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Exam Review

Key Facts: USAC Agronomía Específica Exam

2 papers

Específicas required: Biología and Matemática

FAUSAC Calendario de Pruebas Específicas 2026

2 years

Validity of a Prueba Específica result

Reglamento del SUN, artículo 43

4

Testing opportunities per admission cycle

FAUSAC Calendario de Pruebas Específicas 2026

Lenguaje

PCB prerequisite for FAUSAC applicants

USAC cuadro de pruebas de ingreso

9 ejes

Thematic areas in the official blueprint

FAUSAC Guía de Estudio de Biología, contenido analítico

15%

Heaviest eje: cell wall and plant histology

FAUSAC Guía de Estudio de Biología, carta descriptiva

The USAC Agronomía Prueba Específica is the faculty-administered admission test for FAUSAC engineering programmes in Guatemala, and FAUSAC's own 2026 calendar lists two papers at every opportunity: Biología and Matemática. This bank covers the Biología paper, following the nine ejes temáticos and the percentage blueprint published in FAUSAC's official guía de estudio. Results are reported as Satisfactorio or Insatisfactorio and are valid for two years (Reglamento del SUN, artículo 43). These 100 questions are an original English-language MCQ study adaptation, not an official USAC examination or a translation of one.

Sample USAC Agronomía Específica Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the USAC Agronomía Específica exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which of the following statements most accurately defines biology within the context of the FAUSAC agricultural sciences curriculum?
A.The empirical science that studies living organisms, their physical and chemical structure, molecular interactions, physiological mechanisms, development, and ecological relationships
B.The branch of geology that examines the chemical composition of sedimentary rock layers that form agricultural soil horizons
C.The technological discipline exclusively devoted to the chemical synthesis of synthetic fertilizers and organophosphate pesticides
D.The mathematical modeling of global commodity pricing and grain futures markets in international agricultural trade
Explanation: Biology (from Greek bios, 'life', and logos, 'study') is the natural science dedicated to investigating the structural, functional, molecular, evolutionary, and ecological principles governing all living things. In FAUSAC's curriculum, this foundational discipline underpins the biological management of crops, livestock, forest ecosystems, and agroindustrial processes.
2Which auxiliary branch of biology is directly focused on the classification, morphological description, anatomy, and physiological processes of plant species cultivated or utilized in agronomy?
A.Botany (Botánica)
B.Mycology (Micología)
C.Zoology (Zoología)
D.Virology (Virología)
Explanation: Botany is the auxiliary biological science that investigates plants, including their taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, reproduction, and physiology. For agronomy students at USAC, botanical knowledge is essential for identifying cultivated crops, weeds, forest species, and their developmental cycles.
3In the FAUSAC curriculum, which auxiliary science studies the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils in relation to their genesis, classification, and capacity to sustain crop production?
A.Edaphology (Edafología)
B.Dendrology (Dendrología)
C.Topography (Topografía)
D.Climatology (Climatología)
Explanation: Edaphology (from Greek edaphos, 'ground' or 'soil') is the branch of soil science that studies the influence of soils on living things, particularly plants, covering soil texture, structure, pH, cation exchange capacity, organic matter, and microbial activity crucial for crop nutrition.
4Which auxiliary discipline examines biotic plant diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes, as well as abiotic disorders affecting crop health?
A.Plant Pathology (Fitopatología)
B.Entomology (Entomología)
C.Taxonomy (Taxonomía)
D.Silviculture (Silvicultura)
Explanation: Phytopathology (plant pathology) is the agricultural science dedicated to diagnosing, understanding, and managing plant diseases caused by biotic pathogens (such as fungi, phytobacteria, phytoplasmas, viruses, viroids, and nematodes) and physiological stresses caused by abiotic factors.
5Why is the study of agricultural entomology (entomología agrícola) considered an essential biological auxiliary science for agronomists?
A.Because insects represent both major phytophagous crop pests causing economic loss and beneficial organisms acting as pollinators and biological control agents
B.Because insects are the sole biological organisms capable of synthesizing atmospheric nitrogen for cereal crops
C.Because agricultural insects convert inorganic soil rock minerals directly into plant-available phosphate anions
D.Because insects replace mycorrhizal fungi in establishing plant cell wall permeability across monocot roots
Explanation: Agricultural entomology is critical because insects play dual roles in agroecosystems: many act as destructive pests or disease vectors (e.g., aphids transmitting viruses, defoliating larvae), while others are essential pollinators (e.g., Apis mellifera) or natural predators that regulate pest populations in integrated pest management (IPM).
6How does biostatistics (bioestadística) function as an auxiliary tool in agronomic and biological research?
