Too Graphic for Words: The Science Test’s Format

The Science Test consists of 40 questions that are based on seven passages (five to seven questions per passage). You have 35 minutes to answer these questions, which means you have about 5 minutes per passage. That’s not a lot of time.

To save precious minutes, don’t read the passage before you view the questions. Jump into the questions right away. Most of the information you need comes right out of the charts and graphs, and the details in the paragraphs can be more confusing than enlightening. Get direction on where to look for the answers from the questions. Only a few questions actually require you to do much reading from the text. You’ll likely have to do some reading for questions based on passages with significantly more text than charts and graphs and for questions that ask you about an experiment’s design. See “Knowing what research-summary questions want to know” later in the chapter.

Plan on allotting yourself approximately 1 minute per question. Some of the questions will be so easy that you’ll answer them in a heartbeat and build up a reservoir of time, which you can then spend on the harder questions. But, of course, some of the questions may seem so impossible that you’ll want to sue your brain for nonsupport. We show you how to approach these brain-busters, but if you can’t answer a question within a minute, take a guess and move on. Mark it because you may have a chance to tackle it later.

The ACT has no penalty for wrong answers. Never leave any bubble blank even if you have no clue what that answer is. Fill in something and hope you get lucky.

Passage types

Although the passages tend to increase in difficulty as you move through the section, the change won’t be sharply obvious. The ACT features three basic types of science passages — data representation, research summaries, and conflicting viewpoints — that cover a variety of science topics. Each passage type requires a different approach to reading it and answering the questions that accompany it.

One of the best ways to prepare for the Science Test is to have a game plan for how you’ll approach the passages come test day:

Recognize which type of passage you’re facing.
Know which types of questions are likely to follow it.

The rest of the chapter provides a brief overview of what to expect from each type of passage.

Question quirks

Depending on the passage type, questions appear in sets of five, six, or seven. Often the first questions in the set deal strictly with reading data from tables and charts. These questions are traditionally the easiest; your primary task is to read the data carefully. The last questions in the set can seem to be the hardest. The ACT may include unnecessary information designed to distract you and overthink the question. If you get caught up in one of the last questions in a set, eliminate wrong answers (usually two answers will be obviously incorrect because they contradict the data), guess from the remaining choices, and move on to the next passage where you’ll see a fresh set of questions likely beginning with ones that require only straightforward chart-reading.

You may find yourself lamenting one of the following as you become immersed in a science question:

If only I had a calculator …
If only I had paid more attention in biology, physics, chemistry, earth science, and so on …

When you entertain either one of these thoughts, you’re overthinking the question. Relax and remind yourself to look for the obvious answer. The ACT can’t test super-specific science knowledge because not all high school students follow the same science curriculum. Though one or two questions per Science Test may check your knowledge of basic science vocabulary that isn’t included in the passage content, this information is usually limited to foundational concepts you should have learned in middle school.

To help you focus when you encounter an overwhelming question, concentrate on the possible answers. Almost always, the content of the answer choices will direct you to one or two elements of the passage you need to consider to answer the question.

Take a look at this somewhat silly sample question for a passage regarding plant experiments to see what we mean:

Example A new study is conducted under the same conditions as the original study on dandelion plants and Venus Fly Trap Plants except that scientists applied Chemical B to the Venus Fly Trap plants for six weeks instead of three weeks. Based on the original study data, is it likely that the Venus Fly Trap plants in the new study will grow human hair after six weeks?

(A)Yes, because in the original study dandelion plants exposed to Chemical B for more than three weeks showed evidence of human hair growth.

(B)Yes, because in the original study Venus Fly trap plants exposed to Chemical B for more than three weeks showed evidence human hair growth.

(C)No, because in the original study dandelion plants exposed to Chemical B for more than three weeks showed no evidence after six weeks of human hair growth.

(D)No, because in the original study Venus Fly trap plants exposed to Chemical B for more than three weeks showed no evidence of human hair growth.

Don't freak out because you’re unfamiliar with the chemical components of Chemical B or because you failed the botany section of AP Biology. Knowing specifics about plants isn’t required to answer an ACT science question. Before you begin to tear out your own hair, leap right into the answer choices. Notice the answers reveal that you have to evaluate only two pieces of data in the original study:

Whether the original study shows that dandelion plants exposed to Chemical B for more than three weeks grew hair.
Whether the original study shows that Venus Fly Trap plant exposed to Chemical B for more than three weeks grew hair.

