The ACT® Science Test will give you several questions asking you to analyze data. Answering these questions will become second-nature once you have a little practice. Yet most students haven't had science tests that ask questions in the way the ACT® does. It's important to feel comfortable answering the questions so you can get the maximum number of points.
Optimal Technique for Solving
These types of questions come in many forms. Generally speaking, you should always look at a few key points on any given Science section. When you see a question that's asking about experiments, you should read the x & y axes. Figure out the scale and the labels. This means identifying the units used and understanding how the values progress along each axis. Pay attention to whether the scale is linear or logarithmic, as this can significantly impact your interpretation of the data.
Next, read the key and the title of the graph or chart. The key will help you distinguish between different data sets if multiple are present, while the title often provides crucial context for what the data represent. This initial analysis will give you a good foundation for understanding the data presented.
With this information in hand, you'll be better equipped to answer the question. The ACT® might ask something like "4 items have a y value. Which x value were they probably measured at based on Figure 1?" You'd go back to Figure 1. You'd find the y value.
Then you might see that the y value changes. That doesn't really help you solve the question. However, you know the y value is in a certain number of units. Armed with this knowledge, you're ready to go back to the passage. The passage might say the y values are these things of the item in the experiment, all measured at value x. There you go. You have the answer to the question.
Another Example
Building on our understanding of data analysis, let's look at another common type of question you might encounter. You'll be asked to analyze data to determine whether values increased or decreased. For this type of question, the answer choices will look something like this:
- Increase only
- Decrease only
- Increase then decrease
- Decrease then increase
You can easily see the answer choices have different variations of the same information. By referring back to the graph or chart, you can determine how the data fluctuates over time or across different conditions. It's really important to carefully examine the entire range of data before making a decision.
Be careful to eliminate the incorrect answer choices. For example, the data might initially appear to decrease. But you should check if it decreases then increases before moving on. This attention to detail can make the difference between selecting the correct answer and falling for a common trap.
Remember to approach each question systematically, using the information provided in the graphs, charts, and accompanying text to guide your reasoning.