it will work for you.</p>
<p>@prsguitar - very helpful, thanks for the advice. For the science section you can’t “study”, only practice and use strategies.</p>
<p>Knowing the “science” in the science section is more distracting than it is helpful and studying for it is a waste of time. For the charts and graphs questions ignore all the jargon they throw at you and figure out what you need to know based on the questions. Most of the answers can simply be found in the graphs and charts without worrying about the scientific implications involved. You actually have to pay a bit of attention to the science in the conflicting viewpoints passage, but its more a matter of figuring out the differences between the two scientists than anything else.</p>
<p>I started to label the actual tables and graphs. This has helped me find the information.</p>
<p>LAast night I broke 30 on this section.</p>
<p>It has taken me a month, but I cam getting the hang of it.</p>
<p>Good luck</p>
<p>I got a 36 on the Science section and all I did was read through the passages (IN ORDER!) and answer the questions!</p>
<p>Just do some practice. I was naturally good at the science section, but that shouldn’t stop someone who isn’t naturally good at something.</p>
<p>In other words, practice makes perfect.</p>