I’m 21 and I graduated from homeschool at 18. In my homeschool studies, I did not study any chemistry or physics. I plan on taking the ACT before applying to colleges this fall and I know that there are chemistry and physics questions on the test. Will this be a problem for me? Is there any books I can buy that can brush me up on the subjects for the questions on the test? Can I use Khan Academy? I’ve read that there aren’t that many chemistry and physics on the test and the questions on the test about chemistry and physics aren’t extremely difficult. But I didn’t study either in homeschool. Thanks for any answers.
I am pretty sure there is no chemistry or physics on the ACT. The ACT science is essentially a reading section with passages based on scientific experimentation. Know how to properly set up an effective experiment, which may be related to physics or chemistry, but will not require any external chemistry or physics knowledge.
There are plenty of ACT review books that you can buy or get from the library. Khan Academy is also a good resource. The math/science questions on the ACT aren’t hard, and at least one of my collegekids took it w/o having done anything but general science and did well. However, it is all about speed, so definitely prep and practice.
From your other posts, you don’t know where you want to live or what type of college you want to go to (your posts mention 3 really different groups of schools). You don’t know if you want to go into law or medicine…You don’t have much to show for the last 3 years. You need financial aid. IMO, those facts together make you a great candidate for Community College:
=> Most states have articulation agreements with their state universities, with a guaranteed transfer into the state uni when you finish (as long as you meet the GPA requirement). Your degree is the exact same as the one given to students who are at the state U for all 4 years. ECs are not an issue, and you don’t have to do the SAT or ACT.
=> 2 years of CC + 2 years of State U are one of the most cost-effective ways to get a college degree. You can knock out the core requirements at a low price point, leaving you in better shape for grad school.
=> You can start taking the Bio/Chem/Physics classes that are required for med school, and see how you do with them- that might help clarify your path.
=> CC is super flexible, with lots of night and weekend classes, making it easy to work and go to school at the same time. You will also find a higher % of older students.
=> You can get started fast, while the motivation is strong.
What you “know” is not correct. There are no science-content questions.
However, the analysis, interpretation, etc. skills needed are typically learned in science courses.
Google “ What’s Actually Tested on the ACT Science Section?” - I can’t put the link here.
I commend you for your resolve to continue with your education. You would need basic knowledge in high school chemistry and physics for the ACT test; find relevant textbooks from the library, then use the test prep books to supplement your test preparation. My son found the test prep books by Barron to be particularly useful.