Eliminate answer choices that aren’t true. If the original study showed no hair growth in dandelion plants after three weeks, you can cross out Choice (A) because it isn't true based on the data in the passage. If the original study showed hair growth in Venus Fly Trap plants after three weeks, Choice (D) must be wrong because the data doesn't support it. Now the question is much easier. The answer has to be either Choice (B) or (C), and because Choice (C) deals with what didn’t happen to dandelions instead of what did happen to Venus Fly Traps, Choice (B) is likely the right answer.

Why you should say “yes” to yes, yes, no, no questions

If you’re like most ACT test takers, you may freak out a little when you see answers in what we call the yes, yes, no, no format. Don't! The groups of answer choices with two answers that begin alike and another two that begin alike may seem long and detailed, but they’re usually some of the easiest science questions to answer correctly.

Here's why: For two of the choices, the second part of the answer will often blatantly contradict information in the graphs and charts. Based on these falsehoods, you can quickly narrow your choices to just two. Plus, these answers usually point you to the one or two concepts you need to focus on to answer the questions. So not only do you have 50 percent chance of answering the question right, you also know just what you need to consider when selecting the better of the two remaining options.

The yes, yes, no, no format applies to any group of answer choices that have two answers start one way and two start with another (usually opposite) word. So you may see even, even, odd, odd questions, cloudy, cloudy, clear, clear questions, or perhaps even clippity, clippity, clop, clop questions for those rare passages that deal with equestrian science! After you realize how easy it is to answer questions presented in this format, you can be happy knowing that the same format appears in the English Test, too.

The Android’s Favorite: Data Representation

Of course, data-representation questions are Mr. Data’s favorite, but they should be your favorite, too. Most students tell us that data representation is the easiest type of passage — not coincidentally because it usually has the least text. The ACT has three data-representation passages, each always with just five questions.

The data-representation questions are usually based on one or more tables, graphs, or diagrams, which are chock-full of information, and some brief text that precedes or follows them. Rarely will the text contain any information that you can’t readily grasp from the charts and graphs, so don’t bother reading the paragraphs unless you get to a question that doesn’t seem to be answerable from the charts and graphs by themselves. That won’t happen very often. It may seem illogical, but read paragraphs only as a last resort!

Here’s a sample data-representation passage that demonstrates how reading can be more confusing than enlightening

Table 15-1 Effect of Paraloxin Variation on Samanity Rate in Braisia Idioticus

Paraloxin (microshels)	Samanity Rate (rics/sec)
0	14
1	18
2	23
3	15
4	27
5	89
6	90
7	34
8	29
9	24

Using different quantities of microshels, scientists studied the prehistorical bird species known as Braisia idioticus to discover the effect that variations in paraloxin had on the rate in rics per second of samanity in the species as whole. The results are summarized in the following table.

What? You don’t know what paraloxin, samanity, rics, or microshels are? You’ve never heard of the ferocious flying Braisia idioticus? We’re not surprised, considering that we just made them up. We’re babbling here to make the point that you can get an idea of what the passage is discussing without having a clue about what all the terms mean. As you read the preceding table, say to yourself, “When this thing called paraloxin is changed, samanity rate, whatever it is, may also change. I need to take a closer look at the data to see whether this happens. The weird units simply measure paraloxin and samanity rate.” Note that the table shows no defined relationship between the number of microshels and samanity rate. The ACT often asks about the relationships between data, and sometimes there’s no apparent relationship.

The actual ACT isn’t as much fun as this book is. On the real test, the science can be dull and boring … we mean real. But our point is that if you don’t know the big hairy terms, they may as well be made up as far as you’re concerned. The ACT gives everyone, science geniuses and science neophytes alike, an equal chance by using unfamiliar science.

The following sections show you how to approach a data-representation passage and how to answer the different types of questions that may accompany it.

Approaching data-representation passages with as little pain as possible

When you encounter a data-representation passage on the test, we suggest that you use the following approach to get through it quickly and painlessly:

Ignore the passage at first and jump right to the first question.

No use wasting precious time reading or reviewing the passage details. There’s plenty of time for careful examination of the passage as you answer the questions.
Examine the question for clues to where in the passage you’ll find the answer.

Sometimes the clues will be obvious: “According to Table 1, when is samanity rate greater?” Other times, you’ll know which table or graph to check based on the specific data referenced in the question. For instance, if you encounter a question that asks for the relationship between microshels and ric/sec, you know that Table 1 is your chart.
Look at the table, diagram, or graph (or, rarely, paragraph) indicated by the question.

