You might have heard that there’s no strategy for SAT vocab questions—you just have to know a ton of words.
Luckily, that isn’t true. At PrepMaven, we’ve spent over 20 years helping students boost their SAT vocab skills, and many of them have gone on to earn top scores. The two most important tools are strategy and practice, and in this post, we’ll give you both.
First, we’ll explain the 4-step strategy for any SAT vocab question and answer your FAQs about vocab on the SAT. Then, we’ll walk through 14 of the hardest official SAT vocab questions out there, with detailed explanations for each one.
You can also grab our 1-page strategy guide for SAT vocab questions below. Then let’s get started!
You’ll see 2 types of vocab questions on the SAT. Both are multiple choice.
Some questions will ask you to fill in the blank in a sentence with a vocab word.
Other questions will give you a complete sentence and ask you what an underlined word means.
How many hard vocab questions will I see on the SAT?
You’ll probably see around 5-8 vocab questions on the SAT. Out of 54 total Reading & Writing questions, that’s 10-15%, so it’s important to spend prep time on this question type.
The difficulty level will vary, because the SAT uses adaptive testing (here’s our full guide to adaptive testing if you want to know what that means for you).
Do I need to memorize lists of words?
That’s probably not the best way to use your time. Although it definitely helps to keep track of the words you’ve missed on official practice tests and get familiar with them—and learning a handful of common roots (see our list here) is a great idea—your best bet is to practice your SAT vocab strategy. So let’s take a look at that now.
Strategies for SAT Vocab Questions
Good news: there are proven strategies to help you ace SAT vocab questions! If this is a challenging question type for you, check out our in-depth post on SAT vocab strategy as well.
Predict the answer as you read. Fill in a word in your head that makes the sentence make sense. (For questions that ask the definition of a word, predict the definition.) Even if your guess isn’t among the answer choices, you can now look for a synonym in the answers.
Use the annotation tool in Bluebook to mark repetition or definition indicators (colons, semicolons, this/that/these) and key transition words and phrases (like similarly, however, but, and more—see our list of SAT transition words). Use these to check whether your prediction makes sense. SAT vocab passages almost always contain repetition—they say the same thing in at least two ways (like I just did). That means if there’s a word you don’t understand, chances are it will be restated in a different way—so don’t panic.
Look for a synonym to your predicted word among the answer choices.
If you find one, check quickly to make sure that none of the other answer choices works. If you don’t find a word that matches your prediction, use the process of elimination to narrow down your options to one word that fits.
Another tip: cut the clutter. Many SAT vocab questions use very long sentences that can trip you up, and they’re often about complex scientific or historical topics.
Don’t worry about understanding every little detail—just zoom in on what you need to know.
Keep these tips handy as you study by downloading our 1-page SAT vocab strategy guide here:
And if you want more support with your SAT vocab prep, let us know—our tutors are drawn from top SAT scorers, and they have the experience to help you improve your score.
This is a dense passage, so start by boiling it down to basics.
Johnson fostered diverse perspectives.
This diverged—AKA it differed from—the stances of the other two editors.
What do you do if you’re not sure what “diverged” means, or you’re just overwhelmed by these wordy phrases?
Remember that SAT vocab passages will almost always contain repetition. That’s great news, because it means if there’s something you don’t understand, it will probably be repeated slightly differently.
This passage is no exception—it tells us that 1) Johnson rejected the idea that his magazine had to show a unified vision and 2) Johnson fostered diverse perspectives in his magazine. Basically, he was open to showing multiple points of view, and that’s a contrast with the other editors.
Now you’re ready to predict and match:
We’re looking for a word that contrasts with “fostering diverse perspectives.”
The best fit among the answer choices is B: dogmatic. If you don’t know that word, you might recognize “dogma” inside it, referring to a strict position that doesn’t leave room for different perspectives.
You can also use the process of elimination to recognize that the other words don’t make any sense here: there’s nothing proficient, ambiguous, or unpretentious about a unified position.
Repetition is your best friend on a question like this. The long dash gives you a clue that the second half of the first sentence is going to restate or explain the first half. (You don’t really need the second sentence to answer this question at all.)
The second half of the sentence tells you that historians assumed something. (It doesn’t matter what—it might be interesting, but on the SAT, you have just over a minute for each Reading & Writing question, so don’t get bogged down in details!)
That means you’re looking for a word that means something similar to assumed. You can probably eliminate questioned and regretted pretty easily.
Now, if you know either surmised or contrived, you can confidently select A as the correct answer. But if not, and you have to guess, at least you’ve narrowed it down to a 50-50 chance. Remember, there’s no guessing penalty on the SAT, so always fill in an answer!
Two words: transition words. Getting this question right depends on identifying the connections in the passage, and transition words help you do that.
Let’s zoom in on the transition words while cutting some of the clutter to simplify the second sentence. (Again, the first sentence is super interesting, but it’s not necessary to answer the question. The only important takeaway from sentence 1 is that we’re talking about a theory.)
Until recently, Theia was ____, BUT researchers have now identified pieces of it.
What does the “but” tell us? Until recently, Theia’s existence hadn’t been proved, but now it (maybe) has. So to fill in the blank, we want a word that means something like uncertain, unproved, theoretical.
Skimming the answer choices, you might notice that D includes the word notion, or idea. Even if you haven’t heard the word notional before, that can be a hint that this is the answer you’re looking for. If you didn’t notice that, you can still use the process of elimination to find the answer.
An experienced SAT tutor can help you practice skills like figuring out unfamiliar words, so give us a call for a free chat about how we can help you reach your goal score.
This passage has a twist on the repetition you’ll typically see in SAT vocab questions: negative repetition, or contrast.
You can skim the first half of the sentence—the details aren’t needed to answer the question. Then, focus on the contrast in the second half, which is signaled by the transition word but:
Choices are not all about economics,
but, instead, they’re also about noneconomic factors.
That means your prediction for the blank will be something like dependent on or influenced by. Sure enough, in the answer choices, we see mediated by, answer choice B.
This question bundles together a couple of different challenges:
You need the whole passage to answer the question, which makes it time-consuming.
The correct answer is a word few students know, which is intimidating—many students don’t want to pick a word they don’t know and select a familiar one instead, even if it doesn’t fit. But remember: if you can eliminate 3 of the 4 options, you can be confident that the remaining answer is correct, even if you’ve never heard it before!
Let’s break it down. For complex passages, it can help to rephrase the whole thing in your own, simpler terms, whether in your head or on scratch paper.
We’re talking about when people start getting retirement payments.
The focus is usually on how that affects the retirees.
But this person is interested in how it affects their adult kids.
She says that when retirement payments start later, working adults have to support their parents financially for longer, which does ____ to their own wealth creation.
Now it’s easier to make a prediction: you would expect a negative impact on someone’s bank balance if they have to support their retired parents for extra years. Which of the answer choices means something like suppress, reduce, or stifle?
If you know that the word stymie matches these predictions, you’re ready to select answer choice A and move on. But if you don’t, you can eliminate the other choices one by one. Compound would mean the wealth increased, so it’s the opposite of what we’re looking for. Disparage has a negative meaning, but it’s about a disdainful attitude, which doesn’t fit here.
Outstrip doesn’t make any sense—we’re not comparing two different levels of wealth in this phrase.
When you see an SAT vocab question that uses a passage from a book, usually an older text, you can be almost certain that you know what’s coming: a word that, in this context, has a different meaning from usual. These are called “secondary meanings,” and we get into them more in our deep-dive post on SAT vocab strategy.
The answer choices will include the “normal” meaning of the word in today’s usage. But don’t be fooled! Try to let go of your assumptions and use the context to figure out what it means here.
In this case, you probably know the word “disputing” to mean arguing or disagreeing (sure enough, that’s at the top of the answer choices).
But look at the context: people are disputing the narrator’s passage with vehicles and possessions that get in the way. It doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t want him to pass, but they’re blocking the way.
In this case, you want answer choice D. It’s not the common modern use of this word, but a look at the passage shows you that that’s what it means here.
SAT vocab passages from older books almost always contain a word that, in this context, has a different meaning from usual.
This is one of the hardest SAT vocab questions we’ve seen, mainly because this passage has a lot of layers. Focusing on transition words and other key words will help pick it apart.
Transition word: while. We’re looking at a contrast between the first and second phrase.
Important words: undermined (so the claims in the first phrase are not true) and indisputable (so the statement in the second phrase is true).
Knowing this, let’s start with the second phrase:
This philosopher’s works were mostly not available in the center of Islamic thought.
The transition word while tells us that that’s true even though the claim in the first phrase is not true. That suggests that the claim says something about the philosopher’s works being unavailable, uninfluential, or not widely read. Even though that’s been undermined, it’s still true that the works were not primarily available in the center of Islamic thought. (Yes, there are a lot of twists and turns in this reasoning, but hold on!)
There’s nothing to suggest controversy or antagonism, and imitated by isn’t relevant here. Inconsequential to, answer choice D, fits our prediction.
To double-check your answer, fill it back into the blank: Even though we know now that the philosopher’s works were NOT inconsequential to other philosophers, it’s still true that his works weren’t widely available where the other philosophers were working.
If that still feels unclear, don’t worry—it’s normal to need time and practice to master these challenging SAT vocab questions. That’s where SAT tutoring can be a huge help, so give us a call if you want to learn more about it. All our SAT tutors have been trained in the strategies you need to reach your goal score.
The first sentence sets up a contrast: artists make works for exhibition, designers make works for sale. Then the second sentence gives an example that challenges “this view”: an artist and designer who does both.
If someone doing both challenges the view expressed in sentence 1, then you can predict that what goes in the blank will be something like merge, overlap, or converge. Sure enough, when you look for a match to your predictions in the answer choices, there’s answer choice D:intersect.
Prevail and succumb don’t work because there’s no competition where either fine art or fashion beats out the other one. Diverge is a classic “opposite trap”: it’s the exact opposite of what we’re looking for.
We’re looking for a word that describes the painter’s influences, which are listed. The list of very different styles might be enough for you to predict a word like varied or contrasting. But there’s another clue: we’re told that there’s tension among these influences, emphasizing how different they are.
With that in mind, look for a match to your prediction: disparate fits, answer choice C.
Double-check by eliminating the other options. Unknown makes no sense, because we do know what the influences are.
Interchangeable is the opposite of what we’re after: these influences are very different.
You might be tempted to select complementary, because the influences all come together to create the painter’s style. But that’s where the word tension in the passage helps: instead of harmoniously coming together, the different styles produce something new through their tension and contrasts, so disparate is a better fit.
Science passages intimidate a lot of students—after all, why is SAT Reading & Writing testing your science knowledge? Well, the good news is that it’s not. Any science question boils down to basic reading comprehension skills.
Remember that you don’t need to understand the science jargon to get these questions right. You don’t even need to sound out Tmesipteris oblanceolata (don’t waste your precious minutes!)—just substitute it with “the fern.”
Rephrasing the passage can help a lot to demystify these passages. Let’s try it:
The genome of this fern is the biggest known genome in its category (eukaryotes—but we don’t need to know what that means right now).
