The Top 6 ACT Science Tips You Must Use

The Top 6 ACT Science Tips You Must Use SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many students struggle with ACT Science. Students, who came to me for tutoring after taking their first official ACT test, typically performed worst on this section.It is very fast and unlike any other science test. This section more than any other is about pacing and strategy. I was able to boost my ACT Science score 5 points with a few tips.So, what simple tips and tricks can you use to boost your ACT Science score right now? ACT Science Tip #1: Save the Conflicting Viewpoints Passage for Last Every question in the ACT Science section is worth the same point value, so you want to get the most points in the limited amount of time given (35 minutes total or 52.5 seconds per question). To get the most points, you should save the most time-consuming passage for last, which conflicting viewpoints is.If you do not know the 3 Types of ACT Science Passages, read this articlefirst. As a brief summary, there are 3 types of passages, 7 passages used on the test: 3 Data Representation Passages 3 Research Summaries Passages 1 Conflicting Viewpoints Passage The Conflicting Viewpoints Passage has no graphs or tables.Instead, there are two or more scientists/students/theories presented in short paragraphs.The questions ask you about each viewpoint and the differences and similarities between the viewpoints.You need to read and understand the entire passage to answer the questions.Therefore, this passage will take the longest, so save it for last, so it doesn’t kill your pace. Conflicting Viewpoints should be THE END You should be able to speed through the other 2 types of passages using our next tip: ACT Science Tip #2: Use Only Visuals to Answer Questions in Data Representation and Research Summary Passages Again, since every question is worth the same point value and you only have 52.5 seconds per question, you want to answer as many questions as you can in the shortest amount of time. Saving Conflicting Viewpoints until the end will save you some time, but not reading the Data Representation and Research Summary passages will save you even more time. Most of the questions in these 2 types of passages can be answered by using the visuals and not reading the passage, so you will actually save time and answer more questions correctly by not reading these passages! Counterintuitive, I know. Since the majority of the questions ask you about data which is presented in the visuals, you just need to look at these visuals to find the correct answer. Learn more about this in our other article on time management and section strategy. Again, skip reading these passages, jump right to the questions and answer as many as you can with visuals alone.If you can’t get to a final answer, at least use the visuals for process of elimination: ACT Science Tip #3: Use Process of Elimination Again,you have very little time on the ACT Science section (5 minutes per passage or 52.5 seconds per question). You need to find ways to make the best use of your limited time. So, as you start to notice what cannot be the correct answer, cross it out. This process of elimination will help you make the best use of your time and will lead you to the correct answer. If you don'tuse process of elimination, you may jump to pick an answer before making sure it is the best answer choice. With process of elimination, you know your final answer is the only one thatCANbe correct. If it is wrong, cross it out! You do not want to let anything slow you down, including the big science terms: ACT Science Tip #4: Make Sure You Read the Right Figure and Pay Attention to Labels In my experience teaching students, the most common careless mistake I see is reading the wrong figure and mixing up the labels. If you look at Figure 2 when you're supposed to be looking at Figure 3, you'll make huge mistakes. And you can bet the ACT has trap answers that bait you into these mistakes. Similarly, graphs often have labeled x and y-axes, and you need to make sure you're looking at the correct axis to find the correct data value. Check out my guide on reading graphs to make sure you don't make these mistakes. ACT Science Tip #5: Don't Get Stuck onBig Science Terms ACT Science is really a misnomer; the test should be called the â€Å"reading with very confusing big words and tricky visuals† section.The reason ACT Science does not force you to memorize AP level Bio or complete IB Physics HL problems is that not everyone takes all of that math in high school. For ACT Science to be a fair standardized test for all high school students, the test asks you about basic science concepts in tricky or confusing ways. The ACT Science does not expect you to be familiar with the big science terms it throws at you. ACT Science Tip #6: Don't Study ScienceTerms If you need to know a science term to answer a question, the term will be defined for you in the passage. For most of the large science terms that are not defined,you will not need to understand them to get to the answer.Think of it as a matching game. If a question asks about average change in AGTB and you do not know what that is, simply find the term â€Å"average change in AGTB† in a visual (such as a graph) and then see if you can find the data you need to answer the question. There are only 4 outside knowledge questions on ACT Science that require you to know concepts outside of the passage. We detail every concept you need to know in this guide. Recap Use these 6 tips and you will see an instant improvement: Save the Conflicting Viewpoints Passage for last. Try to use only visuals to answer questions in Data Representation and Research Summary Passages. Use Process of Elimination. Make sure you read the right figure and pay attention to labels. Do not get caught up in the big science terms. Don't actually study science to improve your score. Keep these tips in mind before your test and you'll avoid careless mistakes and save time! These strategies alone may not help you push your score to the maximum. Be sure to check out our other articles for maximum score improvement. What’s Next? Learnabout the differenttypes of questions on the ACT Science section such asfactual questions,interpreting trends questions, and experimental design and hypothetical change questions. Looking for overall ACT Science review? Read our complete guide to the section. Taking the ACT really soon? Check out our guide to cramming. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

5 Career Strategies You Can Take from The Art of War

5 Career Strategies You Can Take from The Art of War If you’ve ever read The Art of War by Sun Tzu, you know that it was meant to be a guide for actual warfare. Taken slightly less literally, all these centuries later, it’s also a handy guide for approaching and surviving any kind of conflict, including those at work- not to mention a fantastic primer for building your leadership skills. Let’s look at some of the key points in the book that you can apply to your own career.1. Strategy is Everythingâ€Å"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.†If you don’t have a plan, it’s easy to get mired in the day-to-day and lose sight of your goals. It’s crucial to have short-term and long-term professional goals so you’re making active progress, instead of just dealing with whatever comes your way and waiting around for the next thing.2. Be Ready to Compromiseâ€Å"The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.à ¢â‚¬ You may know you’re right on a particular point or a way to do things, but ask yourself- if I go all in on this, what is achieved here? Part of being a team member means being ready to compromise and negotiate to make sure work is getting done. If you’re working on your own, then sure- it’s your way or else. If you’re working with others, it’s important to take their points of view into account as well. Knowing your priorities can help you figure out when it’s important to fight for something, and when you’d be better off finding a compromise.3. Keep Calmâ€Å"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.†Work is not the place to lose your cool, even when things are rough, or someone makes you angry. Find alternative ways to settle conflicts without yelling. You can also work on your at-work relaxation techniques to help you cope with stress and resolve issues without flying off the handle.4. Embrace Off ice Politicsâ€Å"He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.†Workplaces have politics. This is just as true if you work in a fast food restaurant as it is if you work for a Fortune 500 company. Any time you put different personalities together to achieve common goals, part of your own job will be working together with others to make sure you’re getting things done.Rather than avoid conflicts, work on them and through them. You’ll be building good skills, and racking up experience points you can point to later for a promotion or a new job.5. Keep Your Confidence Levels Upâ€Å"You have to believe in yourself.†Strategy, planning, and good habits are fantastic ways to boost your career, but they’re not the most important element- you are. If you play to your strengths and know that you can handle whatever comes your way (even if it requires some extra battle planning), that confidence can improve both your work performance and the quality of opportunities that come your way.