Most ACT Science questions only test your ability to interpret scientific data and viewpoints. Some, however, also test your knowledge of scientific subjects such as chemistry, biology and physics. Because these questions are drawn from such a wide range of topics (basically anything you’ve studied in high school science), it’s impossible to predict what they’ll ask about.
You might see anywhere from 0-4 questions on any given test asking about these topics. Since there are only 40 questions on ACT Science, questions about actual scientific concepts you’ve studied in school usually don’t make up more than 10% of any section. Missing them should only have a minimal impact on your score then. Nevertheless, you want to try to answer these questions correctly—if only because they’re often some of the easiest questions on the test to pick points up on. Why?
There is a very easy method to solve these problems, one that doesn’t involve reviewing every single topic in biology, physics and chemistry. That method is using your own intuition.
When you see one of these questions, you first want to make sure that any information in the answer choices accords with what’s stated in the passage. Sometimes an answer will be wrong because something in an answer choice—even if only a word or two—disagrees with something established in the passage.
Next, try to reason out which answer choice would make the most common sense. Very often these questions can be solved without technical scientific knowledge, but with intuition alone.
Let’s look at a hypothetical question:
How does allopane gas affect the planet?
A) It cools the planet by giving off UV radiation to space. B) It cools the planet by absorbing heat coming up from the earth’s surface. C) It heats the planet by giving off UV radiation to space. D) It heats the planet by absorbing heat coming up from the earth’s surface.
First look back to the passage – does it tell you what the gas actually does? Yes, this (hypothetical) passage tells you the gas heats the planet. Eliminate A and B – now you’re down to two possible answers, C and D.
You don’t really know how allopane gas heats the planet, but between C and D, which sounds more plausible?
Let’s look at C. UV radiation comes from the sun – think of the UV protection in your sunglasses. Things from the sun typically heat the planet. Would sending this back into space—i.e. getting rid of it, heat the planet? If anything, it would probably do the opposite, or cool things down.
How about D? If the gas absorbs heat from the earth’s surface, would that make things hotter? It definitely sounds possible – and it certainly sounds better than C!
While you won’t be able to solve every ACT science question that asks about actual science this way, you’ll be able to solve many of them. So the next time you see one of these questions, don’t panic and skip it. Instead, think of what the passage is saying as a whole and try out your own common sense on the answer choices. More often than not you’ll be able to figure things out without even knowing the actual physics, biology or chemistry behind the answers!
As the new (aka “redesigned”) SAT nears, College Board has begun to release official practice tests for the exam. While it’s not yet clear how accurately these tests will reflect the new exam, how you would score them or what your scores would mean, they are still your most important asset if you are preparing for the new exam now.
Remember to take each test timed and review missed questions carefully before moving on to a new test. Keep a record of the questions you’ve missed and how to solve them so that you can go back and review them over time.
You can also find these four tests online for free, however. They’re available here with answer explanations, although these explanations are often less than optimal.
There is also a fifth exam—this one is technically a redesigned PSAT, but it’s nearly identical to the new SAT. The only difference is that it’s a little shorter. You can find it here.
The College Board has promised to release another four tests as 2015 moves along. Whether or not they actually release any more remains to be seen, but I will update this information and let you know right away if they do.
The ACT essay is changing. The new (aka “enhanced”) essay, which will first debut on the September 2015 exam, looks very different from the former essay. It lasts 40 minutes (up from 30) and features a prompt and three “perspectives” on it. Your task is to write an argument that responds to the prompt while addressing and evaluating the three perspectives.
You can see what the new essay and scored examples look like here. The ACT has also released a second prompt as part of a new practice test, available here. For additional practice, check out theseten sample essay question prompts I’ve written.
Here’s how you can ace the new essay:
1) After evaluating the prompt and all three perspectives, come up with your own argument. This argument should have some bearing on the three perspectives, but it should represent your own take on the prompt. The argument will usually agree in some way with one or two of the perspectives and disagree with the others.
2) Leave 3-5 minutes at the beginning to plan your essay and at the end to review it.
3) The ideal structure is an introductory paragraph that clearly and succinctly states your central argument and how your examples will support it, followed by two to three paragraphs that argue (using detailed examples) for your thesis and against counterarguments, followed by a concluding paragraph that restates your thesis and how your examples successfully supported it.