Because of the high costs of super-big genomes, this big genome probably won’t be ____.
That’s a lot more manageable. (Notice that the entire first phrase up to the comma, heavy on science jargon, can just be ignored.)
Now you can predict what goes in the blank: something like surpassed, probably. The point is that the record held by this fern is unlikely to be broken.
Checking the answer choices for a match, we can select answer B, superseded.
You don’t need to understand the science jargon to get these questions right.
Repetition alert! The colon signals that we’re going to get an explanation of whatever comes in the blank. The explanation that follows mentions that swans sometimes foster other swans’ young and that they can raise young in pairings other than that of the biological parents.
We can predict that we’re looking for a word like variation or flexibility. Sure enough, answer choice B, elasticity, fits the bill.
You can confirm that by ruling out the other answers.
Cohesion isn’t really relevant here.
Affection is a tricky one: you might be tempted to choose it because the swans sound like affectionate caregivers, but that would be imposing an assumption that’s not backed up by the passage.
Reciprocity doesn’t make sense: we’re talking about swans raising young that aren’t biologically their own, but there’s no exchange or reciprocity involved.
Another science passage! This one is heavy on jargon, so you know the drill: rephrase and simplify.
DA fish (let’s not even spend time trying to pronounce that) migrate between freshwater and marine (saltwater) habitats.
This is obligate—it’s notoptional. (If you don’t know what obligate means, don’t worry: you can ignore this bit and still get the question right.)
DA fish are ____ EH fish. This is the main point of the question.
That’s because EH fish don’t need to migrate and DA fish do. (This is why you don’t need to know the word obligate above; you get pretty much the same information again later.)
Now try to fill in the blank: DA fish are ____ EH fish. Your predictions might include differentfrom, distinct from, or in another category from.
That matches answer choice A, demarcated from. The other three answer choices all indicate similarity, not difference, so you can rule those out.
Zooming in on transition words can help you get to the main point of this question faster, saving valuable time on the SAT. The important words here are while and countered, which both indicate a contrast between two points of view.
Some people lauded the development of political blogs. (If you don’t know that lauded means praised, don’t worry: in the word welcome, the phrase contains another clue that the first viewpoint is positive.)
Other, less ____ observers countered that those blogs could have negative effects.
Based on the contrast between the positive and negative points of view, your prediction could be positive, optimistic, or enthusiastic.
And watch out for the tricky twist here: notice that the blank has less in front of it. You want a word describing what the more negative observers are not, not what they are.
Among the answer choices, choice A, sanguine, matches the predictions best. But what if you don’t know what that word means? Just use the process of elimination. There’s no reason to think that the negative observers are less recalcitrant or less earnest. And if you’re tempted to label the more negative observers misanthropic (which isn’t a great fit anyway), remember that the blank has the word less in front of it.
The tricky thing about this passage is that the important transition word comes way at the beginning, and the blank comes near the end. To help you keep it in mind, try circling or highlighting the word though with the annotation tools in Bluebook.
It can also help to cut the clutter. Although the historical information about the game is very interesting, you don’t need the text between the long dashes to make sense of the sentence. Boil it down to the basics:
Though the game was originally spread ___,
it’s now available to everyone.
That simplifies things. Your prediction for the blank could be secretly, underground, or privately.
Answer choice D, surreptitiously, fits perfectly. Confirm for yourself that none of the other answers fit.
Before any standardized test, it’s important to work with someone who’s deeply familiar with the test format and content.
All PrepMaven’s SAT tutors have been trained specifically for the digital SAT, and our students have been accepted to their dream schools like Princeton, Harvard, Notre Dame, the University of Virginia, and more across the country. It helps that our tutors are all graduates of top schools themselves, so they know what it takes.
Learn more about our programs here, and get in touch with our team for a free consultation to see if SAT tutoring could be helpful for you.
If you’re applying to Duke, you already know your application has to be exceptional: with an admissions rate of under 5%, it’s an ultra-selective school. That can create a lot of pressure as you draft your supplemental essays.
But don’t panic. Fortunately, at PrepMaven, we’ve helped thousands of students over 20+ years craft successful supplemental essays that got them into Duke and other top schools, using the expertise summarized in our Ultimate Guide to College Supplemental Essays.
In this guide, we’ll explain what you need to know answer each of Duke’s supplemental essay prompts this year.
Meanwhile, the free resource below contains more than 50 real supplemental essays whose writers got into Duke and other Ivy+ schools. Check it out as you begin brainstorming your essays so you can see exactly what admissions officers are looking for.
This year, Duke has 2 required supplemental essays and 3 optional short answer prompts, of which students can choose up to 1, “if you believe that doing so will add something meaningful that is not already addressed elsewhere in your application.”
Some of these prompts are essentially unchanged from last year, but Duke has added an additional required prompt and removed the previous year's fourth prompt, which asked students to answer a question about ethical AI usage.
That means you’ll write either 2 or 3 supplemental essays for Duke (preferably 3, since we highly, highly recommend always writing an “optional” essay – it shows you're serious about your application). That’s pretty manageable compared to some schools!
Here are all the prompts:
Prompt 1 (required): What is your impression of Duke as a university and community, and why do you believe it is a good match for your goals, values, and interests? If there is something specific that attracts you to our academic offerings in Trinity College of Arts and Sciences or the Pratt School of Engineering, or to our co-curricular opportunities, feel free to include that, too. (Word limit: 250)
Prompt 2 (required): We all belong to communities defined by place, faith, family, culture, interests or shared experience. Tell us about a community that has shaped who you are, any way it has set you apart, and what you’ve learned from being part of it that you hope to bring to Duke. (Word limit: 250)
Prompt 3 (optional): We believe a wide range of viewpoints and experiences is essential to maintaining Duke’s vibrant living and learning community. Please share anything in this context that might help us better understand you and your potential contributions to Duke. (Word limit: 250)
Prompt 4 (optional): Meaningful dialogue often involves respectful disagreement. Provide an example of a difference of opinion you’ve had with someone you care about. What did you learn from it? (Word limit: 250)
Prompt 5 (optional): What’s the last thing that you’ve been really excited about? (Word limit: 250)
If you’re already familiar with the typical supplemental essay prompts colleges tend to use (which we’ve lined up in our Ultimate Guide to College Supplemental Essays), then you’ll recognize that several of these fall into classic essay categories.
How to write Duke’s first required essay: Why Duke?
What is your impression of Duke as a university and community, and why do you believe it is a good match for your goals, values, and interests? If there is something specific that attracts you to our academic offerings in Trinity College of Arts and Sciences or the Pratt School of Engineering, or to our co-curricular opportunities, feel free to include that, too.
This is Duke’s version of the classic “Why Us?” essay. We have a full guide to the "Why Us?" essay here, but in a nutshell, here’s what you’ll want to keep in mind:
Research Duke’s unique offerings
Link these back to your own story and interests
The second part is what a lot of students forget. Duke doesn’t need you to write an essay about why they’re a great school. They already know that! What they want to know is why you want to go there and how you’ll make use of their offerings. Like all college essays, this is about you, not the school.
This essay is also a way to see if you’re genuinely interested in Duke – and if you’re likely to enroll if you get in.
So take a look at Duke’s website and specific classes, extracurriculars, and other offerings you’re interested in. But resist the temptation to name-drop professors and dorms, which can seem inauthentic. “I can already see myself walking into [insert random campus building]” is cliché and could have been written by anyone. How will you benefit from attending Duke?
So, instead of naming five classes you’d love to take, pick one and talk about how it intersects with your previous experiences and future goals.
Although this first essay is required for all applicants, you’ll pick just one of Duke’s last four essay prompts. Read through the guide to each question and choose the one where you have the most interesting or unique answer to give.
How to write Duke’s second required essay: Diversity and Community
We all belong to communities defined by place, faith, family, culture, interests or shared experience. Tell us about a community that has shaped who you are, any way it has set you apart, and what you’ve learned from being part of it that you hope to bring to Duke. (Word limit: 250)
You might recognize this as a spin on another classic essay type: “diversity/community.” It’s asking what you've learned from the communities you're part of, and how it will help you contribute to Duke.
When you’re deciding whether this is the prompt you want to answer, think about whether some aspect of your identity – be it your ethnic, linguistic, religious, LGBT+, or any other background – has significantly influenced your life, and whether that’s something you want to emphasize in your application.
If you decide to go with this prompt, here are the essential steps to follow:
Use real moments from your life in your response to this prompt. Concrete experiences will be more memorable than generalizations.
Connect those examples to your views on community, social issues, or education more broadly.
Tie this back to what you’ll contribute in college.
Here are a couple ways that this could look:
A first-generation American who writes about starting a language club at her church to help kids in the community keep up with their parents’ language and wants to join or start a similar club at Duke.
A member of a club or extracurricular group writes about their contributions to the club and reflects on how the club has shaped them and their interests.
There’s no right way to write this essay. Think broadly and, most importantly, remember that your goal is to tell the most specific, compelling story about yourself.
How to write Duke's first optional essay: Viewpoint/perspective
We believe a wide range of viewpoints and experiences is essential to maintaining Duke’s vibrant living and learning community. Please share anything in this context that might help us better understand you and your potential contributions to Duke. (Word limit: 250)
Duke's first optional essay is, in our opinion, too close to their second required essay. Both ultimately ask you to reflect on your identity and viewpoint. The only difference is that the required essay specifically mentions community, while this optional essay does not.
So, how do you approach this one if you're already going to write about the first essay?
Well, our honest answer is that you are better off selecting one of the other prompts. In most cases, your answer to this prompt will overlap too much with the second required essay.
Remember: your number one goal is to share as many interesting stories with the admissions officers as possible. That means no double-dipping and no repeats.
Still, there are good ways to answer this prompt, so long as you don't overlap with your answer to the "Community" prompt. For example:
You could write about how you've engaged with an important personal belief, so long as you root this in an experience story and how how this has prepared you to contribute to Duke.
You could write about an important personal experience that shaped your view of the world and has affected what kind of student you'll be at Duke.
How to write Duke’s second optional essay: Disagreement
Meaningful dialogue often involves respectful disagreement. Provide an example of a difference of opinion you’ve had with someone you care about. What did you learn from it?
More and more colleges are asking a version of this question. Why?
To see if you’re able to handle differences and disagreements in a mature, respectful way.
To see how you think about disagreement and whether you recognize that it can be productive.
To answer this prompt effectively, you’ll want to strike a balance between two extremes. You don’t want to come across as arrogant or unwilling to change your mind – but you also don’t want to be a pushover who changes your mind as soon as someone disagrees with you.
You don’t have to reach for third-rail, highly controversial topics to write a good essay on disagreement. Here’s how one successful applicant started an essay:
I'm challenged by difficult topics every night at the dinner table. My younger brother, Cyrus, is in eighth grade and has taken it upon himself to play devil's advocate to any topic I present at family dinner. He takes his job seriously — whether I'm describing a difficult rehearsal I had or an issue related to feminism, he carefully considers the topic and finds a way to let me know I'm wrong.
