<p>Somehow, amazingly, I got a 34 on my ACT english and writing. I also got a 34 for the math but that wasn't as big a wow.</p>
<p>I am entirely science-oriented but my science scores were 28 and 30 the two times I took it! Does anyone really know how to crack this?</p>
<p>Also, did anyone get a higher science score than other sections? I mean, apparently it is easier to do so, but I can't see how.</p>
<p>my son got a 31 on his science and 28 on english. He just finished a year of science research and I am thinking this is what helped him in science. This was his first experience with the ACT as well.</p>
<p>I got a 35 on science, 33 on everything else. But my brain is oriented for science like how computers are for math. So my AP Chem teacher told me.</p>
<p>I got a 36 on science somehow (my best section)...basically, it's just data analysis; I would read the intro to the study so I knew what it was about, then answer questions, referring back to the data. That way, had plenty of time...The chemistry stuff I knew since it was my second year of chem, but haven't had physics yet so that part was just reading graphs and such</p>
<p>Umm, the science section is Satan.</p>
<p>I got a 34 and a 36 on the ACT Science the two times I took it (without studying specifically at all). And my composites were 33 and 35 respectively. So yes, it's possible to get a higher science score.
I found the key was to actually <em>abandon</em> my science knowledge (I've taken Chem II and Bio but no Physics, but, due to what I'm about to explain, it didn't really affect me).
Most of the questions on the ACT Science section are data comprehension and understanding of the scientific <em>method</em>, not any kind of science knowledge questions.
I'd recommend:
1) Practice reading graphs quickly. There are a LOT of graphs, and many of my friends ran out of time on their science section. Being able to quickly scan all the graphs will help you answer questions more quickly.
2) Ignore most of your science knowledge. A lot of questions are like "What did Experiment A determine?" and sometimes what the experiment determined is actually <em>wrong</em>. So the answer that would seem wrong (based on prior knowledge) is actually the correct answer. These questions test knowledge of the scientific method and gathering results from data rather than knowledge of specific science concepts (as students taking the ACT may have taken all sorts of different sciences, so they can't really test very specific concepts/theories/anything).
3) Read the questions first. I have a friend whose science section was <em>several</em> (3+) points lower than her other sections, because she ran out of time. I have a few other friends who also ran out of time without quite as much of an impact. Reading graphs and interpreting data requires a lot of thought. You have to focus and go through the data methodically. I'd recommend (like others have) reading/skimming the blurb, then going straight to the questions. Just looking at the graphs won't help you if you don't know what trends / data points you're after. If you try to read the entire experiment (graphs and all) first and draw a conclusion, it's likely the conclusion you draw won't be the ACT's conclusion anyway. So don't waste your time and just answer their questions.</p>
<p>Basically study and take the science section like it's reading comprehension with graphs, not like it's science. Don't let the science get in the way of what the questions are asking.</p>
<p>I got a 34 on science the first time I took the ACT and, due to my higher SAT score, will not be taking it again however, in order to get a high score i would suggest taking the tests in the red book and working as fast as possible. with many of the different sections in the science section it is not necessary to read the descriptions which save a lot of time. Do a lot of practice and time yourself so you work as quickly as you can.</p>