4) You must refute possible counterarguments. The ACT looks for this on every essay. This is a sophisticated technique that helps strengthen your argument. You should respond to any counterarguments presented in the three perspectives as well as ones you think of on your own.
5) Make sure to mention how each of the three perspectives relates to your argument. Do this as you introduce the various parts of your argument in the middle two or three paragraphs.
6) Make your examples very detailed by including dates and proper names, but always make sure the examples are used to support your argument. It’s OK to fudge some of the details – the test makers are not allowed to grade you on the truth of your claims. It’s probably not a good idea, however, to declare that Pearl Harbor occurred in the 1700s.
7) Make sure each example addresses a different perspective or argument – don’t simply repeat the exact same point twice through two separate examples.
8) Use sophisticated vocabulary when appropriate. A well-used, sophisticated vocabulary word can add a lot of bang to your essay. Make sure you are using all words correctly, however!
9) Use a varied sentence structure. Don’t start every sentence with the same word, and make sure to vary grammatical structures between sentences. One trick to help is to throw in an occasional rhetorical question. “How would the early Monicaros have felt if they too lacked freedom?”
10) Make sure each new paragraph begins with a strong and clear transition.
11) Use active sentences rather than passive sentences. “He ate the cereal” is better than “the cereal was eaten.”
12) Avoid using “I.” While you’re technically allowed to use “I”, your essay will sound more formal and authoritative without it.
13) Similarly, avoid overtly political or religious arguments. Although these technically shouldn’t influence your reader’s evaluation, remember that your reader is a human with religious and political views.
14) Consider using a hypothetical for your final sentence: IF the position you take was done (everything would be great) or if it was not done (everything would be disastrous).
Official ACT practice tests should form the core of any ACT prep plan. Take each test timed and review missed questions carefully before moving on to a new test. Keep a record of the questions you’ve missed and how to solve them so that you can go back and review them over time.
There are a total of 12 official practice tests available. The ACT website also contains a series of practice questions roughly equal in length to one practice test. Here is where you can find all this material:
This online software from the ACT contains two tests. While the tests contain answer explanations (of mixed quality again), you are unable to print the tests and must take them on the computer.
Released PDFs
Over the years, the ACT has released 5 additional practice exams as PDFs. These contain answer and scoring information but no answer explanations.
Dr. Dean P. Skarlis is President and Founder of The College Advisor of New York, Inc., a comprehensive college counseling practice serving clients in New York and across the U.S. Dean’s unique model integrates all aspects of college admissions counseling with financial strategy. Dr. Skarlis has more than 24 years of experience in education including 7 years as a consultant for ACT. He has taught at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and has been quoted often in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, on ABC World News, and other national media outlets. He has trained thousands of CPAs and financial advisors on the intricacies of financial aid and scholarships. He and his staff of 9 have helped thousands of students and families navigate the complex and expensive college admissions and financial aid process. Dean holds a B.A. in Psychology from Allegheny College, an M.A. in Psychology from Duquesne University, and a Doctorate in Educational Policy and Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He is also a graduate of the Harvard University Institute on College Admissions.
Dr. Skarlis, please tell us a little bit about yourself and the work you and your consulting practice, The College Advisor of New York, do with college applicants.
I have been in and around higher education for 25 years. I have worked at two universities and for ACT, the company that makes the ACT exam. I hold a Master’s in Psychology and a Doctorate in Education from The University of Pittsburgh. I have helped thousands of students and parents through the college admissions and financial aid/scholarship process for the past 11 years. Our goal for each family is to help the student find, and gain admission, to a college that’s a great fit socially, academically, programmatically and financially.
When during the college admissions process should families begin to think about financial aid?
In the student’s sophomore year of high school. Why so early? Because parents need to understand their affordability as early as possible so their child doesn’t get emotionally attached to a college that they cannot afford. This has become much more important now that many private colleges (and not just the Ivies) have eclipsed $65,000/year or $260,000 over four years. The financial aid “clock” begins ticking in the student’s junior year of high school, and most families can do considerable planning before then to maximize financial aid and/or scholarships.
What steps can students take during their high school years to help them increase their chances of eventually securing merit aid for college?