The writer goes on to make connections to their extracurricular activities and illustrate how they’ve become more open-minded over time. (You can read the rest of this essay, plus more answers to similar prompts, in our collection of 50+ real supplemental essays).
Like all college essays, this is a chance to show something about yourself, not to settle major political debates. So steer clear of topics that are just too controversial or stances that might alienate readers. On the other hand, you want to pick something specific and unique – not just the boilerplate “I talked to someone different from me and I learned that it’s okay to disagree.”
It’s a tough balance to find! That’s why it can be really helpful to work with an admissions expert to help you craft your essay.
How to write Duke’s third optional essay: Extracurricular or Why Major
What’s the last thing that you’ve been really excited about?
You can take this essay in a few different directions. Unless Duke is the first application you’re writing (for example, if you’re applying early), you probably have templates of the most common supplemental essay types already drafted to use for various schools. If so, there are a couple you could use for this prompt:
The Extracurricular essay, if you choose to write about an interest beyond the classroom
You don’t have to use these essays as the basis for your answer. But whether you reuse a draft or write from scratch, this is the golden formula you’ll want to follow:
Start with a story
Show your passion
Reflect on how this has shaped you
Look to the future
Like all college essays, this should be about you. The interest you choose to discuss (even though you’re genuinely excited about it!) is not the point of the essay. The point is what it says about you.
You could choose to write about a book you read, an idea you encountered, a performance you were excited for, a really good conversation, or more. Just think about what makes that unique and what it says about you. If the essay could have been written by another applicant, it’s not specific enough.
For example, if you write about being excited for a choir performance, it might be very meaningful to you, but it’s not going to be super memorable for admissions officers. But if you connect that to how that concert sparked your interest in rediscovering and programming women composers, and you want to continue doing that in the music department in college? Now it’s a lot more specific to you.
Also remember: this is not the place to recite your resume. Duke already has that information from the rest of your application. Focus on one experience and develop that idea, instead of trying to squeeze everything you care about into 250 words.
Next Steps
Once you’ve picked the essay you want to write, it’s time to start drafting your Duke supplemental essays!
Sitting in front of a blank page (or computer screen) can feel incredibly intimidating. But there are two main pieces of advice to help you kickstart the writing process.
First: read real, successful sample supplemental essays that helped get students into Duke and other highly selective colleges. The best way to get a feel for what schools like Duke are actually looking for is to see what they’ve responded to in the past.
We’ve pulled together 50 examples of successful supplemental essays in the free download below to show you what really works.
After that, the best thing you can do for your essays is to get support from an expert. Our college essay coaches have been trained to understand what schools like Duke are looking for – and since almost all of them graduated from Ivy+ schools like Duke, they also know from experience exactly what you need.
If you’re applying to NYU this year, you already know how much pressure students often feel to write the perfect college essays. With an acceptance rate of just 8%, NYU doesn’t leave a lot of room for mistakes.
But there’s good news: at PrepMaven, we’ve helped thousands of students craft compelling, unique essays that got them into NYU and other highly selective schools, using the expertise you’ll find in our Ultimate Guide to College Supplemental Essays.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through what you need to write a strong NYU application essay this year.
To get inspired, check out our collection of more than 50 real supplemental essays whose writers got into NYU and other top schools. It’s free to download, and it will give you real examples of exactly what admissions officers are looking for.
NYU's supplemental essay remains essentially the same as last year's, although there are minor changes to the wording. It is one optional essay with a 250-word limit. Here's the essay prompt below:
We are looking for students who want to be bridge builders—students who can connect people, groups, and ideas to span divides, foster understanding, and promote collaboration within a dynamic, interconnected, and vibrant global academic community. We are eager for you to tell us how your experiences have helped you understand what qualities and efforts are needed to bridge divides so that people can better learn and work together. Please consider one or more of the following questions in your essay:(250 words):
• Tell us about a time you encountered a perspective different from your own. What did you learn—about yourself, the other person, or the world?
• Tell us about an experience you've had working with others who have different perspectives. What role did you play in helping people to work together, and what did you learn from your efforts?
• Tell us about someone you've observed who does a particularly good job helping people think or work together. How does this person set the stage for common exploration or work? How do they react when challenges arise? What qualities do you admire in this person?
This is a whole lot to address in just 250 words, so let’s talk about how to make this broad prompt more focused and specific.
Which NYU question(s) should you answer?
As you’ve probably noticed, even though NYU has just one essay prompt, it contains 3 different questions (each of which has more questions inside it). So how do you decide which ones to answer?
The prompt asks you to consider “one or more” of the questions, and you don’t have to stick neatly to just one of the questions. But whatever you do, do not try to answer every question in the prompt in your essay. There just aren’t enough words to do that well. Plus, your essay will not be coherent if it’s really three different essays squeezed into one.
Instead, choose the question that lets you tell the story you want to tell. Remember, like all college essays, this is all about you. How are you going to show that you’re a “bridge builder” who will help different people learn and work together?
Start by brainstorming the qualities you want to show – especially if they don’t show up strongly elsewhere in your application – as well as stories that you want to share in response to each of these prompts.
You can write a good essay about any one of these questions, but some have pitfalls to be careful of.
Different perspective: You want to show a productive disagreement and what you learned from it. If your story is just about a fight that doesn’t get resolved, or about how you were totally right and someone else was totally wrong, that’s not going to send the right message.
Working with others: While this can be a great prompt, it also carries the same risk as the first one. Make sure you choose a story that shows real growth and how you worked together with others, not just “I learned that I’m not always right.”
Someone you’ve observed: This is a tricky needle to thread! You’re writing about someone else, but NYU wants to learn about you. After all, that other person probably isn’t applying for admission. If you choose this question, make sure that you show how the story connects back to yourself: how have you changed because of this person?
How to write NYU’s essay
Although there are different questions to choose from for NYU’s essay, all of them come down to the same thing: how will you build bridges between different people and communities, and how will you handle differences?
If this isn’t the first supplemental essay you’re writing, you might recognize it as a spin on a classic essay type: the Disagreement essay. If that doesn’t mean anything to you yet, don’t worry – soon you’ll be used to all the typical essay types. And in the meantime, you can find all of them in our Ultimate Guide to College Supplemental Essays.
Why do colleges ask questions like this?
To see if you’re able to handle differences and disagreements in a mature, respectful way.
To see how you think about disagreement and whether you recognize that it can be productive.
There’s a really fine line to walk here. You don’t want to be a pushover who changed your mind as soon as you were challenged. On the other hand, you don’t want to come off as arrogant by telling a story where you were right and didn’t change your mind at all.
It’s tough to walk the line! That’s why it can be really helpful to consult an admissions expert on this essay.
Here’s how to approach this essay type:
Remember, it’s about you. Choose a story that shows your personal development.
Some topics are so controversial that it’s better to steer clear of them. This is not the place to settle any major political or social debates once and for all in 250 words, and you don’t get any extra points for going for third-rail topics (in fact, it might hurt you). If you’re not sure whether something is a good idea, check with an admissions expert.
Start with a story. NYU doesn’t need to hear more platitudes about how “it’s important to work together with different people.” They already know that! Instead, choose a hook that brings the reader into a story.
Connect the story to what you learned. How did things change for you or those around you after this experience? And how does this connect to your future, at NYU or beyond?
Here’s a real essay on disagreement that checks all these boxes. Notice the unique hook and the emphasis on development over time. This is taken from our 50+ Real Supplemental Essays resource, which you can download for free.
“Why won't she ever talk to us?” my teammate asked me. “She’s so obnoxious.”
During my junior year field hockey season, such comments were frequently directed towards one player who kept to herself during practice. Thinking she was rude and unfriendly, my teammates ostracized her, pushing her out of drills and excluding her from team activities. However, as we attended church together, I knew that she was neither rude nor unfriendly—she was extremely sweet but struggled with her self-esteem, which prevented her from connecting with others.
I recognized that my teammates had misjudged this player, and as junior captain, I would use my influence to be her advocate. Whenever anyone complained to me, I stressed her kindness and asked them to encourage her, as she would gain confidence if we fostered a supportive environment. I also ensured that she attended team bonding events.
Eventually, the team dynamic shifted: rather than pushing her out of drills, our teammates cheered her on and inspired her to participate. Her confidence gradually grew as a result; soon, she was playing in varsity games. When she scored her first goal, we exploded with excitement, and she beamed with pride.
By using my leadership role to promote empathy, I changed the way that this girl was perceived, broadening the perspectives of my teammates. This experience solidified my long-held belief: we can only become more inclusive once we put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, as there is always more to a person than what meets the eye.
Next Steps
Now you know how to approach your NYU supplemental essay. So how do you start drafting?
Our top two pieces of advice for getting the writing process started: first, read real, successful sample supplemental essays that helped get students into NYU and other highly selective colleges. That’s the best way to get a feel for what admissions officers are really looking for.
We’ve gathered 50 examples of successful supplemental essays in the free download below to help you get started.
After that, the best thing you can do for your essays is to get support from an expert. Our college essay coaches have been trained to understand what schools like NYU are looking for and to support you from brainstorming to clicking submit.
Questions about comparing scientific viewpoints are some of the toughest on ACT Science.
Luckily, there are strategies that will help you crack this question type. Based on decades of tutoring hundreds of students on ACT Science, we’ve put together essential tips to use on the test.
In this post, we’ll explain five strategies specifically for “Comparing Viewpoints” questions, one of the key ACT Science question types on Conflicting Viewpoints passages.
On top of that, we’ve pulled together the latest data on the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile ACT scores at hundreds of schools in our ACT Score Ranges resource. You can download it for free below!
If you need a refresher, Conflicting Viewpoints is one of the 3 passage types on the ACT Science section. In this passage type, you’re presented with different opinions on a scientific phenomenon. We have a dedicated guide to Conflicting Viewpoints passages here.
You’ll see only 1 Conflicting Viewpoints passage across the ACT Science section, and it will have 7 questions – some of which will be on comparing viewpoints.
The passage will start with an introduction, usually one paragraph.
There may be a figure or graph accompanying the introduction (but not always).
Then, you’ll see a number of one-paragraph viewpoints – anywhere from 2 to 4. These will be labeled as “Scientist 1/Scientist 2,” “Student 1/Student 2,” or something similar.
Strategy Tip #1: Save these questions for last
We recommend saving the whole Conflicting Viewpoints passage for last on ACT Science. That’s because it’s the most challenging passage for most students, and you don’t want to lose too much valuable time on the hardest questions. After all, they’re worth the same number of points as the easier questions, so it’s a good idea to lock down those points first. (If you’re curious, our ACT score calculator goes into more depth on exactly how ACT Science is scored.)
But even within the Conflicting Viewpoints passage, it’s a good idea to start with the questions that are about just one viewpoint and save the questions about multiple viewpoints for last.
Why? Partly because, yes, Comparing Viewpoints questions tend to be the hardest.
But it’s also because starting with the questions on one viewpoint will help you get familiar with each argument. If you’ve just answered separate questions on what Scientist 1 and Scientist 2 think, you’ll be better prepared to compare their ideas – and less likely to confuse their arguments.