A.It provides experimental designs (such as randomized complete blocks) and statistical tests to determine whether differences in crop yield or biological treatments are statistically significant
B.It alters the nucleotide sequence of plant DNA through controlled radiation in field plots
C.It supplies the standardized laboratory protocols used to quantify plant hormones such as gibberellins and auxins, so that hormone concentrations can be reported on a common basis between experiments
D.It measures the exact hydraulic conductivity of xylem vessels using acoustic micro-sensors
Explanation: Biostatistics allows agronomic researchers to design robust field and laboratory experiments (e.g., completely randomized designs, factorial arrangements), collect quantitative data, control experimental error, and perform statistical analyses (ANOVA, regression) to establish valid biological conclusions.
7Which postharvest biological phenomenon is of prime concern in agroindustry regarding the transport and shelf-life of climacteric fruits such as bananas and avocados in Guatemala?
A.A sharp surge in cellular respiration accompanied by an autocatalytic burst of ethylene production that accelerates tissue ripening and senescence
B.The complete cessation of all enzymatic activity and the irreversible solidification of protoplasmic lipids at ambient temperatures
C.The continuous synthesis of primary cell wall cellulose microfibrils that permanently hardens fruit pericarp tissue after harvest
D.The immediate conversion of simple sugars into high-molecular-weight structural lignin in the outer exocarp
Explanation: Climacteric fruits exhibit a characteristic respiratory climacteric (a sudden peak in oxygen consumption and respiration) triggered by autocatalytic ethylene (C2H4) synthesis, leading to rapid softening (pectinase activity), starch hydrolysis to sugars, and eventual senescence. Agroindustrial postharvest handling controls temperature, atmosphere, and ethylene exposure to prolong marketability.
8What is the primary conceptual distinction between a natural ecological climax ecosystem and an agricultural ecosystem (agroecosistema)?
A.An agroecosystem is an artificially simplified ecosystem with reduced biodiversity, requiring continuous auxiliary inputs of human energy, water, and nutrients to prevent secondary ecological succession
B.An agroecosystem lacks any abiotic components such as solar radiation, soil moisture, and atmospheric gases
C.An agroecosystem has closed biogeochemical cycles that return to the soil everything the crop takes up, because crop residues, roots and stubble are left in the field, so no nutrient leaves the system at harvest
D.An agroecosystem exhibits indefinite thermodynamic homeostasis without any biological trophic levels
Explanation: An agroecosystem is an ecosystem modified and managed by human beings for the production of food, fiber, or industrial materials. It is characterized by simplified species composition (often monocultures), interrupted ecological succession, and open nutrient cycles where substantial biomass is exported, requiring external inputs (fertilizers, pest management, irrigation).
9A Mimosa pudica plant growing on a FAUSAC experimental plot folds its leaflets within seconds of being touched, then reopens them minutes later. How does this response differ from the positive phototropism of a neighbouring maize seedling?
A.Both express irritability, but the Mimosa response is a nastic movement whose direction is fixed by leaf structure and independent of where the stimulus came from, whereas phototropism is a tropism whose direction is determined by the direction of the stimulus
B.The Mimosa response is a tropism because it involves movement, whereas phototropism is a nastic movement because it involves light
C.Only the Mimosa response expresses irritability, because it is rapid and visible; the curvature of a seedling towards light is not a response to a stimulus at all, but a purely physical bending caused by uneven heating and the consequent uneven evaporation on the two sides of the stem
D.Both are tropisms, and both are produced by an identical redistribution of auxin across the responding organ
Explanation: Irritability covers every adaptive response of a living organism to a stimulus, but plant responses split into two classes. Nastic movements, such as the seismonastic leaflet folding of Mimosa pudica, are driven by rapid loss of turgor in pulvinus motor cells; their direction is set by the anatomy of the organ and does not change if the stimulus arrives from a different side. Tropisms, such as phototropism, are growth curvatures whose direction is set by the direction of the stimulus itself.
10Which sequence correctly arranges the levels of biological organization of a coffee plant from the simplest to the most complex, illustrating the characteristic of organization and complexity?
A.Molecule → organelle → cell → tissue → organ → organism
B.Cell → molecule → organelle → organ → tissue → organism
C.Organism → organ → tissue → cell → organelle → molecule
D.Organelle → molecule → tissue → cell → organism → organ
Explanation: Organization and complexity is the first characteristic of living things listed in the FAUSAC biology guide. Matter is organized into successively more inclusive levels: atoms combine into molecules such as cellulose and chlorophyll, molecules build organelles such as the chloroplast, organelles make up the cell, similar cells form tissues such as parenchyma, tissues are grouped into organs such as the leaf, and organs together constitute the whole organism.

