CAP Test Science Section Features 80% Graphic-Based Questions, Challenges Critical Thinking with Acid Rain Report Case

Taipei, May 17 (CNA) - According to analyzing teachers, the science section of the 115th Comprehensive Assessment Program (CAP) for Junior High School Students maintained its trend of 'three many, one none': much text, many charts, many scenarios, and no complex calculations. Graphic-based questions accounted for about 80% of the section. A notable question on acid rain presented two reports on the same event from different perspectives—the central Environmental Protection Administration (now Ministry of Environment) and a local city government—testing students' independent thinking. One report cited the EPA, stating a city's average rainwater pH was 4.96 with a 63% acid rain occurrence. The other cited the local environmental bureau, which found an average pH of 5.86 from its own stations. The question asked students to identify reasons for the discrepancy. Teacher Shen Wen-chun commented that the question integrates real-life context and emphasizes inquiry and problem-solving skills, encouraging students to develop independent judgment. Other real-world topics included condensation, the physics of snoring, lunar phases, and electrical safety, all designed to test the application of scientific knowledge.