Jump to content

Menu

Best way to prepare for the science portion of the ACT in June!


J-rap
 Share

Recommended Posts

My daughter was due to take the SAT again this spring, but because of major schedule conflicts, it turns out her only real option is to take the ACT in June. (Schools she is interested in will accept both the ACT and the SAT.)

 

Now we need to do a rush preparation for the Science section. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The main emphasis is on reading charts and data and extrapolating from them rather than remembering content (http://www.testingiseasy.com/act-science-myth/ for example). Most of the advice I've seen has said to look at specific ACT prep as your best bet for the science portion. Our library system has an online test prep resource, so you might want to check yours. Shmoop has an inexpensive prep option http://www.shmoop.com/ (though I just found out about it and we haven't used it) and, of course, the ACT website has some test prep. My daughter took the ACT this winter through the Duke TIP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Get the red book that contains 5 real ACT tests and take the science portions, timed. It is not the difficulty but the timing of the science portion that causes problems.

 

This is the book we purchased. The science section is more about reading and interpreting data. Take each science test timed. Go over the incorrect questions. Repeat.

 

If I remember correctly, the science section is the last section on the test before the essay. That made the section more difficult because of the mental exhaustion. Just something to consider.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Timing can be a problem on the science section--it's easy to get bogged down by the reading. We found tips from Barron's ACT 36 helpful for maximizing efficiency, the science videos mentioned above for learning helpful thinking processes in approaching the questions, and the red book of 5 Real ACT tests is best for practice. There are also a couple more released ACT tests out there--part of the ACT prep booklets from past years--online. It's worth searching for them (the videos use one of them)if you need more practice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ditto the "red" book and the science videos suggested. My dd found them very helpful. Timing is key in this section, many students find focusing on the charts/graphs first and pre-reading the questions. Definitely focus on ACT specific prep., it's data analysis skills you need, not general science knowledge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...