Conflicting Viewpoints

What you'll learn

• Identify each scientist's or student's main claim and supporting evidence
• Determine where the viewpoints agree and disagree
• Answer questions that ask which evidence would strengthen or weaken a viewpoint
• Evaluate which viewpoint is best supported by given data

Key concepts

On the ACT Science section there is typically just one Conflicting Viewpoints passage, and it is unusual in two ways: it is the most reading-heavy passage (usually no figures or data tables, just competing written explanations) and it tends to carry the most questions of any single passage, often around seven. Because of that, plan your time deliberately: do this passage either first, while you are fresh, or last, depending on your comfort, and do not let it eat the time you need for the faster data passages (see the two-tier pacing plan on Day 39). Conflicting Viewpoints passages present two or more hypotheses about the same phenomenon. Each viewpoint is explained in its own section with reasoning and sometimes evidence. The questions test whether you can track which claim belongs to which scientist, find points of agreement and disagreement, and evaluate new evidence in light of each viewpoint. Read each viewpoint carefully and summarize it in one sentence. The most common question type asks 'Scientist 1 would most likely agree with which statement?'. To answer, find the statement most consistent with that scientist's reasoning.

Pro tips

• After reading each viewpoint, write a one-sentence summary in the margin (or mentally). This prevents mixing them up.
• Pay close attention to the specific mechanism each viewpoint proposes, not just the conclusion.
• For 'which would weaken Scientist 2's argument?' questions, find a fact that directly contradicts Scientist 2's reasoning.