Basic Facts
- A total of 40 questions to be answered in 35 minutes.
- There are a total of six passages of about 100 to 300 words.
- Pace yourself, as you only have six minutes to spend on each passage together with its questions.
- Questions in the Science section contain four answer choices.
- To score a 21 on the test you need to get 21 questions correct - ~50% of the questions.
Breakdown of the Science section
The content of the science test includes biology, chemistry, Earth/space sciences (e.g., geology, astronomy, and meteorology), and physics. Advanced knowledge in these areas is not required, but background knowledge acquired in general, introductory science courses may be needed to correctly answer some of the questions.
Concepts being tested:
- Interpretation of Data (45% - 55%): Manipulate and analyze scientific data presented in tables, graphs, and diagrams (e.g., recognize trends in data, translate tabular data into graphs, interpolate and extrapolate, and reason mathematically).
- Scientific Investigation (20% - 30%): Understand experimental tools, procedures, and design (e.g., identify variables and controls) and compare, extend, and modify experiments (e.g., predict the results of additional trials).
- Evaluation of Models, Inferences, and Experimental Results (25% - 35%): Judge the validity of scientific information and formulate conclusions and predictions based on that information (e.g., determine which explanation for a scientific phenomenon is supported by new findings).
Three Passage Types:
- Data Representation: 14 - 16 questions
- Research Summaries: 18 - 20 questions
- Conflicting Viewpoint: 4 - 6 questions
Question Types:
- Analysis Questions: Asks about factual information presented in the passage.
- Application Questions: Asks you to infer something based on the information in the passage.
- Comprehension Questions: Refers to Main Idea and applying the information to a context beyond the passage.
Test Directions
Do not waste any time reading the directions at the beginning of the test. The directions are always the same as follows:
DIRECTIONS: There are several passages in this test. Each passage is followed by several questions. After reading a passage, choose the best answer to each question and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document. You may refer to the passages as often as necessary. You are NOT permitted to use a calculator on this test.
Basic Strategy
- There are no negative points for incorrect or blank answers, so answer every question on the test.
- Solve all your questions for a given passage in the test booklet, then bubble all of them in at once.
- S - Scan the passage
- C - Check for the main idea
- IE - Ignore the extras
- N - Note the reference in the question (Table 1 and Figure 1)
- C - Choose the best answer
- E - Eliminate the incorrect answers
Data Representation
Simple graph
What is the maximum organism density?
Graph with more than one variable
What temperature is at a depth of 800m ?
Things to remember:
- In the case of graphs, tables and charts look for what is being measured.
- Next, look for the relationships among the variables.
- Finally, look for the trends or patterns in the data.
What conclusion is not supported by the data in the diagram?
| (A). | Once heat and pressure reach a certain point, rocks melt and magma forms. |
| (B). | Weathering and erosion of all rocks lead to sediments. |
| (C). | When molten material deep inside Earth cools, it forms igneous rocks. |
| (D). | Magma that reaches Earth's surface flows from volcanoes as lava. |
Sample Passage:
When two objects are placed near or next to one another and they are at different temperatures, energy is transferred to the cooler object. As a result of this energy transfer, the temperature of the cooler object rises. The ratio of the amount of energy transferred to the temperature change is called heat capacity. Table 1 summarizes the specific heat for various substances.
An experiment was done to illustrate the temperature changes that are observed when substances with different heat capacities are subjected to the same procedures. In this experiment, 1 kg of water at 27oC was placed in an insulated container. A 0.2 Kg piece of metal was placed in the water after the metal was heated to a particular temperature. The final temperature of the water and piece of metal were then recorded and summarized in Table 2.
Analysis questions:
1. Which metal underwent the greatest temperature change when the starting temperature was 50oC?
| (A). | Aluminum |
| (B). | Unknown |
| (C). | Lead |
| (D). | Steel |
| (F). | increased. |
| (G). | decreased. |
| (H). | remained constant. |
| (J). | varied depending on the metal. |
Application questions:
3. If the test was repeated with aluminum heated to an initial temperature of 250oC, which of the following is most likely to have been the final temperature?
| (A). | 28.47oC |
| (B). | 29.52oC |
| (C). | 31.74oC |
| (D). | 36.21oC |
| (F). | 0.120 kJ/kgK |
| (G). | 0.234 kJ/kgK |
| (H). | 0.682 kJ/kgK |
| (J). | 0.953 kJ/kgK |
Comprehension questions:
5. Diamond has a specific heat capacity of 0.518 kJ/kgK. If the experiment had been performed using diamond, what would the expected temperature range be in oC if the starting temperatures ranged from 50oC to 200oC as in the other trials?