Identify what the graphic is displaying (for example, drug dosages, reaction times, kinetic energy, or astronomical distances).
Look at what the columns, rows, axes, and so on represent and determine how they’re related to one another.

An independent variable, or controlled variable, is the factor that the experimenter can change to a specific value, such as the amount of water added. The dependent variable is the factor that isn’t under the experimenter’s direct control, such as the amount of energy released. In other words, the dependent variable is dependent on the independent variable.

The most typical relationship between columns, rows, axes, and so on is one in which one column, row, axis, and so on presents values for the independent, or controlled, variable and another shows what happens to the dependent variable. Figure 15-1 presents a classic relationship.

Here, the amount of growth factor added is the independent variable, and the plant height is the dependent variable. The experimenter can’t directly manipulate plant height. He or she can add a certain amount of growth factor but then has no choice but to wait and see what happens to the plant height.

The ability to distinguish the independent from the dependent variable is essential for understanding many data-representation passages. You may even get a question directly asking about this distinction.
Note the units of measurement.

Don’t freak out if the units are unfamiliar to you. Data-representation passages always present units of measurement (even the bizarre ones) very clearly. The axes on graphs are usually labeled, legends typically accompany diagrams, and graphs and column and row headings usually include the units.
Look for trends in the data, noting any significant shifts.

Take another look at Table 15-1. In the table, you see that samanity increases at regular intervals as paraloxin is gradually increased up through 4 microshels. Samanity rate hits a sharp peak when paraloxin rises to 5 and 6 microshels and then falls to levels comparable to those obtained when paraloxin was lower.

In the plant growth graph in Figure 15-1, note that for the range of values shown on the graph, plant height steadily increases with increases in growth factor.

When the value of one variable moves along a graph in the same direction as the value of another variable, those variables are said to have a positive correlation, or direct relationship. In the sample graph in Figure 15-1, plant height and the amount of growth factor added have a positive correlation; as one increases, the other increases also. A positive correlation can also apply to decreasing values; as one decreases, the other variable also decreases. Variables are said to have a negative correlation, or inverse relationship, when one increases as the other decreases. The science questions test you on these two types of relationships. You’ve been forewarned. Now memorize them and conquer!

Whatever you do, don’t waste time trying to memorize the numbers! If another question requires specific details, you can always go back and look at the table for them. Why destroy any more brain cells than you absolutely have to?

*John Wiley & Sons, Inc*.

Figure 15-1: Example of a graph you may see on the Science Test.

Reading tables, graphs, and diagrams: The data-analysis question

The questions for data-representation passages ask you to perform some sort of data analysis. Don’t panic; it sounds scarier than it is. The data-analysis question simply tests your ability to read the table, graph, or diagram and extract information from it.

Use the graph on plant growth shown in Figure 15-1 to answer the following question: What is the plant height when 5 mg of plant growth factor are used?

Find 5 mg along the horizontal axis, go up to the plotted line, and then go left to the vertical axis to read the value, which is 3 cm. Notice that you don’t have to know anything about plants. You just have to look at what’s in front of you.

What if a question asks you about a point or value that isn’t actually plotted (or given) on the table? You can still answer the question. You interpolate by looking at the two closest values; in plain English, you just insert an intermediate term by estimating. For example, if you’re given Table 15-1, you may be asked for the samanity rate when paraloxin is 1.5. Because the samanity rate is 18 when paraloxin is 1 and 23 when paraloxin is 2, the samanity rate when paraloxin is 1.5 is probably between 18 and 23. Given that the values go up in a regular fashion in this region of the table, you can reasonably say that the samanity rate is close to 20.5 when paraloxin is 1.5.

Along with interpolation, you have to worry about extrapolation. As the extra in its name implies, extrapolation asks you to come up with a value that’s beyond the range depicted in the table or graph. In the plant growth graph shown in Figure 15-1, you probably safely predict that the straight upward line will continue for a while as growth factor moves past 20 mg, the last number presented in the horizontal axis. Therefore, you can make predictions about plant growth when growth factor is 21 mg by extending the line. However, you can’t safely predict what will happen when growth factor is 50 mg. That number is far greater than what the graph shows. For all you know, the plants will die from an overdose of growth factor if they receive 50 mg.

