Test structure | Must-know science strategies | ACT Science

What is on the test?

You have 35 minutes to answer 40 questions on the science section of the ACT test. Typically, there are six passages in the science section of the ACT. Very rarely, a science test may have seven passages. Each passage is different and will test you on your ability to find information within it.

There are three types of passages in the science test:

Research summaries. Interpret results found from a study in words and figures.
Data representation. Understand how to read data from graphs and tables for experiments.
Conflicting viewpoints. Compare and contrast viewpoints from multiple sources about a certain topic.

You can find a more detailed description of each of these types of passages later on in this textbook. There is a chapter dedicated to each of them.

Topics tested

There are four fields of science tested in the science section of the ACT test:

Biology
Chemistry
Earth/Space Science
Physics

However, you are not expected to have taken a class in all of these subjects. Chemistry and biology are the most common science classes across the nation, so you will be expected to remember many equations, processes, and random details from these two fields.

The other two fields, Earth/space science and physics, will be on the test alongside enough information for you to understand the concepts in each passage. These topics will very rarely require you to know specific details and equations.