| (A). | 26.95 to 27.82 |
| (B). | 27.19 to 28.52 |
| (C). | 27.55 to 31.20 |
| (D). | 28.12 to 34.88 |
| (F). | There is no observable difference in the range of temperatures. |
| (G). | There is a greater range of final temperature readings. |
| (H). | There is a smaller range of final temperature readings. |
| (J). | The range of the final temperature readings is constant for all heat capacities. |
Research Summary
Focus on scientific experiments, scientific method, design of the experiment, and drawing conclusions.
The correct answer can usually be found within the information in the passage.
Helpful vocabulary
- Hypothesis - Proposed explanation of a scientific phenomenon
- Control variable - Stays constant in an experiment
- Control group - Used for comparison against experimental group
- Independent variable - Controlled by the investigator e.g., you might grow crops with different amounts of light.
- Dependent variable - Measured by the investigator e.g., you would measure how the crops grow after exposing them to different amounts of light.
Sample Passage:
Biochemical tests are used to identify the presence of organic molecules in solution. To perform a biochemical test, an agent is added to a solution and, if a particular organic molecule is present, the agent will react with the organic molecule. The reaction can be seen because the agent changes color as a result of chemical bonds being broken and reformed. If no organic molecule is present, then no chemical bonds are broken upon the addition of the agent.
Three common biochemical tests are the Benedict's test, Iodine test, and Biuret test. A positive result for a Benedict's test is obtained only if the agent added changes from clear blue to cloudy greenish, yellow, orange, red, or brown. A positive Iodine test is indicated only if the agent added changes from yellow to a deep blue-black color. A positive Biuret test is indicated only when the agent added changes from light blue to a purple or pink color. Each test is used to identify exactly one of the following types of organic molecules: monosaccharides, polysaccharides, or proteins.
Experiment 1
The three tests were performed on known organic molecules to determine which biochemical test identifies which organic molecule. Individual test tubes were filled with 3 ml of only one of the following four substances: monosaccharide, polysaccharide, protein, or water. The test were done using water as a control. Each test was performed on a different set of four test tubes with above-mentioned substances. Table 1 summarizes the results.
Experiment 2
The three biochemical tests were then applied to unknown solutions to determine the composition of the unknown solutions. The data was recorded in Table 2.
Analysis questions:
7. On the basis of Experiment 1, which of the following substances reacted positively to Benedict's test?
| (A). | Monosaccharide |
| (B). | Polysaccharide |
| (C). | Protein |
| (D). | Water |
| (F). | Solution B |
| (G). | Solution C |
| (H). | Solution D |
| (J). | Solution E |
| (A). | Iodine, Biuret, Benedict's |
| (B). | Iodine, Benedict's Biuret |
| (C). | Biuret, Benedict's, Iodine |
| (D). | Benedict's Iodine, Biuret |
10. Protein reacted positively with which of the following tests?
I. Benedict's
II. Iodine
III. Biuret
| (F). | I only |
| (G). | II only |
| (H). | III only |
| (J). | I and III only |
Application questions:
11. Some of the solutions showed a change in color that was not consistent with the change expected for a positive test result. Which statement best accounts for the color changes in the non-reactive solutions?
| (A). | Chemical bonds are broken to change the color of the added solution. |
| (B). | The added substances have their own distinct color that diffuses through the non-reactive solutions. |
| (C). | Benedict solution, Iodine solution, and Biuret solution are all colorless before being added to any solution. |
| (D). | Benedict solution, Iodine solution, and Biuret solution become colorless when added to an non-reactive solution. |
Comprehension questions:
12. Which of the following pairs of substances tested positively for more than one organic molecule?| (F). | A and C |
| (G). | B and D |
| (H). | C and D |
| (J). | B and E |
Conflicting Viewpoints
This type of passage gives a brief summary or description of the problem and explanations of the conflicting viewpoints of the scientists.
Learn to identify and do these questions LAST! They are considered the most difficult and take up the most time.
- Understand the points of disagreement. Jolt these down.
- Cite data in the passage that supports or refutes each argument.
- You don't need to decide which hypothesis is correct. The test will not ask you to choose the right one.
As you scan the passage, try to answer these questions
- What is the basic question that is argued?
- What is the position of each scientist?
- What is the evidence of scientist #1?
- What is the evidence of scientist #2?
