Mark Up Graphs and Charts
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Skills
Mark Up Graphs and Charts
Have a clear methodology to interpret graph and charts to avoid spending time on unnecessary information.
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Read the question before analyzing the graph. There is often extra information on these visuals that you will not need to understand or consider. Remember, your only purpose is to answer the question, so interpret with a focus on what you need to know. -
Pause to be sure you fully understand what the graph is presenting. Graphs can feel overwhelming on the ACT Science, especially as it is the last section and you might tired. Also anticipate that you might not be given the answer but might need to interpolate from the data .
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Read the chart title and headings/variables so you are sure you know what data are being presented. Circle any labels in case you might need to make a conversion.
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Don't assume the scale/axes labels. Always check the names and scale on the X and Y axes. This is particularly true on problems where you are asked to compare graphs. The might look the same, but they might be using different increments or slightly different names of data sets.
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Circle the point in the graph or data in the chart that you will use before checking the answers so you can easily come back to it. If your eyes tend to jump around when reading graphs, use your finger or the side of the eraser as a straight edge to draw straight lines between data points.
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If you're answer doesn't match any of the answer choices go back and check the graph to confirm you picked the correct point. Check the axes and your units to see if you need to do a conversion.