Guessing Strategies for Science

Pacing & Guessing Strategies

Guessing Strategies for Science

Lesson by Linnea Newman

Magoosh Expert

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Lesson by Linnea Newman

Magoosh Expert

Summary

ACT Science guessing works best when it is strategic rather than random: always answer every question, eliminate choices first, and use figures to extract enough information even when the experiment is confusing. The fastest gains come from checking trends, estimating ranges, testing the reason in yes/no questions, and trusting straightforward figure-reading when time is tight.

Never leave a question blank because the ACT has no wrong-answer penalty, and each eliminated choice improves the odds of a correct guess.
On trend questions, identify the basic direction of change before reading answer choices, then check whether the pattern ever reverses to narrow the answer quickly.
On numerical questions that ask for a value between or beyond listed data points, use the surrounding values and overall trend to eliminate impossible answers.
On yes/no questions, evaluate the 'because' portion first and eliminate any choice whose reasoning contradicts the figure, regardless of whether it begins with yes or no.
When a figure clearly gives the answer, trust the simple reading instead of overthinking it, especially under time pressure.
Basic science knowledge can help eliminate choices faster, and reviewing core concepts with flashcards is enough preparation without trying to relearn every science topic.

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