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pacing on the act science test
summary
mastering the pacing for the act science test is crucial due to its time-pressured nature and the increasing complexity of questions and passages.
- you have 35 minutes to answer 40 questions, which may be spread across six or seven passages, requiring strategic time management.
- focus on spending roughly 5 to 6 minutes per passage, without obsessing over exact timing, to ensure you cover all passages.
- prioritize reading selectively, especially for data representation passages, and save the conflicting viewpoints passage for last due to its complexity and text volume.
- if running out of time, target specific questions that refer to charts and graphs for quick answers, and ensure all questions have answers marked for a chance at lucky guesses.
- practice under timed conditions is essential to develop a realistic sense of pacing and to strategize on whether to attempt all passages or focus on fewer for accuracy.
chapters
00:00
understanding act science test timing
01:58
strategic passage approach
03:31
prioritizing passages and questions
05:40
handling time pressure
06:53
the importance of practice and strategy
related blog posts
important update to this lesson: on 2015 act tests, the science test has featured 6 passages (instead of the traditional 7): specifically 3 research summaries passages with 7 questions each, 2 data representation passages with 6 questions each, and 1 conflicting viewpoint passage with 7 questions. make sure to check your test before you start to see how many passages you have so you can plan your pacing accordingly. 7 passages means you have 5 minutes per passage. 6 passages means you have almost 6 minutes per passage.
