There’s a type of question on the ACT that trips up way too many smart students, costing them a LOT of time (and maybe even points). It’s what I call the “Fork Question,” and it crops up specifically in the Science section. Today, I’m going to teach you how not to be one of the test-takers who gets blindsided by it.
You might not have come across the precise phrase “fork question” before—that’s just my term for it. But as someone who’s spent over fifteen years helping kids achieve their highest scores ever on the ACT and SAT, I’ve noticed that this type of question structure routinely shows up on the ACT Science. And just as routinely, students tend to get sucked into the whirlpool of its details, wasting precious time that they should be spending on other questions.
Today, we’re going to make sure you know how to avoid that dangerous riptide altogether, grabbing the points and moving on to the next Q before you get stranded up the creek without a paddle.
Article Contents
1. Watch this article as a video
2. How to identify a “Fork” Question
3. The wrong way to answer a "Fork" Question
4. The right way to answer a “Fork” Question
5. Conclusion
Video version of this article:
Definition of fork questions on the ACT Science
You won’t be able to identify a given question as a “Fork Q” from the text of the question itself. However, once you read 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 read any Robert Frost, a certain line may come to mind at this point: "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 they get confused by the excessive, repetitive info provided in the answer choices!
The wrong way to answer a "fork" question
Before I teach them the RIGHT way to go about it, this is what almost all of my clients do. And who can blame them? It’s intuitive (but ineffective!):
Read the entire passage/chart/graph to try to determine if ANSWER 1 or ANSWER 2 is correct.
Then, they try to figure out which REASON is correct.
This approach takes the poor student up to three minutes to sort out. And the worst part? They still often choose the wrong answer—because they're trying to reconstruct the reasoning for themselves.
However, if you take a second look at the answer choices, you’ll realize you can think about them another way:
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 the better (as in, faster AND more accurate) way to proceed:
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) Consult the passage/charts/graphs to figure out which of these “reasons” are simply inaccurate, according to the information the test itself is giving you! Cross out these answer choices.
3) Look at the reasons that remain: these are true statements, supported 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?
Do you see what just happened? Instead of re-reading 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!
My blog has dozens and dozens of other ACT and SAT tricks and strategies, developed by me over fifteen years of working with these tests. And not to brag, but those only scratch the surface of my knowledge.
For full access to ALL of my expert hacks—and a customized study schedule and plan—you can reach me here to check my availability for private tutoring sessions.
And if you prefer to go it alone with test prep, I’ve got an excellent option for you, too! Simply watch (and rewatch) my online ACT Science course, all at your own pace! The Ultimate ACT Science Guide can be yours here.
