ACT Science tips: timing, passage order and what to read first
The enhanced ACT Science section has 40 questions in 40 minutes, about one minute per question, and it is optional. In ACT's 2025–26 practice test the questions came in 7 passages of 5 or 6 questions, so plan on about 5 to 6 minutes per passage. Calculators aren't allowed, and there is no penalty for guessing, so answer every question. ACT's own tips are to read the passage and its figures before answering, pay attention to controls and variables in experiments, and take notes summarizing each viewpoint when scientists disagree.
Where it shows up on the ACT
| Enhanced ACT | |
|---|---|
| Section | Science (optional) |
| Length | 40 questions (34 scored) in 40 minutes, about 60 seconds each |
| Reporting category | The whole Science section (optional) |
| Share of the section | Data Representation 26–32%, Research Summaries 50–56%, Conflicting Viewpoints 18–21% |
| In the Composite | No. Science gets its own 1–36 score and counts toward STEM. |
ACT's format shares. In ACT's 2025–26 practice test we counted 7 passages: 2 Data Representation with 5 questions each, 4 Research Summaries with 6 each and 1 Conflicting Viewpoints with 6. One Research Summaries passage was unscored. Source: ACT, Preparing for the ACT 2025–2026, pp. 6–10: what each section covers and its reporting categories.
What the questions ask you to do
- Read values and trends from tables and graphs quickly.
- Understand an experiment's design: what changed, what was measured, what was held constant.
- Interpolate between data points and extrapolate beyond them.
- Judge which explanation a piece of evidence supports.
- Keep a steady pace across 7 passages without a calculator.
The three passage formats
ACT's descriptions and shares, with our count from its 2025–26 practice test.
| Format | Share | What it is | In the practice test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Representation | 26–32% | Graphs and tables like those in journals and textbooks | 2 passages, 5 questions each |
| Research Summaries | 50–56% | One or more related experiments and their results | 4 passages, 6 questions each (1 unscored) |
| Conflicting Viewpoints | 18–21% | Two or more explanations of the same phenomenon that disagree | 1 passage, 6 questions, no figures |
A pacing plan for 40 minutes
Checkpoints for 7 passages. Adjust if your test has a different mix.
| Time used | Where you should be |
|---|---|
| 10 minutes | About 2 passages done |
| 20 minutes | About 4 passages done |
| 30 minutes | About 5 or 6 passages done |
| 40 minutes | Every question answered, guesses included |
Tips that save time
- Skim the passage for what each figure shows, then go to the questions. ACT recommends reading the text and figures before answering.
- For experiments, note what was changed, what was measured and what was kept the same. ACT says questions are likely to ask about controls and variables.
- For Conflicting Viewpoints, write a one-line summary of each viewpoint, as ACT suggests.
- If a question stalls you, guess, flag it and move on. ACT gives the same advice, and there is no penalty for a wrong answer.
- Do the passages in the order that suits you. If reading is slower for you than graphs, leave the figure-free Conflicting Viewpoints passage for last.
Common mistakes
Wrong answer choices are often built around these.
- Reading every passage word for word before looking at the questions. Most questions point you to a specific figure or study.
- Staying on one hard question. At about a minute per question, two minutes on one costs you a question somewhere else.
- Leaving blanks. There is no penalty for guessing, so fill in every answer before time is called.
- Bringing outside knowledge that contradicts the passage. Answers are based on the information given.
- Doing long arithmetic. With no calculator allowed, most questions can be answered by estimating from the figure.
- Skipping the passage's description of the study. One sentence often states what was kept constant.
3 example questions with answers
Written by Ashore in the style of the enhanced ACT. They aren't official ACT questions. Try each one before you open the answer.
Question 1 · Easy
Table 1: Boiling point of water at different elevations Elevation (m) Boiling point (°C) 0 100.0 1,000 96.7 2,000 93.4 3,000 90.0 Based on Table 1, the boiling point of water at an elevation of 1,500 m would be closest to:
- A98.3°C
- B95.0°C
- C93.4°C
- D91.7°C
Show the answer
B. 1,500 m is halfway between 1,000 m and 2,000 m, so the boiling point should be about halfway between 96.7°C and 93.4°C, which is about 95.0°C. 98.3°C is halfway between 0 m and 1,000 m, 93.4°C is the value at 2,000 m, and 91.7°C is halfway between 2,000 m and 3,000 m.
Question 2 · Medium
Table 2: Bounce height of the same rubber ball dropped from 1.0 m onto different surfaces Surface Bounce height (m) Concrete 0.78 Wood 0.71 Grass 0.32 Carpet 0.45 In the experiment shown in Table 2, which of the following was held constant?
- FThe surface
- GThe bounce height
- HThe drop height
- JThe time the ball spent in the air
Show the answer
H. Every trial dropped the ball from 1.0 m, so drop height was kept the same. The surface was changed on purpose, the bounce height was what was measured, and time in the air wasn't measured or controlled.
Question 3 · Hard
Table 3: Maximum mass of Substance X that dissolves in 100 g of water Temperature (°C) Maximum mass dissolved (g) 20 36.0 40 36.6 60 37.3 80 38.4 A student adds 37.0 g of Substance X to 100 g of water at 60°C and stirs. Based on Table 3, will all of the substance dissolve?
- AYes, because up to 37.3 g can dissolve at 60°C.
- BYes, because Substance X dissolves completely at any temperature.
- CNo, because only 36.6 g can dissolve at 60°C.
- DNo, because 37.0 g is more than can dissolve at 20°C.
Show the answer
A. At 60°C up to 37.3 g dissolves in 100 g of water, and 37.0 g is less than that, so all of it dissolves. 36.6 g is the limit at 40°C, not 60°C. The limit at 20°C doesn't matter because the water is at 60°C, and the table shows a limit at every temperature, so the substance doesn't dissolve without limit.
More ACT Science guides
- Data Representation passages
- Research Summaries passages
- Conflicting Viewpoints passage
- ACT score calculator: questions right in each section to a 1–36 score and Composite.
- SAT vs ACT: which test fits you better.
- All ACT guides and free tools
Get ready for ACT Science
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Practice test 1
Example
27
Composite
(28 + 26 + 27) ÷ 3
- English28
- Math26
- Reading27
- ScienceOptional, not in the Composite25