About the USAC Agronomía Específica Exam

The Prueba Específica is the faculty-level admission examination set by the Facultad de Agronomía (FAUSAC) of the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala for entry to its Agricultural, Renewable Natural Resources, Agroindustrial and Environmental Management engineering programmes. FAUSAC's published calendar assigns two específica papers, Biología and Matemática, at each opportunity. This bank covers the Biología paper.

Exam sponsor: Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (FAUSAC). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Objective four-option multiple-choice paper weighted across nine official ejes temáticos: introductory topics (6%), characteristics of living things (10%), macromolecules (13%), cell basis (13%), cell wall and plant histology (15%), metabolism (14%), cell division and genetics (8%), principles of ecology (11%) and evolution and diversity (10%).

Time Limit

Not published by FAUSAC.

Passing Score

Published as Satisfactorio or Insatisfactorio. FAUSAC does not publish a numeric pass mark for the Prueba Específica; the 61/100 minimum in artículo 35 of the Reglamento del SUN applies to the Pruebas de Conocimientos Básicos, not to the Pruebas Específicas.

Exam / Certification Fees

No fee published by FAUSAC. USAC's published admissions FAQ states that the Pruebas de Conocimientos Básicos and the Prueba Específica carry no cost, and that only the Orientación Vocacional test has a one-time Q70.00 fee.

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

6% of the official exam (6 practice questions)

Tópicos Introductorios a la Biología

Definition and object of study of biology, its importance for agriculture, forestry and agroindustry, and the auxiliary sciences named by FAUSAC: ecología, botánica, estadística, edafología, fitopatología, matemática and química.

10% of the official exam (10 practice questions)

Características de los Seres Vivos

Organization and complexity, growth and development, metabolism, homeostasis, irritability, and reproduction and heredity.

13% of the official exam (13 practice questions)

Macromoléculas de los Seres Vivos

Water, its properties and its importance for life, and the biomolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.

13% of the official exam (13 practice questions)

Base Celular

Cell theory; components of the plant cell (protoplasm, cytoplasm, nucleus, plastids, mitochondria, Golgi bodies, spherosomes, microsomes, lysosomes, vacuoles, endoplasmic reticulum and ergastic substances); prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; plant and animal cells; membrane structure, exchange and cell transport.

