Updated August 21, 2026

5 Essential Strategies for ACT Science “Comparing Viewpoints” Questions

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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!

Jump to section:
What’s a “Comparing Viewpoints” question on ACT Science?
Strategy Tip #1: Save these questions for last
Strategy Tip #2: Create a “headline” for each viewpoint
Strategy Tip #3: Focus on one viewpoint at a time
Strategy Tip #4: Use the process of elimination
Strategy Tip #5: Remember that it’s not about the “correct” viewpoint
Next Steps

What’s a “Comparing Viewpoints” question on ACT Science?

Comparing Viewpoints questions ask you to compare and contrast different scientific ideas or theories on a particular topic.

 Comparing Viewpoints questions typically look like this:

  • Which student would be most likely to agree with the following statement?
  • Scientist 3 and Scientist 4 would most likely agree that…
  • Which of Students 1 and 2, if either, implied that…
  • In regard to this phenomenon, how does Scientist 1’s description differ from Scientist 2’s?

This is one of two main ACT Science question types that you’ll see on passages about “Conflicting Viewpoints.” (For the other question type, take a look at our dedicated post on “Understanding Viewpoints.”)

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.

On top of these 5 ACT Science strategies, we’ve gathered more time-saving strategies here, with more in our full guide to the ACT Science section and our guide to getting a perfect ACT score.

Next Steps

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.

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Ro

Rosamond graduated summa cum laude from Princeton. During college, she worked as a peer tutor for Italian, French, Greek, and academic writing. Since graduation, she’s continued to tutor students of all ages in French, Italian, Latin, English, and math, some of them for several years. She’s currently a graduate student studying the relationship between religion and secular law, and she works as a freelance journalist and translator.

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