• Orientation of Human Anatomy
• Cardiovascular System
• Respiratory System
• Nervous System
• Digestive System
• Skeletal System
• Muscular System
• Endocrine System
• Immune System
• Integumentary System
• Urinary System
• Reproductive System

• The Cell
• Macromolecules
• Cell Division
• DNA, RNA & Genetics
• Classification & Microorganisms

• Atomic Structure
• Chemical Bonds
• States of Matter
• Solutions, Acids and Bases
• Chemical Reactions

• The Scientific Method
• Variables
• Hypotheses, Theories & Laws
• Reliability & Validity
• Interpreting Data
• Measurement & Tools

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TEAS® Science Study Guide

Interpreting Data

Many scientific reasoning questions hand you a table, graph, or chart and ask you to read it. No science knowledge is needed — just careful reading.
Match the display to the job

• Line graph — Shows change over time or a continuous trend.
• Bar graph — Compares separate categories.
• Pie chart — Shows parts of a whole (percentages).
• Table — Lists exact values.

Reading a graph

By convention, the independent variable goes on the x-axis (horizontal) and the dependent variable goes on the y-axis (vertical). Always check the axis labels and units before drawing any conclusion.

Relationships between variables

• Direct relationship — Both variables rise together (as one goes up, so does the other).
• Inverse relationship — One rises as the other falls.

The trap: correlation vs. causation. Two things changing together does not prove one caused the other. Ice cream sales and drowning rates both rise in summer, but ice cream doesn’t cause drowning — a third factor (hot weather) drives both. The TEAS tests whether you’ll jump to a cause too quickly.

Terms to know

• x-axis — Horizontal; usually the independent variable.
• y-axis — Vertical; usually the dependent variable.
• Direct relationship — Variables move the same direction.
• Inverse relationship — Variables move in opposite directions.
• Correlation — Two variables changing together, which does not prove causation.

What the TEAS asks most

• Which variable goes on the x-axis? The independent variable.
• Which graph best shows change over time? A line graph.
• Does correlation prove causation? No.
• What is an inverse relationship? One variable rises as the other falls.

Interpreting Data Review Quiz