Extract values from tables, charts, and diagrams accurately.
Find the exact cell, point, or label before you infer anything else.
Core Idea
Read the exact cell, point, or labeled part before you infer anything. ACT often hides an easy value question behind unfamiliar wording.
Understanding
Value questions are about location matching. Find the correct condition first, then the correct row, column, point, or diagram label.
- Check the category: which trial, species, temperature, or sample is the question asking about?
- Check the unit: milliliters, seconds, grams, and percent are not interchangeable.
- Use the legend and labels before you touch the answer choices.
Most wrong answers come from reading the right number from the wrong place.
Step by Step
- Locate the exact condition named in the question before reading any numbers.
- Match the row, column, point, or diagram label to that condition.
- Read the value with its unit attached.
- Check that the answer choice repeats both the number and the correct unit.
Misconceptions
- Reading the correct number from the wrong row or condition.
- Dropping the unit and choosing an option that matches only the numeral.
- Comparing values before answering a question that asks for one exact reading.
Worked Example
Table 1 shows dissolved oxygen concentration in Pond X at depths of 0 m, 2 m, 4 m, and 6 m. The values are 8.4 milligrams per liter, 7.9 milligrams per liter, 7.1 milligrams per liter, and 6.5 milligrams per liter, respectively. According to Table 1, what was the dissolved oxygen concentration at 4 m?
Select an answer to see the explanation