ACT Reading and Science: let the evidence do the work

The shared skill is evidence retrieval

Reading and Science look different, but both reward locating and interpreting evidence under time. In Reading, the evidence is in a passage. In Science, it may be in a graph, table, experiment description or competing model.

Do not answer from what is generally true. Answer from the provided material. Outside knowledge can tempt you away from a graph trend or an author's qualified claim.

Map Reading passages lightly

• After each paragraph, note its role in two or three words: setting, conflict, evidence, shift or conclusion.
• For line-based questions, read a small window before and after the cited line.
• For inference, choose the smallest claim fully supported by the text.
• For paired passages, establish each author's position before comparing them.

Start Science with the display

For data-heavy passages, read the graph titles, axes, units and legends before the surrounding text. Many questions can be answered directly from the display. For experiments, identify the changed variable, measured outcome and controlled conditions.

In conflicting-viewpoints passages, make a short table of what each scientist believes, the evidence used and one point of disagreement. This prevents the views blending together.

Prove every answer

• Point to a sentence, trend, cell or experimental condition that supports the choice.
• Check axis scales and units before comparing values.
• Reject choices that extend beyond the displayed range unless extrapolation is explicitly requested.
• If two answers seem plausible, prefer the one requiring fewer assumptions.