There is a frightening beast that sends a shiver down many a student’s spine. No, it’s not a vampire….or a zombie….or a giant shark. The monster in question is….the dreaded ACT Science section “fork question.”
You might not have come across this exact phrase in your test prep books. But as someone who’s spent a LOT of time with the ACT and SAT (over fourteen years, in fact!), helping teens achieve their highest scores ever, I’ve noticed that this type of question structure is a frequent flier on the ACT Science. Yet just as predictable as the question’s appearance on the test is students’ tendency to get sucked into its detail-heavy quicksand, wasting minutes on it that they can’t afford to lose.
Today, we’re going to make sure you know how to avoid that bog pit altogether, snagging the points and bouncing on to the next Q before you get stuck.
Article Contents
1. How to identify a “fork” question
2. The wrong way to answer a "fork" question
3. The right way to answer a “fork” question
4. Conclusion
What does a fork question look like on the ACT Science?
You won’t be able to diagnose a given question as a “fork” from the text of the question itself. However, once you look at all four answer choices, you’ll realize that they present you with a fork in the road: two answers lean one way while the other two answer choices lean the opposite way. (And if you’ve taken a class on American poetry, perhaps you’re reminded of a certain Robert Frost line: "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...")
Here’s what this looks like:
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah?
- ANSWER 1, because Reason A
- ANSWER 1, because Reason B
- ANSWER 2, because Reason C
- ANSWER 2, because Reason D
See what I mean about the structure of the answer choices? Two roads diverging.
The reason most student get this question wrong is that there is simply TOO MUCH INFORMATION in the answer choices to process everything clearly!
The wrong way to answer a "fork" question
Before I teach them the right way to go about it, I find, my students proceed by first scouring the entire passage/chart/graph to try to select if ANSWER 1 or ANSWER 2 is correct. THEN, they try to figure out which REASON is correct. The quagmire takes them three whole minutes to sort through and they still often get it wrong—because they're trying to reconstruct the reasoning for themselves.
However, if you take a harder look at the answer choices, you’ll quickly notice something else:
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah?
- ANSWER 1, because TRUE STATEMENT 1
- ANSWER 1, because FALSE STATEMENT 1
- ANSWER 2, because TRUE STATEMENT 2
- ANSWER 2, because FALSE STATEMENT 2
Or maybe it looks like this:
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah?
- ANSWER 1, because TRUE STATEMENT
- ANSWER 1, because FALSE STATEMENT
- ANSWER 2, because SAME TRUE STATEMENT as above
- ANSWER 2, because SAME FALSE STATEMENT as above
Notice anything? Half of these reasons aren't even true. And there's no way a correct answer is going to rely on a reason that’s contradicted by the passage, even if it’s only partially contradicted.
ACT Science fork question: the best strategy
Here’s what you’re going to do instead:
1) First, read all four of the REASONS provided after “because” in each answer choice. Don’t even think about answering the question yet.
2) Look at the passage/charts/graphs to figure out which of these “reasons” are simply inaccurate, according to the info the test itself is giving you! Cross out these answer choices.
3) Look at the reasons that are left: these are true statements, verified by the data in the passage. In fact, a lot of times, there’s only one reason that’s even a true statement, and it’s repeated multiple times!
4) BASED ON THIS REASON, and this reason alone, which answer makes the most sense?
So, did you clock that? Instead of rereading the entire science passage, you’re going to base your answer to the question on only the true reason(s) in the answer choices. The test-writers basically TOLD YOU what fact/concept is required to arrive at the answer. So USE the free hint they gave you to save time and snatch up your point!
That ACT fork Q isn't looking so daunting any more, is it? Good!
To keep up with my expert test analysis, peruse my archives. And for full access to my fourteen-plus years of concrete strategy tips in the vein of today’s Fork Question strategy, you can always reach me here to arrange some private tutoring sessions.
And if you’re more of a lone wolf when it comes to test prep? There’s a good option for you, too! Simply watch my online ACT Science course (or binge it), all at your own pace! The Ultimate ACT Science Guide can be yours here.
