100+ Free Bac SVT Practice Questions

Pass your Baccalaureat General - Specialite Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre (SVT) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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Radiometric (absolute) dating of rocks relies on:

the colour of the rock

counting the number of fossils in a layer

the depth at which the rock is found

the constant rate of decay of radioactive isotopes

to track

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Key Facts: Bac SVT Exam

The Bac SVT specialty is coefficient 16, combining a 3h30 written paper (15 pts, two exercises) and a ~1h practical ECE (5 pts) for a grade out of 20, covering genetics/evolution, planetary issues and the human body.

Sample Bac SVT Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Bac SVT exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In the Terminale SVT theme 'La Terre, la vie et l'organisation du vivant', meiosis produces gametes that are:

A.diploid and genetically identical to the parent cell

B.diploid with twice the chromosome number

C.haploid and genetically original

D.haploid but always identical to one another

Explanation: Meiosis halves the chromosome number, producing haploid cells (n chromosomes). Because of intra- and interchromosomal shuffling, each gamete carries a unique combination of alleles, so they are genetically original.

2The 'brassage intrachromosomique' (intrachromosomal shuffling) studied in Terminale SVT occurs by which mechanism?

A.random alignment of homologous chromosomes at metaphase I

B.fertilisation between two random gametes

C.separation of sister chromatids during anaphase II

D.crossing-over (enjambement) between homologous chromatids during prophase I

Explanation: Intrachromosomal shuffling results from crossing-over: during prophase I, homologous chromatids exchange reciprocal segments at chiasmas. This recombines linked alleles carried on the same chromosome pair.

3Interchromosomal shuffling (brassage interchromosomique) is the consequence of which event during meiosis?

A.the random distribution of paternal and maternal homologues at anaphase I

B.the exchange of chromatid segments at chiasmas

C.DNA replication during interphase

D.the fusion of two haploid nuclei

Explanation: Interchromosomal shuffling arises because homologous pairs align independently at metaphase I and segregate randomly at anaphase I, so paternal and maternal chromosomes are distributed independently into gametes.

4Considering only interchromosomal shuffling, how many genetically different gametes can a human (2n = 46) theoretically produce?

A.2^23 (about 8.4 million)

B.2^46

C.23

D.46

Explanation: With 23 pairs of homologues each segregating independently, interchromosomal shuffling alone yields 2^23 (about 8.4 million) different gametes. Fertilisation then combines two such gametes, giving 2^46 possible zygotes.

5Fertilisation contributes to genetic diversity primarily because it:

A.doubles the number of crossing-overs

B.unites two haploid genomes of independent origin at random

C.creates new alleles by mutation

D.halves the chromosome number

Explanation: Fertilisation is the random union of a male and a female gamete, each already shuffled by meiosis. Combining two haploid genomes of independent origin restores diploidy and amplifies the diversity generated during meiosis.

6An unequal crossing-over (crossing-over inegal) during meiosis can lead to:

A.a perfectly balanced exchange of identical segments

B.the loss of all genetic variation

C.gene duplication and the formation of multigene families

D.the conversion of DNA into RNA

Explanation: When chromatids misalign, crossing-over exchanges segments of unequal length. One chromatid gains an extra copy of a gene; over evolutionary time these duplications generate multigene families whose copies can diverge.

7An error in chromosome migration during meiosis (non-disjonction) can produce a gamete with an abnormal chromosome number. In humans, trisomy 21 results from:

A.a point mutation in a single gene

B.the presence of three copies of chromosome 21

C.a crossing-over on the X chromosome

D.the deletion of chromosome 21

Explanation: Non-disjunction of chromosome 21 during meiosis yields a gamete carrying two copies; after fertilisation the zygote has three copies of chromosome 21, defining trisomy 21 (Down syndrome).

8In the sub-theme 'La complexification des genomes', horizontal gene transfer (transfert horizontal) refers to:

A.the transmission of genes from parents to offspring

B.the duplication of a gene within a single genome

C.the splicing of introns out of pre-mRNA

D.the passage of genetic material between organisms other than by descent

Explanation: Horizontal (lateral) gene transfer is the movement of genetic material between organisms outside parent-to-offspring inheritance. It is frequent among bacteria and contributes, for example, to the spread of antibiotic resistance.

9According to the endosymbiotic theory taught in Terminale SVT, mitochondria and chloroplasts originated from:

A.folding of the nuclear membrane

B.viruses that inserted into the genome

C.ancient free-living prokaryotes engulfed by a host cell

D.fragments of the endoplasmic reticulum

Explanation: Endosymbiosis explains that an ancestral host cell engulfed prokaryotes that became permanent organelles. Over generations the symbiont's genome regressed, with many genes transferred to the host nucleus; mitochondria and chloroplasts still retain their own DNA.

