ACT conflicting viewpoints strategies
ACT Science includes one conflicting viewpoints passage in the 40-question, 35-minute section. This passage presents two or more scientists who disagree about a phenomenon, each offering a different explanation or theory. Questions test whether you understand what each scientist claims, how their explanations differ, and what evidence each would cite. These strategies cover understanding each viewpoint before answering, summarizing each position in your own words, and the trap of choosing an answer that matches your own opinion instead of the scientist's.
The core principle
Understand each viewpoint before you look at the questions. The passage presents two or more scientists who disagree. Each scientist has a specific claim, a set of evidence, and a line of reasoning. Your job is to understand what each one says, not to decide who is right. After reading the passage, write a one-sentence summary of each viewpoint. For example: "Scientist 1 says the crater was formed by a meteorite impact because of the iron-rich layer. Scientist 2 says the crater was formed by a volcanic eruption because of the basalt deposits." These summaries anchor every answer. When a question asks what Scientist 1 would predict, return to the summary and extend the logic. When a question asks how the scientists disagree, compare the summaries.
The most common trap
Choosing an answer that matches your own opinion instead of the scientist's
The passage presents two scientists debating whether a geological feature was caused by erosion or by tectonic activity. You know from earth science class that erosion is the more common explanation, so you choose the answer that supports erosion. But the question asks what Scientist 2 would say, and Scientist 2 argues for tectonic activity. The answer choices include the erosion answer because the test writers know students import their own knowledge. The correct answer is the one that matches the specific scientist's position as stated in the passage, not the one that matches what you learned in school.
Step-by-step strategy
When to use: the conflicting viewpoints passage, which appears once per ACT Science section.
- 1Read the introduction. It describes the phenomenon the scientists disagree about and may provide shared background facts.
- 2Read each viewpoint carefully. Write a one-sentence summary of each scientist's claim and the evidence they cite.
- 3For questions about what a scientist would say, return to that scientist's section. Do not blend the viewpoints or import outside knowledge.
- 4For questions about how the scientists disagree, compare the summaries. The disagreement is usually about the cause, the mechanism, or the interpretation of the evidence.
- 5For questions about new evidence, determine which scientist the evidence supports. Evidence that confirms one scientist's claim weakens the other's.
When not to use: when the passage presents data or experiments rather than opposing theories. Use the data representation or research summaries strategy instead.
Related pages
Conflicting viewpoints practice questions
Free practice questions with full explanations.
Research summaries strategies
Identifying independent and dependent variables.
Data representation strategies
Reading axis labels and identifying trends.
ACT Science practice
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