Strategy Tip #2: Create a “headline” for each viewpoint
ACT Science has 40 questions to answer in just 40 minutes. With that kind of time pressure, you don’t want to go back through the passage in detail for every single question.
Instead, make notes as you read and create a “headline” for each theory or viewpoint.
As you skim each viewpoint in the passage, circle or underline key words. Jot down a few words that sum up the argument before you go on to the next viewpoint.
Think of these as a little newspaper “headline.” When you glance back at each viewpoint, you won’t need to dive into every detail to remember what the main argument was.
Your headlines could look something like this:
Scientist 1: Heating the environment this plant grows in is the most effective way to increase its fruit yield.
Scientist 2: Adding nutrients to the soil this plant grows in is the most effective way to increase its fruit yield.
Now imagine you get a Comparing Viewpoints question like this:
Which of Scientists 1 and 2 would be likely to agree that placing the plants in a greenhouse is the most effective way to increase fruit yield?
A. Scientist 1 only B. Scientist 2 only C. Both Scientist 1 and Scientist 2 D. Neither Scientist 1 nor Scientist 2
You can quickly glance at your headlines to select the correct answer choice, A, without diving back into the weeds of the passage.
And if the question does ask for more detail than you have in your headline, use your notes on the text to locate the key details that build up the argument.
As well as being a helpful strategy for getting to the right answer, this is a great time management tool for the ACT in general.
If you’re not sure how to start making headlines and notes on your ACT passages, an experienced ACT Science tutor can help you build this skill. Give us a call to talk about what kind of ACT tutoring would work best for you.
Strategy Tip #3: Focus on one viewpoint at a time
It can be confusing to try to keep multiple viewpoints in mind at once, especially when they’re only labeled “Student 1,” “Student 2,” and so on.
That’s why it’s helpful to break down Comparing Viewpoints questions into multiple questions. They’re basically asking the same question about different viewpoints at once.
Take this question:
In regard to the piglets’ diet and average body mass, which of the following statements summarizes the responses given by Students 1 and 4?
A. Student 1 claimed that piglets on Diet F would have a higher average body mass, while Student 4 claimed that the piglets’ diet would make no difference. B. Student 1 claimed that piglets on Diet F would have a lower average body mass, while Student 4 claimed that the diet would make no difference. C. Students 1 and 4 both claimed that piglets on Diet F would have a lower average body mass. D. Students 1 and 4 both claimed that the piglets’ diet would not change their average body mass.
If you try to hop back and forth between what Student 1 says and what Student 4 says, you could easily end up mixing up their viewpoints.
Instead, break this question into 2 questions and test each viewpoint individually:
What does Student 1 claim, according to your headline? Eliminate the answers that don’t match that.
What does Student 4 claim, according to your headline? Eliminate the answers that don’t match that.
You don’t need to think about both arguments at once!
The most important way to build this skill is to practice, practice, practice. If you’re looking for practice questions, we’ve researched the 11 best ACT Science prep books out there. (We don’t get a commission or cut from these, by the way – we just think they’re the best options, based on 20+ years of ACT tutoring experience.)
Strategy Tip #4: Use the process of elimination
This strategy goes hand in hand with the last one. As you test each viewpoint individually, cross off – literally, on your test sheet – the answers that don’t fit.
Which of Students 2 and 3, if either, implied that a higher concentration of Pigment R in the sample will lead to greater absorption of light in the visible wavelength range?
A. Student 2 only B. Student 3 only C. Both Student 2 and Student 3 D. Neither Student 2 nor Student 3
If you already know that Student 2 did not imply this (maybe because you just answered a different question about Student 2’s viewpoint), you can cross off A and C straight away.
Sometimes, you can even use the process of elimination to fast-forward through testing every viewpoint.
Which of Students 2, 3, and 4 agree(s) with Student 1 that hydrogen carbonate plays a role in Reaction X?
A. Student 2 only B. Students 2 and 3 only C. Students 2 and 4 only D. Students 3 and 4 only
Once you know that Student 2 agrees with this, you can move on to testing Student 3. If they both agree, the answer must be B – there’s no other option that includes both Student 2 and 3, so you don’t even need to test Student 4.
Not all students will be comfortable with this, and it’s always a good idea to double-check your answer by eliminating all the remaining options. Still, in a time crunch, using the process of elimination like this can be an effective strategy.
When you feel ready to practice this strategy, here are 9 of the hardest ACT Science questions out there, along with detailed explanations for each one.
Strategy Tip #5: Remember that it’s not about the “correct” viewpoint
This is a major ACT Science trap that a lot of students fall into: do not use your outside science knowledge to determine which viewpoint is correct!
Comparing Viewpoints questions are testing your ability to understand and compare scientific hypotheses. They’re not testing your actual science knowledge.
If Student 1 says that cats are mammals and Student 2 says that cats are reptiles, Student 2 is obviously wrong. But that isn’t relevant to answering the questions.
If you’re a strong science student, this might feel unintuitive to you. But that’s why we often say that ACT Science is a reading comprehension test, much more than it’s a test of your science knowledge.
With these 5 key strategies, you’ll be ready for any Comparing Viewpoints question that comes your way.
The next thing to do is practice!
A PrepMaven ACT expert can help you put all these strategies, and more, into practice so that they’ll be second nature by the time you take the ACT. With one-on-one ACT tutoring, you’ll be well on your way to strategically approaching ACT Science and improving your score. Many of our students see their scores go up by several points over a few months of tutoring. Learn more about our options here, and get in touch with our team for a free consultation.
A lot of students struggle with the Conflicting Viewpoints passage on ACT Science.
But you don’t have to! Based on 20 years of experience tutoring ACT Science, we’ve gathered 5 key strategies that will help you with this passage.
In this post, we’ll explain how to tackle “Understanding Viewpoints” questions, one of the key ACT Science question types on Conflicting Viewpoints passages. (For the other question type, check out our dedicated post on "Comparing Viewpoints" questions.)
First, we’ve pulled together the latest data on the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile ACT scores at hundreds of schools in our ACT Score Ranges resource. It’s free and you can grab it below to see what ACT score you need to be competitive at the schools on your list!
What’s an “Understanding Viewpoints” question on ACT Science?
Questions in the Understanding Viewpoints category will ask you to understand a scientific theory or argument, whether the main theory or a detail.
Typical Understanding Viewpoints questions might look like this:
What is not a reason for this phenomenon, according to Student 1?
Based on Scientist 2’s argument, which of the following is likely to happen?
Understanding Viewpoints is one of the basic ACT Science question types that goes with Conflicting Viewpoints passages. These questions just require you to understand and summarize one of the viewpoints provided.
If you need a refresher, Conflicting Viewpoints is one of the 3 passage types on the ACT Science section. In this passage type, you’re presented with different opinions on a scientific phenomenon. We have a dedicated guide to Conflicting Viewpoints here.
You’ll see only 1 Conflicting Viewpoints passage across the ACT Science section, and it will have 7 questions – some of which will be on understanding viewpoints.
The passage will start with an introduction, usually one paragraph.
There may be a figure or graph accompanying the introduction (but not always).
Then, you’ll see a number of one-paragraph viewpoints – anywhere from 2 to 4. These will be labeled as “Scientist 1/Scientist 2,” “Student 1/Student 2,” or something similar.
Here’s an example ACT Science question on understanding viewpoints:
Based on Scientist 1’s argument, does greater sunlight exposure result in a higher or lower concentration of Compound X in the water?
A. Higher, because electromagnetic energy from sunlight causes Compound X to break down B. Higher, because electromagnetic energy from sunlight causes Compound X to form C. Lower, because electromagnetic energy from sunlight causes Compound X to break down D. Lower, because electromagnetic energy from sunlight causes Compound X to form
Note that you are not being asked whether Scientist 1’s argument is correct! It literally doesn’t matter for the purposes of this question. All you want to do is understand what Scientist 1 thinks.
Now, on to strategies to solve questions like this one.
Strategy Tip #1: Start with the questions (and answers)
A challenge with Conflicting Viewpoints passages is that they throw a ton of information at you. The best way to avoid getting overwhelmed by that is to start with the question.
After your initial skim of the passage, focus on what the question tells you before you dive back into the text.
Based on Scientist 1’s argument, does greater sunlight exposure result in a higher or lower concentration of Compound X in the water?
A. Higher, because electromagnetic energy from sunlight causes Compound X to break down B. Higher, because electromagnetic energy from sunlight causes Compound X to form C. Lower, because electromagnetic energy from sunlight causes Compound X to break down D. Lower, because electromagnetic energy from sunlight causes Compound X to form
There are two issues at play here:
Will compound X go up or down due to sunlight exposure?
Does sunlight cause compound X to form or to break down?
Now you can skim the section on Scientist 1’s argument with these specific questions in mind.
Strategy Tip #2: Mark up the text
Another challenge on Conflicting Viewpoints passages is that it’s easy to get confused by all the different opinions. To avoid that, mark up the text as you skim.
Circle or underline the main statement of each viewpoint…
…which you’re most likely to find in the first sentence.
Note key differences between the theories. Often, the differences between the viewpoints are small and subtle.
Mark transition words, whichcan signal crucial connections and contrasts that build up an argument. (Here’s a list of the most common ones on the ACT to look out for).
A note for those taking the computerized ACT. If you’re taking the ACT on a computer, you’ll still be able to mark up the text by using the ACT’s highlight feature!
You won’t quite have the same freedom as you will with a pencil and paper test, but you can still use the built-in tools to mark up the text.
Try this example:
sample ACT Science Conflicting Viewpoints passage created by PrepMaven, all rights reserved
As you marked up the passage, you might have underlined these words and phrases in Theory 1:
Defence against herbivores
Facilitating the demise of herbivores
Mitigate feeding behavior
And you might have marked these words and phrases in Theory 2:
Shedding of water
Slow growth rates
Leaching of minerals
Weight of the water
Wet film; pathogens
Now, when you see a question, you’ll be able to zoom in on the answer more quickly.
What is not a reason that plants shed water from their leaves at night, according to Student 2?
A. A wet film can allow pathogens to grow B. Water prevents the plant from absorbing nutrients C. The weight of water demands more energy for the plant to support itself D. Shedding water makes the plants less attractive to herbivores
Glancing at the words and passages you’ve underlined, you’d see that you’ve marked 4 ways that shedding water is good for the plant – including answers A, B, and C, but not answer D. (Theory 2 was about herbivores – not Theory 1!)
This is complicated, so don’t worry if it takes some time to get used to these strategies. The more you practice, the more they’ll become second nature. An experienced ACT Science tutor can also make a big difference.
Strategy Tip #3: Create a “headline”
As you skim each viewpoint in the passage, jot down a few words that sum up the argument before you go on to the next viewpoint.
Think of these as a little newspaper “headline.” When you glance back at each viewpoint, you won’t need to dive into every detail to remember what that person’s main argument was.
For the example above, you might come up with something like this:
Theory 1: FN serves to protect the plant from predators.
Theory 2: FN serves to drain off excess water from the plant’s leaves.