10After an endosymbiosis, the genome of the engulfed organism typically:

A.grows larger than the host nucleus

B.regresses, with some genes transferred to the host nucleus

C.completely disappears immediately

D.replaces the host's nuclear DNA

Explanation: Over generations the endosymbiont's genome shrinks (regresses) as many of its genes are transferred to the host nucleus. This is why mitochondria and chloroplasts keep only a small fraction of the genes needed for their own functioning.

About the Bac SVT Exam

The Specialite SVT is one of the two terminale specialty subjects of the French baccalaureat general, each weighted coefficient 16. The final exam combines a 3-hour-30-minute written paper, graded out of 15 points and made of two exercises (a reasoned synthesis, Exercise 1, and a scientific document analysis, Exercise 2), with a roughly one-hour practical assessment, the ECE, worth 5 points. The official programme set by the Ministere de l'Education nationale and published on Eduscol is built around three themes: 'La Terre, la vie et l'organisation du vivant' (genetics, evolution and geology), 'Enjeux planetaires contemporains' (plants, forests and climates) and 'Le corps humain et la sante' (nervous system, muscle, glucose regulation and immunity). Candidates are students who kept SVT as a specialty into terminale, and a good grade supports applications to higher scientific, medical and health-related studies. Past papers test real curriculum content such as meiosis, crossing-over, photosynthesis, plate tectonics, the myotatic reflex and immunity.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

Written paper 3 hours 30 minutes; practical ECE about 1 hour

Passing Score

Marked out of 20 (written 15 points + ECE 5 points), specialty coefficient 16; baccalaureat awarded at an overall 10/20 average

Exam Fee

Free for candidates enrolled in French public schools; no exam fee for individual candidates registering through their academie (Ministere de l'Education nationale (France), via the academies and Eduscol)

Bac SVT Exam Content Outline

38%

La Terre, la vie et l'organisation du vivant

Genetics and evolution (meiosis, crossing-over, brassage, genome complexification, drift and selection, transgenesis, gene expression) and geology (dating, plate tectonics, subduction).

30%

Enjeux planetaires contemporains

Plant organisation, photosynthesis, reproduction and domestication; forests and ecosystem dynamics; reconstructing past climates with delta 18O, foraminifera, ice cores and the carbon cycle.

32%

Le corps humain et la sante

Reflexes and the nervous system, voluntary movement and cerebral plasticity, muscle contraction and ATP pathways, glucose regulation and diabetes, and innate and adaptive immunity.

How to Pass the Bac SVT Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Marked out of 20 (written 15 points + ECE 5 points), specialty coefficient 16; baccalaureat awarded at an overall 10/20 average
Exam length: 100 questions
Time limit: Written paper 3 hours 30 minutes; practical ECE about 1 hour
Exam fee: Free for candidates enrolled in French public schools; no exam fee for individual candidates registering through their academie

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Bac SVT Study Tips from Top Performers

1Master the three themes evenly: examiners can set Exercise 1 on any theme, so avoid leaving out genetics/evolution, planetary issues or the human body and health.

2Practise both exercise types: a reasoned synthesis (Exercise 1) and document analysis (Exercise 2) reward different skills, so train structured writing and graph/document interpretation.

3Learn to redraw key diagrams by heart, such as the meiosis stages, the myotatic reflex arc and the glycaemia regulation loop.

4Memorise precise figures: normal glycaemia around 1 g/L, diabetes threshold 1.26 g/L fasting, and the meaning of delta 18O in ice versus carbonates.

5Revise Premiere notions still examinable, especially immunity and the basics of type 2 diabetes, alongside the Terminale programme.

6Prepare the ECE by rehearsing common protocols (microscopy, EXAO, dissection, software) since it is worth 5 of the 20 points.

Frequently Asked Questions

What coefficient does the Bac SVT specialty carry?

Each terminale specialty, including SVT, carries a coefficient of 16, one of the heaviest single components of the baccalaureat general.

How long is the SVT written exam and how is it structured?

The written paper lasts 3 hours 30 minutes and contains two exercises: Exercise 1 is a reasoned synthesis (about 7 points) and Exercise 2 is a scientific document analysis (about 8 points), graded out of 15.

What is the ECE in SVT?

The ECE (Evaluation des Capacites Experimentales) is a practical laboratory test of about one hour, taken before the written exam, worth 5 of the 20 points of the SVT grade.

What are the three themes of the Terminale SVT programme?

They are 'La Terre, la vie et l'organisation du vivant', 'Enjeux planetaires contemporains', and 'Le corps humain et la sante', each divided into several sub-themes.

Who sets and administers the Bac SVT exam?

The programme is set by the French Ministere de l'Education nationale and published on Eduscol; the exam is organised by the academies.

Is the real Bac SVT exam multiple choice?

No. The real written paper uses developed written answers and document analysis. These 100 multiple-choice questions are a free revision tool to drill the underlying knowledge.