Do well in challenging courses in school. This is of significant importance. In addition, prepping for the SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests is important as well as strategizing on which test to take and how many times to take it. We offer an SAT/ACT Hybrid Diagnostic for our students which gives them detailed information not only on which test, but which portions of the exam they did well on, and where, in specific terms, they need to improve. This helps kids work on precise skills to improve their scores. There is also considerable strategy on when and which scores to send to colleges. These decisions are critical. In addition, very few people understand that the application essay can often affect merit scholarships as well. In these ways and others, the college selection/admissions process needs to be integrated with the financial aid/merit scholarship process to yield the best results. Very few families fully understand this concept.
What are some common mistakes families make when it comes to financial aid?
There are many. Assuming you will not qualify, and not applying for it can be a huge mistake. Many people also complete the forms incorrectly. I’ve seen parents list assets that they are not required to present. This has caused them not to get any aid, when in fact, they were deserving of it. In addition, there are planning strategies – in some ways that are analogous to tax planning – that can help families save thousands of dollars per year. This is an area of focus for our company.
Can you share with us one of your favorite financial aid success stories from a family you’ve worked with and what we can learn from it?
One of our families had several million dollars in assets, but still qualified for need based financial aid. This family saved about $44,000 off the cost of college at a selective, private school. We saved them money, not be helping them implement complex planning strategies, but instead simply by building a list of schools that did not assess those million dollar assets in its financial aid formula. This is what I mean by integrating the college selection/admissions process into the financial aid/scholarship process. Colleges assess a family’s ability to pay in radically different ways, so by teaching the family this simple fact, we helped them find a great school at which the student was happy, and it cost about $44,000 less over four years.
Are there any downsides to applying for financial aid? Can doing so harm a student’s chances of admission at certain schools?
Yes, but it completely depends on the school. Applying for – and qualifying for – need based aid at many of the elite colleges actually increases your chances for admission to those schools. At most colleges, however, it has the opposite effect, so depending on several factors, it may not be wise to apply for aid.
How negotiable are financial aid offers once a student has already been admitted to a college? Should families try to negotiate?
Absolutely they should, except they need to use the term “appeal” rather than “negotiate.” This gives the college the power they seek in these dealings, and helps the family acknowledge that the school does, in fact, have the final word in these dealings. There is an appropriate way by which to appeal an offer of need based or merit based (scholarship) aid. In short, the families who understand the process and appeal based on that knowledge are those who will receive the most money. Hiring an experienced college admissions consultant, who also understands the financial aid process (many of the most experienced counselors do NOT understand it), can save you thousands of dollars. Financial aid terminology is like a different language, and the parents and students who take the time to learn it will be in a much better position when it comes to appealing their aid decision.
What do you tell students who receive unfunded offers from brand-name schools but funded offers from less prominent institutions?
This is exactly the situation in which most of our families find themselves…and we do this by design because it forces them to clarify why “Elite School X” is $22,000 per year (or $88,000 total) BETTER than “Good Fit School Y.” This is a critical point that causes families to make logical decisions based on social, academic, programmatic, and financial fit. While it’s anecdotal, I’ve found that more families have begun to choose the LESS expensive, non-brand name school simply because the prices have gotten out of control. Over the past year, I’ve had several families choose lesser name schools OVER Georgetown, Tufts, Boston College, Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Pennsylvania (U PENN is an Ivy League School). This tells me that at $65,000/year, even the elite schools are beginning to price themselves out of the market. If that is the case, what will that mean for the less elite schools who do not give scholarships and who charge about the same amount???
How can a family be sure that pledged financial aid will continue beyond freshman year?
They cannot. I’m dealing with a situation now where this is not the case. If the aid award changes substantively, they must be pleasant but firm. And they must be sure to understand the logic and the terminology that financial aid officers will appreciate.
Financial aid is admittedly very complex, but if someone asked you for your three favorite financial aid tips that families should remember, what would they be?
First, do NOT assume that you will not qualify for aid. Second, plan strategically (much like many do regarding their taxes) so that you maximize aid. Third, understand your affordability EARLY in the process, and plan to look past the elite, brand-name schools in order to pay less.
Dr. Dean P. Skarlis is President and Founder of