For questions that drill into detail, you would still need to take another look at the passage itself. But for more general questions, your headline could be enough – and that’s a huge time-saver on ACT Science, which has 40 questions to answer in just 40 minutes.
Even on complex Understanding Viewpoints questions, you can save time by crossing off answers even before you jump into the text.
Based on Scientist 1’s argument, does greater sunlight exposure result in a higher or lower concentration of Compound X in the water?
A. Higher, because electromagnetic energy from sunlight causes Compound X to break down B. Higher, because electromagnetic energy from sunlight causes Compound X to form C. Lower, because electromagnetic energy from sunlight causes Compound X to break down D. Lower, because electromagnetic energy from sunlight causes Compound X to form
You can search for the answers in the text, using your notes and headlines, and that’s fine.
But you can also eliminate some answers just by logic. If compound X breaks down in sunlight, then its concentration will go down, so answer A makes no sense. And if compound X forms in sunlight, its concentration will go up, so you can eliminate answer D too.
If that doesn’t feel intuitive yet, don’t worry. An ACT tutor can help you develop these skills and work towards your goal score. Give us a call to talk about what kind of ACT tutoring would work best for you.
Strategy Tip #5: Ignore the viewpoints that aren’t in the question
This last tip might seem obvious, but it’s one that a lot of students miss!
If the question is about Scientist 1, you can ignore the existence of Scientist 2, and vice versa. In fact, you have to!
What is not a reason that plants shed water from their leaves at night, according to Student 2?
E. A wet film can allow pathogens to grow F. Water prevents the plant from absorbing nutrients G. The weight of water demands more energy for the plant to support itself H. Shedding water makes the plants less attractive to herbivores
Looking back at our passage above, you’ll notice that herbivores don’t make an appearance in Theory 2. They are mentioned in Theory 1 – but for the purposes of this question, we don’t care about Theory 1.
Make sure that you’re looking at the relevant viewpoint and not mixing it up with any other opinions. “Sloppy mistakes” like this are, sadly, an easy way to drop points on ACT Science.
With these 5 strategies, you’ll be in good shape to take on any Understanding Viewpoints question on ACT Science.
The best way to get comfortable with this question type is to practice the strategies we’ve gone through above. Working with a PrepMaven ACT expert can help you do just this! With one-on-one ACT tutoring, you’ll be well on your way to strategically approaching ACT Science and improving your score.
We’ve worked with hundreds of students over more than 2 decades, and students often see their ACT Science scores go up by several points over just a few months of tutoring. Learn more about our options here, and get in touch with our team for a free consultation.
Some ACT Science questions will ask you to predict experimental results.
How are you supposed to do that without being able to recreate the experiment? It’s all about using the data you have to find the data you don’t.
Based on more than 20 years of ACT Science tutoring experience, we’ve put together the key strategies just for this tricky question type.
Wondering what your ACT goal score should be in the first place? We’ve researched the average scores at over 500 schools so you can see where you’re a competitive applicant. You can get the list for free below!
What’s a “Predicting Results” question on ACT Science?
Questions about Predicting Results on ACT Science will ask you to predict the results of an experiment based on the results of other experiments. They might also ask you how the results would change if you changed something about the experimental design.
Typical Predicting Results questions might look like this:
Based on the results of Experiment 1, if Experiment 2 were repeated except that all the pigletswere fed Diet R instead of Diet Q, would the average body mass more likely have been lower or higher for each group?
Suppose that, in an additional trial of Experiment 1, a pH of 7 was tested. The time to hydrolysis of 100% of AG in this trial would most likely have been between:
Each Research Summaries passage will describe the design of an experiment (usually 2 or 3 variations on a similar experiment), then provide the results of the experiment in the form of figures. You can find strategies and tips for approaching Research Summaries passages right here.
These questions are challenging, but luckily, there are key strategies that can help you ace them.
Strategy Tip #1: Use key words to scan the passage and data
Unlike for some ACT Science questions, you will need information from the passage to answer prediction questions.
But that doesn’t mean you need to understand the experiment in detail. On ACT Science, you have 40 questions to answer in just 40 minutes, which means you don’t want to waste any time reading in more detail than you need. (For time management tips, check out our guide to the ACT Science section, along with ACT strategies that work for any question type.)
Instead, skim the passage. Jot down notes next to each experiment described:
What’s being varied in this experiment?
How is it different from the other experiment(s) described?
Then, move on to the questions. Use the question to guide a closer look at the passage. Say you get a question like this:
Suppose that, in an additional trial of Experiment 1, a pH of 7 was tested. The time to hydrolysis of 100% of AG in this trial would most likely have been between:
Don’t read the passage from start to finish. Instead:
Ask yourself what’s being changed. Here, it’s the pH.
Now scan for that key word. Where do you see data about the effect of pH? Start there.
Strategy Tip #2: Identify the cause-effect relationship
Predicting experimental results is all about understanding cause and effect. You want to identify how the experiment is changing and what effect that will likely have, based on the data.
Before you get into the nitty-gritty of the data, ask yourself:
What variable are we looking at?
What effect does thatvariable have?
What's the effect of changing it?
As you read the question, underline or circle how the experiment is changing. That’s the variable we’re interested in.
Based on the results of Experiment 1, if Experiment 2 were repeated except that all the piglets were fed Diet R instead of Diet Q, would the average body mass more likely have been lower or higher for each group?
F. Lower; on average, piglets fed Diet R had an average body mass 20 percentile points greater than those fed Diet Q. G. Lower; on average, piglets fed Diet R had an average body mass 10 percentile points smaller than those fed Diet Q. H. Higher; on average, piglets fed Diet R had an average body mass 10 percentile points greater than those fed Diet Q. J. Higher; on average, piglets fed Diet R had an average body mass 20 percentile points greater than those fed Diet Q.
Piglets’ diet
Average body mass (percentile of control group body mass)
Q
45
R
65
S
75
T
55
What variable are we looking at? We’re looking at the piglets’ diet – specifically, Diet R versus Diet Q.
What effect does thatvariable have? We can see from the data that Diet Q leads to a lower average body mass (45th percentile) than Diet R (65th percentile).
What's the effect of changing it? If we change the piglets’ diet to R instead of Q, we can expect their average body mass to go up.
Here’s the cause-effect relationship:
Piglets eat diet R → piglets get heavier; piglets eat diet Q → piglets get lighter.
So if we switch all the piglets to Diet R, we can expect average body mass to go up. That eliminates answers F and G.
Now, use the process of elimination to choose between answers H and J. The only difference is something you can easily verify in Table 1: how much greater is the average body mass on Diet R than on Diet Q?
On Diet R, the average body mass was in the 65th percentile. On Diet Q, the average body mass was in the 45th percentile. So 65 - 45 = 20 percentile points difference. That’s answer choice J.
Strategy Tip #3: Interpolate or extrapolate to predict results
Some questions will ask you to predict specific experimental results. These won’t involve complicated math (which is good news, since you may not use a calculator on ACT Science).
Instead, you’ll need to use the data you have to find the data you want.
Suppose that, in an additional trial of Experiment 1, the experiment was ended after 30 minutes. The % hydrolysis of D in this trial would most likely have been between:
F. Below 50% G. Between 50% and 60% H. Between 60% and 70% J. Over 70%
Before you try to understand the experiment in detail, start by looking at the data.
Ask yourself:
What variable are we looking at? What’s being changed is the time, the duration of the experiment.
What effect does thatvariable have? The longer the duration, the more D is hydrolysed.
What's the effect of changing it? Reducing the time will reduce the % of D hydrolysed.
Now that you have that cause-effect relationship, locate the precise answer in the data. Here, you’re interpolating: the range you’re interested in is within the range of the data.
Draw on the graph to pinpoint the data you’re after: after 30 minutes, what percentage of D was hydrolysed? The answer is a little under 60%, so you want answer choice G.
For more practice, here are 9 of the hardest ACT Science questions out there, along with detailed explanations for each one.
Strategy Tip #4: Break up complex questions into multiple steps
More complicated ACT Science questions will have multiple steps. You’ll need to find more than one piece of data – often from different figures – and use both to find the answer.
Remember that easy and difficult questions are worth the same number of points on the ACT, so start with easier questions and save trickier ones for last. (Here’s our ACT score calculator with more info about how the test is scored.)
Based on the results of Experiments 1 and 2, the % of D hydrolysed would likely be the greatest for which of the following combinations of temperature and duration?
F. temperature: 30 °C duration: 60 min G. temperature: 70 °C duration: 60 min H. temperature: 30 °C duration: 120 min J. temperature: 70 °C duration: 120 min
If you were annotating as you skimmed the passage, you would have identified the figures that show the effect of temperature and duration:
Figure 1 shows the effect of time:
Figure 2 shows the effect of temperature:
Now, break the question into multiple parts.
After what duration is the greater % of D hydrolysed: 60 min or 120 min?
Based on Figure 1, it’s 120 min, so you can eliminate answers F and G.
At what temperature is the greatest % of D hydrolysed: 30 °C or 70 °C?
Based on Figure 2, it’s 70 °C, so you can eliminate answer H.
By the process of elimination, you’re left with answer J.
For more practice using strategies like this, you might want to use an ACT prep book (we’ve researched the 11 best ones out there) or make a personal ACT prep plan. For even better results, consider working with a specialized test prep tutor. Give us a call to talk about what kind of ACT tutoring would work best for you.
Next Steps
With these ACT Science strategies, you’ll be well prepared to tackle any question on predicting experimental results!
For more support mastering these strategies, an experienced ACT tutor can make a huge difference. We’ve been working with students preparing for the ACT for over two decades, and many of our tutors achieved perfect scores on the ACT themselves. Our students often see their scores go up by several points over just a few months of tutoring. Learn more about our programs here, and get in touch with our team for a free consultation on the right option for you.
Understanding science experiments is a big part of ACT Science.
That can be challenging, because experiments on the ACT often cover science topics you probably haven’t studied in school.
But with the right strategies, you can solve any ACT Science question. Here are the 5 most useful strategy tips we teach students for ACT Science questions on experiments.
And first – we’ve researched the average ACT score ranges at over 500 colleges and universities, so you can see what score you need to be a competitive applicant. Grab the free download below!
What’s an “Understanding Experiments” question on ACT Science?
Questions about Understanding Experiments on ACT Science often involve understanding the experimental design, reading and interpreting the experimental results, and understanding why a certain step was taken in the experimental design.
Typical Understanding Experiments questions might look like this:
Why did the scientists most likely place the test tubes in a darkened room?
Which of the following statements about the relationship between the alloy density and melting point is consistent with the results of Experiment 2?
Which of the following was an independent variable in Experiment 1?
Each Research Summaries passage will describe the design of an experiment – usually 2 or 3 variations on a similar experiment. You’ll also be given data on the experimental results in the form of tables, graphs, or other figures.
You can find strategies and tips for approaching Research Summaries passages right here, plus more in our guide to everything you need to know about ACT Science.
Here’s an example ACT Science question on understanding experiments:
In seawater, compound X is broken down into simpler compounds by thermal energy at temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. What action was taken in the studies to prevent this process from taking place?