- What flaws does scientist #2 find with scientist #1?
- What flaws does scientist #1 find with scientist #2?
Sample Passage:
Schizophrenia is an illness that involves the dissociation of reason and emotion, resulting in symptoms including hallucinations, hearing voices, intense withdrawal, delusions, and paranoia. The average age at which schizophrenia is diagnosed is 18 years for men and 23 years for women. It has been observed to run in families.
The cause remains a mystery, but there are several competing theories. These theories are based in part on findings from twin studies, which look at identical twins in which one or both have the disease. (Identical twins share 100 percent of their genetic material, while non-identical twins share about 50 percent.) In 50 percent of the cases, the other will also suffer from schizophrenia. Identical twin pairs in which one individual is ill and the other is well are referred to as discordant twins.
Genetic Theory
One school of thought is that schizophrenia is a genetic disorder (one passed through the genes from parents to children). This theory gained support from the fact that schizophrenia runs in families. While it was originally believed that it was the family environment that caused this, a study has shown that children of schizophrenics adopted by families without the disease have the same risk of developing the illness as those raised by their birth parents. A final piece of evidence is the fact that the children of discordant identical twins all have the same chance of developing the illness: 17 percent. This indicates that even the healthy twin is somehow carrying the agent of the disease, presumably in the genes.
Infection Theory
Another school of thought is that schizophrenia arises because of a viral infection of the brain. Studies have shown that a class of viruses called “slow viruses” can linger in the brain for twenty years or longer before the infected person shows symptoms. Brain infections with viruses such as the common cold sore virus and herpes simplex type I can cause symptoms that resemble schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is also more common in children born in the winter, the season when viral infections are more common. Also, one study looking at families with a history of schizophrenia showed a 70 percent increase in the rate of schizophrenia among children whose mothers had the fly during the second trimester of pregnancy.
Analysis questions:
13. The Schizophrenia theories are similar in that both
| (A). | postulate that the foundation of the illness may be laid before birth. |
| (B). | postulate that the family environment plays some role. |
| (C). | predict that the children of schizophrenics are not at greater risk than other individuals. |
| (D). | show that identical twins are at greater risk for schizophrenia than other individuals. |
Application questions:
14. Which of the following findings best supports the gene theory?
| (F). | Parents of discordant twins report that the behavior of the twins begins to diverge at about 5 years of age, on average. |
| (G). | In discordant identical twin pairs, a brain structure called he basal ganglia is activated more often in the ill twin than in the healthy twin. |
| (H). | An identical twin of a schizophrenia sufferer is four times as likely to have the illness as a non-identical twin of schizophrenia sufferer. |
| (J). | Studies have shown that viral infections sometimes infect one identical twin in the uterus and not the other. |
I. schizophrenic patients do poorly on some memory tests.
II. among identical twins discordant for schizophrenia, the healthy twin may have some borderline schizophrenic traits.
III. ill twins in discordant pairs have higher rates of finger abnormalities, which can be an indication of a viral infection that occurred in the womb.
| (A). | I only |
| (B). | II only |
| (C). | III only |
| (D). | II and III only |
16. Which of the following hypotheses might supporters of both theories agree with?
I. Individuals with schizophrenia have certain genes that predispose them to the disease, but require some kind of trigger to turn the disease on.
II. Individuals with schizophrenia have certain genes that predispose them to viral infections of the brain.
III. Schizophrenia is not disease but a collection of diseases.
| (F). | I and II only |
| (G). | I and III only |
| (H). | II and III only |
| (J). | I, II, and III |
Comprehension questions:
17. An identical pair of twins is found in which one was adopted at birth. Both received a diagnosis of schizophrenia as teenagers. An explanation that might be offered by supporters of the viral theory is| (A). | children are most prone to viral infections when they are school age, long after the infant in this case was adopted. |
| (B). | the stress of being an adopted child may have triggered schizophrenia in the predisposed twin. |
| (C). | since 50 percent of identical twin pairs with schizophrenia are discordant for the disease, this case does not shed light on its origin. |
| (D). | the brains of both twins may have been infected with a slow acting virus when they were still in the womb. |
| (F). | One that looks for finger abnormalities in the parents and grandparents of schizophrenic children |
| (G). | One that looks for differences in the chromosomes (which hold the genes) of schizophrenic individuals and healthy individuals |
| (H). | One that looks for scarring in the brains of schizophrenic individuals, which might be a sign of an early injury or infection |
| (J). | One that looks at the home environments of identical twins versus non-identical twins |