Experiments Galore: Research Summaries

The ACT has three research-summary passages with six questions each. The research-summary questions make up 18 of the 40 questions on the Science Test. Like data- representation passages, research-summary passages usually include one or more tables or diagrams. But the research-summary passages may be a little more sophisticated. Here, you may have to pay attention to what the researchers are testing in the experiments and how they perform the studies.

Fortunately, research-summary passages are predictable. Essentially, you treat them just as you do data interpretation passages. Follow the steps in the prior section to attack the data questions. Additionally, you may have to notice these elements to answer research summary questions:

Purpose of the study: You may be very familiar with identifying the goal of the project or the purpose of the study, as you have probably done so on every lab write-up you’ve turned in since kindergarten. Sometimes the ACT is kind enough to do your work for you by stating or implying the purpose in the introductory paragraph.
Experimental design: The passage tells you how the researchers have set up and controlled the experiment or study and provides information such as what apparatus they’ve used and which variables they’ve held constant.
Results: The results are usually presented in the same table, chart, or graph format that we discuss in the section “The Android’s Favorite: Data Representation.”

The purpose of the pictures included with some research summary passages (and with some data interpretation and conflicting viewpoint passages) is to convey experimental design. Rarely do the pictures provide you with much to go on to answer questions. Whenever a question asks you about results, comb through the charts and graphs instead of the pictures.

The following sections discuss the three concepts in more detail and explain what you can expect from the science questions.

Identifying the study’s purpose

The ACT expects you to understand some key principles of why the researchers created the experiment in the first place. But don’t worry! Identifying the purpose of the experiment takes only a few seconds. Usually, the purpose is to examine what effect x has on y. You can usually pick up on the purpose as you answer the questions and evaluate the charts.

Following the experimental design and making valid conclusions

A proper experiment systematically varies the factor that is the possible cause and holds all other factors constant. For example, if scientists want to investigate what effect having the flu has on one’s ability to perform multiplication problems, a proper experiment would compare people who have the flu with those who do not, while keeping the groups equal in terms of such factors as age, mathematical ability, and the presence of psychological disorders. If the groups differ in one or more of these other factors, the researchers can’t be certain that any observed difference in multiplication performance was a result of the flu. For instance, what would you think if the nonflu group, which consisted of 12-year-olds, did better on multiplication than the flu group, which consisted of 8-year-olds? You couldn’t be certain whether age or the flu virus accounted for the difference.

Defective experimental designs, in which experimenters don’t include proper controls, produce limited results. Some studies, by their very nature, can’t adhere to an ideal experimental design. For example, if a scientist suspected that 2-year-olds who had been vaccinated for measles got more colds than 2-year-olds who hadn’t been vaccinated, a proper design would be to give one group the vaccine and to withhold it from another group. However, the experimenters can’t just keep one group of kids unvaccinated (mothers tend to get cranky when you make their kids sick “in the best interests of science”). Instead, the experimenters would have to try to collect data on how frequently the children came down with colds before they were immunized (children aren’t immunized against measles until they’re at least 1 year old) and perhaps collect data about children who haven’t been vaccinated from kids whose parents have voluntarily kept them from vaccinations because of religious beliefs or allergies.

The different studies presented in a research-summary passage may differ in terms of what factor the experimenters are manipulating. For example, one study may look at how flu affects multiplication ability or how multiplication ability varies according to the child’s age. Another study may examine what dependent variable is being measured (multiplication drills in one study, word problems involving multiplication in the other). For some passages, you may need to identify how the passages differ from each other.

You don’t have time to analyze research summary passages in depth. Most of what you pick up about their purpose and design results from answering the questions. Don’t try to understand the research before you start examining the questions.

Knowing what research-summary questions want to know

Many of the research-summary questions are similar to the data-analysis questions we discuss in the section “Reading tables, graphs, and diagrams: The data-analysis question.” The following question styles are also typical for research-summary passages:

Experiment-design questions: These questions test your ability to follow the logic of the experimental design itself. Why or how was the experiment designed? What was the purpose of choosing one variable or one control?