A. Each mixture of compound X and seawater was cooled. B. Each mixture of compound X and lake water was cooled. C. Each mixture of compound X and seawater was exposed to light. D. Each mixture of compound X and lake water was exposed to light.
We'll break this question down in detail later on. Now, let’s get into the strategies to approach these questions.
Strategy Tip #1: Skim the passage, but lead with the questions
We often advise students to skip straight to the questions on ACT Science. That’s because you can answer many questions correctly without reading the passage very thoroughly – sometimes without reading it at all.
On questions about experimental design, you will need some information from the passage. But you don’t need to understand the experiment in detail. All you need to do is understand what part of the experiment served which goal.
Instead of close-reading the passage, skim the passage and circle or underline key words or phrases as you read. Then go to the questions.
Strategy Tip #2: Start with questions that you can answer just with visuals
After you skim the passage, start with the questions that just ask for data from figures, like this example.
Which of the following statements about the relationship between the number of seedlings per square meter and the average root-to-shoot ratio is consistent with the results of Experiment 3? On average, as the number of seedlings per square meter increased, the average root-to-shoot ratio:
A. decreased only. B. increased only. C. remained the same. D. varied with no general trend.
What not to do for a question like this is to start combing through the passage! You do not need to understand the experiment at all to answer this question.
Instead, go straight to the figure that shows the study’s results.
Group
Seedlings/square meter
Seedling mortality (%)
Root-to-shoot ratio
1
10
12
0.7
2
12
4
0.6
3
18
2
0.4
4
24
8
0.3
Table 3
Using your pencil or the annotation tool on the on-screen test, circle what you’re looking for. You want to know what happens to the root-to-shoot ratio as the seedling density increases.
Looking at Table 3, you can see that the seedling density goes up as you go down the table. What happens to the root-to-shoot ratio? It goes down, so you can select answer A. (You’re not being asked about the exact relationship, just the general trend.)
This strategy isn’t intuitive or even comfortable for most students, which is one reason ACT tutoring can be a big help. Give us a call to see how ACT tutoring could help you, or find the right match in our expert-reviewed ranking of the best ACT tutoring services out there.
Strategy Tip #3: Know your independent and dependent variables
You can ace ACT Science with almost no background knowledge.
We said almost. While most questions are just about reading and interpreting the information on the test, you might see a few questions that require you to know some basic terms – especially terms about science experiments.
Two of the most important terms to know are independent and dependent variables.
The independent variable is controlled and changed by the scientist. (It’s usually on the x-axis of a graph.)
The dependent variable is not controlled or changed by the scientist. (It’s usually on the y-axis of a graph.)
Some students remember this with a simple mnemonic: “I, the scientist,change the Independent variable.”
Whether or not you get asked directly what the independent or dependent variable is, it’s always helpful to label them as you skim the passage. That will help you understand the whole experimental design.
Which of the following was a dependent variable in Experiment 1?
A. pH of the water B. SGR C. stocking density of the shrimp D. diet of the shrimp
Neocaridina davidi, a species of freshwater shrimp, are kept in many home aquariums. Two experiments were conducted to determine how diet and stocking density (number of shrimp per liter of water, shrimp/L) affect the specific growth rate (SGR; percent increase in length per day, percent/day) in N. davidi.
Experiment 1 Each of 12 identical 10 L tanks received 8 L of freshwater with a specific hardness of 8 dGH, a temperature of 22°C, and a pH of 7.5. Hardness, temperature, and pH were kept constant over the course of the experiment. N. davidi of similar lengths were selected, and their lengths were measured, in mm. They were then equally distributed among the tanks at a stocking density of 2 shrimp/L. The tanks were then divided equally into 4 groups.
For 3 months, each group was fed a different diet (Diets Q–T). Each group was fed twice a day. At the end of 3 months, the length of each shrimp was measured, in mm, and the SGR of each shrimp was calculated. The average SGR was then determined for each group (see Table 1).
You’re looking for the dependent variable, so you want the variable that the scientists did not control.
From the passage, the pH was kept constant, and the stocking density was also constant across all the groups, so these were not variables in the experiment.
The shrimp were fed different diets, controlled by the scientists, so this was theindependent variable.
At the end of the experiment, the scientists measured the SGR for each group of shrimp. They did not control SGR; it varied (presumably) depending on the shrimp’s diets. So SGR was the dependent variable: answer B. (Again: you don’t have to know what SGR is or even what it stands for to get this question right!)
Strategy Tip #4: For “why” questions, ask what the scientists are controlling
ACT Science loves to ask you why scientists took a certain step in their study, or what they did to achieve a certain outcome.
Obviously, you can’t read their minds. But if you know their goal, and you know what they did, then you can understand why they did something specific in the experimental design.
For a lot of these questions, you can reason your way to the answer without even reading the passage, like in this question:
In seawater, compound X is broken down into simpler compounds by thermal energy at temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. What action was taken in the studies to prevent this process from taking place?
E. Each mixture of compound X and seawater was cooled. F. Each mixture of compound X and lake water was cooled. G. Each mixture of compound X and seawater was exposed to light. H. Each mixture of compound X and lake water was exposed to light.
The key strategy here is to sketch the cause-and-effect relationship.
Seawater + higher temperature → compound X gets broken down
If thermal energy – meaning heat – causes this compound to break down, and we want to prevent this from occurring, it makes sense that you’d want to cool the water down.
We’re talking about seawater, not lake water, so you can cross off answers B and D straight away. Light exposure has nothing to do with the cause-effect relationship, so you can also eliminate answer C. That leaves answer A: to prevent the process from happening, the seawater mixture was cooled.
Strategy Tip #5: Label the exact differences between experiments
ACT Science will usually present you with two or three very similar variations on an experiment. Then, you’ll be asked to compare the experimental designs or outcomes.
Whether you’re taking the ACT on paper or on the computer, label each experiment as you skim the passage. That will help you answer questions more quickly, since you won’t have to dive back into the details to remember what each experiment is doing.
As you skim the passage, circle or underline the independent variable, or jot it down next to the experiment description. Here’s an example:
Experiment 1 In all trials, the temperature was 72 °C, and the pH was 5. From trial to trial, the mass of A and AG was varied.
Experiment 2 In all trials, the mass of A and AG was 2.5 g, and the temperature was 72 °C. From trial to trial, the pH was varied.
Experiment 3 In all trials, the mass of A and AG was 2.5 g, and the pH was 5. From trial to trial, the temperature was varied.
Now, when you see a question about the effect of pH on the results, you’ll jump straight to Experiment 2. ACT Science has 40 questions to answer in just 40 minutes, so saving even a minute can make a big difference!
If you’re aiming for a highly competitive or perfect ACT score, you’ll need to master time-saving strategies like this one. That’s where a specialist ACT tutor can make a big difference, helping you to learn and practice the key strategies you’ll need.
These are 5 essential strategies to improve your ACT Science score – and we have more in this post. Ready to practice? Try these strategies on 9 of the hardest ACT Science questions out there.
Next Steps
How do you get all these ACT Science strategies to become second nature? Practice, practice, practice!
An ACT expert can also help you figure out the best strategies for your own strengths and weaknesses on ACT Science. We’ve been working with students preparing for the ACT for over two decades, and many of our tutors achieved perfect scores on the ACT themselves. Our students often see their scores go up by several points over just a few months of tutoring.
Learn more about our programs here, and get in touch with our team for a free consultation on the right option for you.
ACT Science involves a lot of data. It can be intimidating to look at a page full of graphs and figures and not know where to start.
But it doesn’t have to be. Based on 20 years of experience preparing students for ACT Science, we’ve gathered 5 key strategies that will help you crunch numbers on the ACT.
In this post, we’ll explain how to tackle one of the key ACT Science question types: working with data.
We’ve also pulled together the latest information on the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile ACT scores at hundreds of schools in our ACT Score Ranges resource. It’s free, and you can grab it below!
What’s a “Working with Data” question on ACT Science?
“Working with Data” is what we call the type of ACT Science question that requires you to make a calculation or reasoning using data from a table, graph, or other figure. (This isn’t an official ACT Science name – it’s our term to help you recognize standard ACT question types so you know what strategies to use for each one. You can see all of the ACT Science question types right here.)
Here’s what typical Working with Data questions could look like on ACT Science:
Suppose another population of eels had been included in the experiment with an initial allele A frequency of 0.2. At the end of the experiment, what would the allele A frequency of this population most likely be?
Based on Table 2, in one mol of any type of alkene, the ratio of hydrogen atoms to carbon atoms is always what?
Suppose that as the stem length increases, the number of leaves decreases. Based on the results of the study, the plants in which group most likely had the smallest number of leaves?
Working with Data is one of two main ACT Science question types that you’ll see in passages about “Data Representation,” which is the official ACT term for one of the 3 ACT Science passage types. In every Data Representation passage, you’ll see:
An introduction
A short piece of text
Data in the form of graphs, tables, drawings, or other figures
sample ACT Science Data Representation passage created by PrepMaven, all rights reserved
We have a strategy guide all about Data Representation passages here.
The questions on Data Representation passages will ask you to either:
Find a certain piece of data – we go through strategies for this question type in this post.
Or do something with the data, whether a calculation, interpolation, extrapolation, or reasoning. That’s what we’ll cover in this post!
With all that in mind, let’s dive into some ACT Science strategies to approach this question type.
Strategy Tip #1: Start with the question
Data Representation passages contain – surprise! – a lot of data.
When you look at a passage, you’ll see a short section of text, which is usually very dense and often contains a lot of science jargon. You’ll also see a number of tables, graphs, or other figures.
A lot of students try to understand everything in the text before they look at the questions. But in fact, almost all the questions on Data Representation can be answered without the text.
Take this example:
In Figure 1, consider the 2 trends shown for Mineral T at the temperatures of 200 °C and 400 °C. If these lines continued along the same trend, at which of the following pressures would the average diameter of the Mineral T clusters be the same?
A. P = 10 x 107 B. P = 30 x 107 C. P = 40 x 107 D. P = 50 x 107
This question is 100% about the data – you don’t need the text to answer it, just the graph. The question even tells you exactly where to look for the answer.
That’s why we often recommend that students skip straight to the questions on Data Representation passages. You most likely won’t need information from the passage – and if you hit a question that can’t be answered with the data, you can always read the text later.
If you’re not comfortable with that and want to get oriented first, that’s okay too. Skim the passage and circle or underline key words or phrases as you read –just don’t waste time reading in close detail.
This is one of the biggest time-saving tips on ACT Science. And with 40 questions to answer in just 40 minutes, you want to save as much time as you can, especially if you’re aiming for a competitive or even perfect ACT score.
As you set your ACT goal score, you can find all the schools on your college list in our ACT Score Ranges resource to find out what score will make you a competitive applicant, then use our score calculator to see how you can reach it.
Strategy Tip #2: Find the data first – and know what you’re looking for
To calculate or reason with data, you first need to know exactly what data you need.
Before you dive into the figure or graph, define what data point you’re looking for. The answer choices will often include “trap” answers that you’ll choose if you didn’t read the question closely enough and selected the wrong data point.
The following table lists the number of rosebushes in 2-acre segments of 4 different habitats. Given the composition of Ecosystem Z in Table 1, which habitat is most likely part of Ecosystem Z?
Habitat
Number of rosebushes
A
28
B
46
C
52
D
56
A. Habitat A B. Habitat B C. Habitat C D. Habitat D
Table 1
Plant
Plants per acre in Ecosystem Z
Mulberry tree
26
Rosebush
28
Oak tree
23
Beech tree
14
Before getting into the data, think about two things:
what you’re looking for
what you already know.
Here, you’re looking for the habitat that matches Ecosystem Z in terms of rosebush density.
From the data given, you know how many plants of each type per acre there are in Ecosystem Z.
Put the two together: there are 28 rosebushes per acre in Ecosystem Z, so in a 2-acre habitat, you’d expect to see 2 • 28 = 56 rosebushes. That matches Habitat D.
There are multiple trap answers here:
If you forgot that the habitats are 2 acres and you need to multiply, then you’d incorrectly pick A.
If you were rushing and picked the wrong plant instead of rosebushes, then did everything else correctly, you’d pick answer A, B, or C.
Always ask yourself what you’re looking forbefore you start answering an ACT Science question.
Strategy Tip #3: For interpolation or extrapolation, rephrase the question to use the data you have
As well as reading graphs and figures, ACT Science will sometimes ask you to extrapolate data that isn’t in the graph (or to interpolate data that isn’t explicitly marked on the graph).
Sketching directly on the page is often a big help with these questions. (If you’re taking the digital ACT, the testing interface also offers annotation tools.)
It’s also important to rephrase what the question is actually asking for. For example, this question asks you where the average diameters of mineral clusters would be the same.
Consider the 2 trends shown for Mineral T at the temperatures of 200 °C and 400 °C. If these lines continued along the same trend, at which of the following pressures would the average diameter of the Mineral T clusters be the same?
F. P = 10 x 107 G. P = 30 x 107 H. P = 40 x 107 J. P = 50 x 107
Without even looking at the graph, that sounds like you’re most likely looking for the point where the graphs intersect. Just trace along both lines and circle the point where they meet.
The same idea goes for extrapolation based on tables rather than graphs.
Suppose that another alkene, containing 9 carbon atoms per molecule, were included in Table 2. How many hydrogen atoms per molecule would this alkene contain?
A. 11 B. 17 C. 18 D. Cannot be determined from the information given
Let’s translate this question into something that uses the data you have.
Original: How many hydrogens does a 9-carbon alkene molecule contain?
Translation:What’s the pattern of hydrogens to carbons in alkene molecules, and how can that predict the number of hydrogens in a new alkene molecule?
This question is asking you to recognize a pattern. In the first molecule, the ratio of hydrogen to carbon is 4:2, or 2:1. In the second molecule, it’s 6:3 – which is also 2:1.
Now that you know the pattern, you can simply apply it to the imaginary 9-carbon molecule. Since there are twice as many hydrogen atoms as carbon atoms per molecule, this molecule must contain 9 • 2 = 18 hydrogens (answer choice C).
For interpolation questions, use the same basic strategies as for extrapolation ones:
Physically draw on the graph or figure to pinpoint the data you need
Look out for patterns and trends
Translate the question in terms of the data you already have.
If this doesn’t feel intuitive yet, don’t worry. An experienced ACT tutor can help you practice these strategies and tailor them to your specific strengths and gaps on ACT Science. Give us a call to talk about the right option for you!
Strategy Tip #4: Focus on relationships between data
A lot of ACT Science questions are about how variables relate to each other.
Your strategy for questions like this is to translate the question into something that uses the data you do have already.
Suppose that as the plant dry mass increases, the root-to-shoot ratio (a measure of root mass relative to shoot mass) decreases. Based on the results of the study, the plants in which group most likely had the lowest root-to-shoot ratio?
A. Group 1 B. Group 2 C. Group 3 D. Group 4
Table 2
Group
Average dry mass (g)
Seedling mortality (%)
1
0.20
12
2
0.65
4
3
0.95
2
4
0.60
8
Close-read the question: what do you want to know, and what do you know?
You know the average dry mass of each group.
You want to know which group had the lowest root-to-shoot ratio.
What’s the relationship? Bigger plant dry mass → lower root-to-shoot ratio.
So rephrase the question: which group had the biggest plant dry mass?
Now you’ve turned this complicated-sounding question into a basic question about reading Table 2. The biggest average dry plant mass belongs to Group 3, so that’s your answer.
For more ACT Science tips, check out our guide to everything you need to know about ACT Science – as well as essential strategies to improve your ACT Science score.
Strategy Tip #5: Tackle one data point at a time
Some ACT Science questions will ask you to juggle more than one piece of information.
The best strategy for these questions is to tackle one data point at a time.
Based on Table 2, for spotted piglets, which of the following ratios best represents the average number of times the piglets ate each day in Habitat A compared to the average number of times the piglets ate each day in Habitat B?
F. 1:2 G. 3:5 H. 4:5 J. 5:6
Break this question up into steps:
How many times did the piglets eat per day in Habitat A?
How many times did the piglets eat per day in Habitat B?
Now, what’s the ratio of those numbers?
The question sounds convoluted, but once you’ve broken it into steps, it’s actually super simple.
Ready for more practice? Here are 9 of the hardest ACT Science questions out there, along with detailed explanations for each one.
Next Steps
With these strategy tips, you’ll be in good shape to take on any question on ACT Science that involves working with data!
The best way to get comfortable with this question type is to practice the strategies we’ve gone through above. Working with a PrepMaven ACT expert can help you do just this! With one-on-one ACT tutoring, you’ll be well on your way to strategically approaching ACT Science and improving your score.
We’ve worked with hundreds of students over more than 2 decades, and students often see their ACT Science scores go up by several points over just a few months of tutoring. Learn more about our options here, and get in touch with our team for a free consultation.
It might seem basic, but reading figures is an essential skill in ACT Science. A lot of points depend on being able to get the right piece of data from the right figure – and it’s not always as easy as it sounds.
That’s why we’ve lined up 4 key strategies to help you master this question type and save time on the ACT.
Plus, we’ve researched the average ACT score ranges at over 500 colleges and universities, so you can see what score you need to be competitive. Wondering what your ACT goal score should be? Grab the free download below!
What’s a “Reading Graphs & Figures” question on ACT Science?
“Reading Figures” is what we call the type of ACT Science question that requires you to get a certain piece of data from a table, graph, or other figure. (This isn’t an official ACT Science name – it’s our term to help you recognize standard ACT question types so you know what strategies to use for each one. You can see all of the ACT Science question types right here.)
Here’s how typical Reading Graphs & Figures questions could look on ACT Science:
Based on Table 1, how many types of igneous rocks were observed in Cluster X?
Based on Figure 2, for robins, the difference in average nest size between Habitat A and Habitat B was closest to which of the following?
Which of the following observations for tall grasses was(were) the same in both Fields Y and Z?
Reading Graphs & Figures is one of two main ACT Science question types that you’ll see in passages about “Data Representation,” which is the official ACT term for one of the 3 ACT Science passage types. In this passage type, you’re presented with:
An introduction
A short piece of text
Data in the form of graphs, tables, drawings, or other figures
We have a dedicated guide to Data Representation passages here.
The questions on Data Representation passages will ask you to either:
Find a certain piece of data – that’s what this post will help you do
Or do something with the data, whether a calculation, interpolation, extrapolation, or reasoning. That’s a different question type that we have covered in this post.
So, how do you tackle these questions strategically? Let’s take a look.
Strategy Tip #1: Start with the question and the figure
Reading the whole passage on ACT Science costs you valuable time. And it’s usually not necessary.
Take this example:
Based on Table 1, for spotted piglets, the difference in average body mass between Habitat A and Habitat B was closest to which of the following?
F. 0.0 kg G. 0.3 kg H. 0.7 kg J. 1.2 kg
Notice that you don’t need any context to answer this question – just the figure showing average piglet body mass.
To make things even easier, this type of question will always tell youwhere to look for the information. This example question says to look at Table 1. So only look at Table 1 – don’t even waste your time looking at any other figures provided.
All you have to do is:
Identify what piece of information you’re looking for
Identify where you’re told to look
Read the figure to find the answer
In our experience, on Data Representation passages, most questions can be answered without reading the passage.
That’s why some students skip straight to the questions. But if you’re not comfortable with that and want to get oriented first, that’s also fine. Skim the passage and circle or underline key words or phrases as you read –just don’t waste time reading in close detail. Then go to the questions.
This is one of the key strategy tips that you’ll need if you’re aiming for a competitive or even perfect ACT score. As you set your ACT goal score, you can find all the schools on your college list in our ACT Score Ranges resource to find out what score will make you a competitive applicant, then use our score calculator to see how you can reach it.
Strategy Tip #2: Define the data you’re looking for
While Reading Figures questions can be among the easier ACT Science questions, it’s also easy to lose points by answering the wrong question.
Questions will ask you for one very specific piece of data. The answer choices often include “trap” answers that you’ll choose if you didn’t read the question or the figure closely enough.
Here’s our example from before:
Based on Table 1, for spotted piglets, the difference in average body mass between Habitat A and Habitat B was closest to which of the following?
F. 0.0 kg G. 0.3 kg H. 0.7 kg J. 1.2 kg
There are a few key words in this question that you’ll want to circle or underline as you read:
Based on Table 1, for spotted piglets, the difference in average body mass between Habitat A and Habitat B was closest to which of the following?
Say you go to Table 1 and you see lots of data about piglet body mass:
Habitat A
Habitat B
Spotted piglets
1.2 kg
1.5 kg
Non-spotted piglets
1.9 kg
1.9 kg
Table 1
If you miss that you’re only interested in spotted piglets, you’ll incorrectly choose answer F or H. And if you don’t notice that you’re looking for the difference between Habitats A and B, you could end up picking answer J – which will also get you zero points.
But if you read the question carefully, it’s a pretty straightforward question. Spotted piglets in Habitat B weigh 0.3 kg more than those in Habitat A, so your answer is G.
This strategy might seem simple – but on ACT Science, when you’re answering 40 questions in just 40 minutes, it’s very easy to end up rushing and miss crucial details! Always define the data point(s) you’re looking for before you start looking.
For more ACT time management tips, check out our guide to everything you need to know about ACT Science – as well as essential strategies to improve your ACT Science score.
Strategy Tip #3: Mark up your figure or graph (especially the weird ones)
ACT Science is famous for throwing weird figures at test-takers.
Most graphs you’ll see will be standard formats you’ve probably seen in school – bar graphs, line graphs, and so on (If you need a refresher, we have a guide to graph types right here).
In these graphs, the labels are the most important part. Always check the axis labels first to see what the graph is actually showing, and circle the labels or units if that’s helpful for you. If you do that, you’ll be in good shape to answer the question.
But you might also see some strange-looking figures like this one:
At first glance, this type of figure is probably unfamiliar. But Strategy Tip #2 still applies here: define the data you’re looking for, then figure out where to find it.