Experiment-design questions are one of the few question types for which you may need to read the text portion of a science passage. Usually, you find the answers to these questions in the introductory paragraph for the experiment. Often experiments build on each other, so the foundational set up for Experiment 3 may be in the introduction to Experiment 1. Read carefully to be sure you setting up the right experiment.
Result/conclusion questions: These questions ask you about the experiment’s results; go figure! As you answer result/conclusion questions, be sure to pay attention to the question stem. If a question asks you about what you can conclude in Experiment 1 about the effects of one factor on the dependent variable, don’t spend a lot of time searching through the information for Experiments 2 and 3.
When answering result/conclusion questions, be careful not to go overboard. Suppose that the study about the flu and multiplication (which we describe in the preceding section) showed that the flu group made substantially more errors on a multiplication drill than the nonflu group did. (For this example, assume that the study controlled for other factors.) Here’s an example of a correct way of thinking about this experiment’s results:
- Question: Which of the following statements is consistent with the study?
- Answer: The flu impaired the ability of the students studied to perform multiplication drills.
  
  Notice that this question asks for something probable, not a big, sweeping conclusion. You’re not going out on a limb by saying that the flu seemed to have an effect. The study didn’t prove that the flu was the definite cause of the multiplication difficulties, but the statement certainly follows from the data presented.
Now for an example of going too far (remember that this answer is wrong!):
- Question: What can be concluded about the effects of the flu?
- Answer: The flu impairs mathematical functioning by interfering with connections in the brain.
  
  Did the study investigate how the flu changed brain functioning? No! The study investigated multiplication drills. “Mathematical functioning” is much too broad a topic.
Additional-result questions: The results of one study may have an effect on another study. When you come up against an additional-result question (one that presents you with a new set of results from a different but related experiment), your job is to determine how these new results fit into what you already know. Do the new results confirm what the initial studies showed, or are they in conflict? If they don’t invalidate what you concluded earlier (from the initial experiments), do they limit what you can conclude? Perhaps the results of the flu and multiplication study investigated only children of elementary school age. If a question gives you the additional information that researchers observed no difference between the flu and nonflu groups when they studied high school students, you have to limit your conclusion about the flu’s impairing-multiplication ability to a group of younger children. If the results with high school students were similar to the results with elementary school children, then you may generalize your conclusions to include a wider range of students.

Warring Factions: Conflicting Viewpoints

The ACT has one conflicting-viewpoints passage with seven questions. The conflicting-viewpoints passage is easy to recognize because it usually has two major portions of text with headings like “Scientist 1” and “Scientist 2” or “extinction by meteorites” and “extinction by natural selection.” (Research-summary passages have headings, too, but their headings are almost always “Experiment 1, 2, 3” or “Study 1, 2, 3.”)

Some conflicting-viewpoints passages contain as many charts and graphs as the other two passage types. Contrasting models in a chart may convey the conflict in these passages. Handle these questions just as you do for the other two passage types. If you can’t distinguish a conflicting viewpoints passage by its format, you’ll know it by its number of question — always seven.

The following sections show you how to tackle the traditional text-based conflicting-viewpoints passage and the questions that go with it.

Devising your plan of attack

The conflicting-viewpoints passage, as its title indicates, presents two different explanations about the same scientific situation. Although this type of passage traditionally contains more text than the other two types, you don’t need to spend much time reading the passage before you get to the questions. When you come up against such a passage on the Science Test, use the following approach to work through it:

Jump right into answering the questions.

That way you only read those portions of the passage you need to answer each question.
If you absolutely can’t resist the temptation to read the passage before you answer the questions, don’t spend more than about 30 seconds on your skimming. Just note the highlights:
- Skim the introduction.
  
  Glance long enough to determine what phenomenon the two viewpoints are debating. Maybe the scientists discuss different versions of whether objects can travel faster than the speed of light or whether other planets in the solar system could support life.
- Read the first and maybe last sentence of the each viewpoint to get a rough idea of the authors’ main points and how they may differ.
  
  These main ideas express the scientists’ positions on the situation discussed in the passage’s introduction. Read just enough to get the gist. For example, that Scientist 1 says “pro” while Scientist 2 says “con.”
Use clues from the questions to direct you to the portions of the passage where you’ll likely find the answers.
- If the first question or so asks for an answer “according to the passage,” search first in the introductory information that precedes the viewpoints.
  
  The answers to these questions often involve the background information and aren’t particular to any one scientist.
- If the question asks what’s true for Scientist 1, concentrate on the section containing Scientist 1’s viewpoint. Find what’s true for Scientist 2 in the Scientist 2 portion.
  
  Doing so may seem obvious, but in the heat of the test moment, you may lose focus. When searching for the correct answer, concentrate primarily on the scientist’s main idea — the stuff in the first and maybe last sentence.
  