First, circle what you need to know in the question. You’re being asked about the composition of andesite, so that’s all we’re interested in for now.
Then, circle the part of the figure that holds that information. Skimming Figure 1, we see andesite in only one place.
Now we’re looking only at the information we need: the part about andesite. That shows us that the biggest components of andesite are amphibole, micas, and plagioclase feldspar – answer choice C.
If you’re looking for more practice, here are 9 of the hardest ACT Science questions out there, along with detailed explanations for each one.
Strategy Tip #4: Tackle one data point at a time
Slightly more complex ACT Science questions will ask you to deal with multiple data points at once.
Which of the following observations for brown finches was(were) the same in both Habitats L and M? 1. Average nest size 2. The number of times Birdsong 2 was heard 3. Average number of eggs per nest
F. 1 only G. 3 only H. 1 and 2 only J. 2 and 3 only
If you try to answer everything at once, you’re likely to get confused and make an avoidable mistake.
Instead, break this up into 3 separate questions:
Is average nest size the same in both habitats?
Is the number of times Birdsong 2 was heard the same in both habitats?
Is the average number of eggs per nest the same in both habitats?
Now, instead of one complex question, you have three very simple questions.
And as you answer these questions, use the process of elimination on the answer choices to save time.
If you’ve determined that #1 (nest size) was not the same, then you can cross off answer choice F – but you can also go ahead and cross off answer choice H.
And since both the remaining answer choices (G and J) contain #3 (number of eggs), you know that #3 must be the same. You don’t need the data to determine that.
If you do have extra time, it’s always smart to double-check your answer. But if not, you can save time this way.
This is complicated, so don’t worry if it takes some time to get used to this strategy. The more you practice, the more automatic it will become. An experienced ACT Science tutor can also make a big difference – give us a call to find the right option for you.
Next Steps
There you go – with these strategy tips, you’ll be ready to handle any data-based ACT Science question that comes your way!
The best way to get confident using these strategies is to practice, practice, practice. Working with a PrepMaven ACT expert can help you do just this! With one-on-one ACT tutoring, you’ll be well on your way to strategically approaching ACT Science and improving your score. Learn more about our options here, and get in touch with our team for a free consultation.
On ACT Science, you’ll have to think like a scientist, analyzing experiments and predicting outcomes.
If that sounds daunting, don’t worry. We’ve been helping students reach their goal ACT scores for over 20 years, and we’ve put together a step-by-step method for Research Summaries passages on ACT Science.
Plus, we’ve pulled together the latest data on the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile ACT scores at hundreds of schools in our ACT Score Ranges resource. It’s free and you can grab it below!
Research Summaries passages on ACT Science are all about science experiments. Here’s what that looks like:
The passage will have a short intro, a few sentences long.
Then, you’ll see one or more sections labeled Experiment or Study. (If there’s more than one, they’ll be numbered.)
Each experiment will have one or more figures that go with it, typically showing results of the experiment. Sometimes, they’ll show information about the experimental setup instead.
Here’s an example of a typical Research Summaries passage:
Figure 1 sample ACT Science Research Summaries passage created by PrepMaven, all rights reserved
Research Summaries is one of 3 passage types you’ll see on the ACT Science section. You can read about the other two (Data Representation and Conflicting Viewpoints) here.
You’ll see 2-3 passages of this type on the entire ACT Science section, which has 7 passages total. The passages can come in any order.
There’s a lot to keep in mind, which is why we’ve put together a guide to everything you need to know about ACT Science – as well as essential strategies to improve your ACT Science score.
Now let’s go through the 3-step method for breaking down this passage type.
The 3-Step Method for Research Summaries Passages
When you see a Research Summaries passage on ACT Science, don’t get bogged down by trying to understand everything about the experiments. Instead, use this 3-step method to save time and pinpoint the answers you need:
Step 1: Skim the passage, but lead with the questions
Step 2: Make a cause → effect sketch for more complex questions
Step 3: Use key words to skim the passage for more detail (only when you have to!)
We’ll break down how to apply this method to ACT Science passages in just a minute. First, let’s take a quick look at the question types you’ll need to use it for.
Question Types on Research Summaries Passages
Each Research Summaries passage comes with a set of 5-6 questions.
Those questions fall into one of these categories:
Simply reading the data from figures. That’s it!
Understanding why a step was taken in the experiment.
Predicting how the results would change if you changed something in the experiment.
These are the questions you’ll see on Research Summaries passages. For all the question types on the whole ACT Science section, check out our list with examples over here.
When you’re ready to practice, here are 9 of the hardest ACT Science questions out there, along with detailed explanations for each one.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the step-by-step method to answer all these question types.
Strategy Tip #1: Skim the passage, but lead with the questions
When you’re looking at a Research Summaries passage, skim the passage – but don’t read it in detail yet.
Reading the whole passage in depth costs you valuable time. And most of the questions can be answered without looking at the passage at all.
Some students might even want to skip straight to the questions, which is fine.If you’re not comfortable with that, skim the passage and circle or underline key words or phrases as you read. Then go to the questions.
As you skim the questions, start with the ones that just ask for data from figures, like this example.
Based on the results of Study 1, approximately what percent of the seedlings that were grown in soil with a pH of 5.0 survived to 10 weeks?
F. 2% G. 4% H. 98% J. 96%
Instead of scouring the passage, head straight to the figure that shows the study’s results:
Table 2
Group
Soil pH
Seedling mortality (%)
1
4.5
12
2
5.0
4
3
5.5
2
4
6.0
8
Now locate the information you're looking for: you’re interested in the group with a soil pH of 5.0. That group had mortality of 4%, meaning that the other 96% of seedlings survived. That’s answer choice J.
Notice that you didn’t need to know anything about the study to answer this question correctly. All you have to do is figure out what information you’re looking for, then figure out where to look for it.
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Strategy Tip #2: Make a cause → effect sketch for more complex questions
Two of the question types about Research Summaries that you’ll see are essentially about cause and effect:
Understanding why a step was taken in the experiment.
Predicting how the results would change if you changed something in the experiment.
These questions require a little more thinking, but you can usually still answer them without looking at the passage.
The key to these questions is to sketch the cause-and-effect relationship in just a few words. Then use that as a tool to answer the question.
In seawater, compound X is broken down into simpler compounds by thermal energy at temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. What action was taken in the studies to prevent this process from taking place?
A. Each mixture of compound X and seawater was cooled. B. Each mixture of compound X and lake water was cooled. C. Each mixture of compound X and seawater was exposed to light. D. Each mixture of compound X and lake water was exposed to light.
When you see a question like this, it’s tempting to look at the studies to see what the scientists did. But you don’t need to!
There’s a simple causal relationship here:
Seawater + higher temperature → compound X gets broken down
In this case, we’re told that this process was prevented, so we can assume that the scientists took away one of the causal factors on the “cause” side of this relationship.
We’re talking about seawater, not lake water, so you can cross off answers B and D straight away. Light exposure has nothing to do with the cause-effect relationship, so you can also eliminate answer C. That leaves answer A: to prevent the process from happening, the seawater mixture was cooled.
Here’s another example. This one is about predicting experimental results:
Based on the results of Experiment 1, if Experiment 2 were repeated except that all the piglets were fed Diet R instead of Diet Q, would the average body mass more likely have been lower or higher for each group?
F. Lower; on average, piglets fed Diet R had an average body mass 20 percentile points greater than those fed Diet Q. G. Lower; on average, piglets fed Diet R had an average body mass 10 percentile points smaller than those fed Diet Q. H. Higher; on average, piglets fed Diet R had an average body mass 10 percentile points greater than those fed Diet Q. J. Higher; on average, piglets fed Diet R had an average body mass 20 percentile points greater than those fed Diet Q.
Results of Experiment 1
Diet
Average body mass (percentile of control group body mass)
Q
45
R
65
S
75
T
55
This question is more complicated than just reading data. Still, you do not need to understand the experiment in detail.
You just need to identify how the experiment is changing and what effect that will likely have based on the data.
What’s changing? The piglets are getting fed a different diet.
What do we want to know? How this will affect their average body mass.
What do we already know? The average body mass for piglets on different diets.
Based on the data, we can see a cause-effect relationship. Diet R leads to a body mass in the 65th percentile. That’s higher than the old diet, diet Q. Here’s the cause-effect relationship:
Piglets eat diet R → piglets get heavier; piglets eat diet Q → piglets get lighter.
So if we switch all the piglets to Diet R, we can expect average body mass to go up. That eliminates answers F and G.
Now, use the process of elimination to choose between answers H and J. The only difference is something you can easily verify in the tablt above: how much greater is the average body mass on Diet R than on Diet Q?
On Diet R, the average body mass was in the 65th percentile. On Diet Q, the average body mass was in the 45th percentile. So 65 - 45 = 20 percentile points difference. That’s answer choice J.
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Strategy Tip #3: Use key words to skim the passage for more detail (only when you have to!)
You might also see some questions that require a bit of information from the passage, like this one.
In the experiments, 2 g of food was added to each tank at each feeding. How many grams of food were placed into each tank each day?
A. 2 B. 4 C. 8 D. 12
Let’s say that the figures don’t give you any information about food. You have to look at the passage – but instead of wading through the whole text, identify key words and then skim the text for those. In this case, key words could be food and feeding.
Skim the passage with those words in mind:
Neocaridina davidi, a species of freshwater shrimp, are kept in many home aquariums. Two experiments were conducted to determine how diet and stocking density (number of shrimp per liter of water, shrimp/L) affect the specific growth rate (SGR; percent increase in length per day, percent/day) in N. davidi.
Experiment 1 Each of 12 identical 10 L tanks received 8 L of freshwater with a specific hardness of 8 dGH, a temperature of 22°C, and a pH of 7.5. Hardness, temperature, and pH were kept constant over the course of the experiment. N. davidi of similar lengths were selected, and their lengths were measured, in mm. They were then equally distributed among the tanks at a stocking density of 2 shrimp/L. The tanks were then divided equally into 4 groups.
For 3 months, each group was fed a different diet (Diets Q–T). Each group was fed twice a day. At the end of 3 months, the length of each shrimp was measured, in mm, and the SGR of each shrimp was calculated. The average SGR was then determined for each group (see Table 1).
Buried in a ton of irrelevant information, there’s our clue: “Each group was fed twice a day.” And if each feeding provided 2 grams of food, as the question said, then that totals 2 x 2 = 4 grams of food, or answer choice B. It’s first-grade-level math - you just have to find the information you need.
Circling or underlining key words as you skim the passage will help you save time, since you can quickly come back to the most important parts of the passage. That’s why annotating is one of the most helpful ACT strategies.
We’ve lined up 7 more key strategieshere that will help you on every type of ACT Science question.
Next Steps
That’s all you need to know about Research Summaries on ACT Science!
The best way to get comfortable with this passage type is to practice the strategies we’ve gone through above. Working with a PrepMaven ACT expert can help you do just this! With one-on-one ACT tutoring, you’ll be well on your way to strategically approaching ACT Science and improving your score. Learn more about our options here, and get in touch with our team for a free consultation.