  Don’t get involved in the messy and often confusing middle-of-the-paragraph details unless a question makes you. When a question asks about a particular detail, such as the effect of gamma rays on man-in-the-moon marigolds, search both viewpoints specifically for language that relates to gamma rays or marigolds.
- If the question asks to compare and contrast viewpoints, focus on the main point of each scientist.
  
  Note the similarities and differences between viewpoints. The evidence used in the second viewpoint may be different from the evidence used in the first viewpoint, but it may also be the same. The key difference lies in how the second scientist interprets the evidence. Don’t look exclusively for differences between the two viewpoints. The ACT may throw in some similarities to see whether you’re paying attention.

When you’re dealing with a conflicting-viewpoints passage, your job is to follow the logic of each viewpoint. Don’t try to decide which viewpoint is correct. No one cares — not the ACT, not the college admissions office, and certainly not you. In fact, the ACT sometimes presents a viewpoint that’s clearly false. For example, one scientist may claim that evolution takes place as a result of the inheritance of acquired characteristics. You know that this viewpoint is wrong. Think about it: If you gnaw your fingernails down to the bone worrying about the ACT, it doesn’t follow that someday your children will be born with no fingernails! Again, worry only about the logic of the viewpoint, not whether it’s right or wrong.

Bonus: Are you an onychophagist? Don’t start fretting yet! It’s not as serious as it sounds. Onychophagia is merely nail biting. The next time you want to get out of going to school, tell your mom that you’re suffering from onychophagia. She may be too embarrassed to ask what it is and let you stay home.

Working through the conflict to find the right answer: Question styles

The questions in the conflicting-viewpoints passages are similar to the other two question types. If the scientific viewpoints relate to charts and graphs, the questions will ask you to analyze them. If the viewpoints regard interpretations of a particular experiment, you’ll see questions about the way the experiment is designed and be asked to evaluate the results from the perspective of either scientist. Therefore, it’s very important to keep track of each scientist’s point of view. A couple of other question types that you don’t see in the other two passage types appear for conflicting-viewpoints passages:

Comparing viewpoints: These questions ask you to pick the answer that contains a statement on which both scientists would agree. The correct answers to these questions usually concern a fundamental concept of the scientific study or theory, something basic that each of the scientists can go along with. For instance, two scientists may present different viewpoints on whether Saturn can support life, but they may agree that it’s possible in theory for some planet other than Earth to contain life.
Supporting or weakening conclusions: Some questions ask you to support or weaken a scientist’s viewpoint. The best way to strengthen a viewpoint is to come up with evidence that confirms that the scientist’s assumptions are valid. The best way to weaken a viewpoint is to present evidence that casts doubt on the assumptions. For example, suppose a scientist claims that pandas are carnivores based on evidence that bears are carnivores. That pandas are carnivores because bears are carnivores is strengthened if pandas are bears. But it’s weakened if pandas aren’t bears.

Keep in mind exactly which of the two viewpoints you need to support or weaken for each question. Some of the wrong (trap!) answer choices deal with the other viewpoint and, as a consequence, don’t answer the question.

The answer choices for a supporting or weakening question usually follow a predictable pattern. One choice, the correct answer, supports or weakens the correct viewpoint. One incorrect choice deals with the correct viewpoint but has the wrong effect on it (strengthens when you want to weaken, or vice versa). Another incorrect choice deals with the other viewpoint. Usually this choice strengthens the other viewpoint, so it’s there to test your ability to keep the viewpoints straight. Occasionally, this incorrect choice weakens the other viewpoint. Such a choice is tough to eliminate, but remember that weakening (or strengthening) one viewpoint doesn’t automatically strengthen (or weaken) the other. The third incorrect choice likely presents irrelevant evidence.

Because supporting/weakening the conclusion questions may be unfamiliar to you, here’s an example of how to work through the answer choices for one. Suppose you have a passage about whether smoking cigarettes causes cancer. Scientist 1 says that it does, citing the fact that smokers have a higher incidence of cancer than nonsmokers do. Scientist 2 says that smoking cigarettes doesn’t cause cancer, claiming that there’s no proof that smoking causes the uncontrolled growth seen in cancer. Scientist 2 explains the association between smoking and cancer as a result of the fact that some people have a certain body chemistry that leads to both a smoking habit and cancer.

From Frankenstein to Einstein: Excelling on the Science Test