15% of the official exam (15 practice questions)

Pared Celular e Introducción a la Histología Vegetal

Nature, structure and molecular composition of the cell wall (middle lamella, primary and secondary wall; cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins, cutin, suberin, waxes, tannins, oligosaccharins, proteins), its properties, agricultural importance and industrial uses, special structures (pits, plasmodesmata, lithocytes); meristematic tissues, simple tissues (parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma) and complex tissues (xylem, phloem and protective tissues).

14% of the official exam (14 practice questions)

Metabolismo

Plant metabolism (enzymes, anabolism, catabolism, energy transfer), photosystems, glycolysis, the Calvin-Benson cycle and the citric acid (Krebs) cycle, photosynthesis (chlorophyll, chloroplasts, photosynthates, C3, C4 and CAM plants) and cellular respiration.

8% of the official exam (8 practice questions)

Perpetuación de la Vida y Genética

The cell cycle, cell division (mitosis and meiosis), and the laws and mechanisms of inheritance (Mendel's experiments, non-Mendelian mechanisms, Punnett squares).

11% of the official exam (11 practice questions)

Principios de Ecología

General concepts of ecology (abiotic and biotic factors, divisions of ecology, energy flows, population, biosphere, ecosystem and types of ecosystem, community, habitat, ecological niche, symbiosis, amensalism, ecotype), ecosystem functioning, competition and predation, producers and consumers, food chains and the trophic pyramid, and the importance of environmental conservation.

10% of the official exam (10 practice questions)

Evolución y Diversidad de los Seres Vivos

Evidence for evolution, mechanisms of evolution, the origin of species, and classification of living things (kingdom, division, order, class, family, genus and species).

Preparing for the USAC Agronomía Específica Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Published as Satisfactorio or Insatisfactorio. FAUSAC does not publish a numeric pass mark for the Prueba Específica; the 61/100 minimum in artículo 35 of the Reglamento del SUN applies to the Pruebas de Conocimientos Básicos, not to the Pruebas Específicas.
  • Assessment: Objective four-option multiple-choice paper weighted across nine official ejes temáticos: introductory topics (6%), characteristics of living things (10%), macromolecules (13%), cell basis (13%), cell wall and plant histology (15%), metabolism (14%), cell division and genetics (8%), principles of ecology (11%) and evolution and diversity (10%).
  • Time limit: Not published by FAUSAC.
  • Exam / certification fees: No fee published by FAUSAC. USAC's published admissions FAQ states that the Pruebas de Conocimientos Básicos and the Prueba Específica carry no cost, and that only the Orientación Vocacional test has a one-time Q70.00 fee. Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

USAC Agronomía Específica: Suggested Study Strategy

1Work to the official percentages. The FAUSAC carta descriptiva gives the heaviest weight to the cell wall and plant histology (15%), then metabolism (14%), macromolecules (13%) and the cell basis (13%); introductory topics carry only 6%.
2The blueprint is not mostly recall. Comprehension accounts for 38% and analysis 27%, against 22% recall and 13% application, so practise explaining and comparing rather than memorising lists.
3Learn the plant cell wall in layers: the pectin-rich middle lamella shared between neighbouring cells, the extensible primary wall, and the lignified secondary wall with its S1, S2 and S3 sub-layers.
4Distinguish collenchyma (living, unevenly thickened non-lignified primary walls, flexible support in growing organs) from sclerenchyma (lignified secondary walls, dead at maturity, fibres and sclereids).
5Compare C3, C4 (Kranz anatomy with bundle sheath cells) and CAM (nocturnal stomatal opening) using Guatemalan crops as examples, and be able to say why each suppresses photorespiration.
6Know the auxiliary sciences FAUSAC names by their Spanish terms: edafología, fitopatología, botánica, ecología, estadística, matemática and química.
7Practise monohybrid and dihybrid Punnett squares, and be able to recognise the non-Mendelian cases the guide names: incomplete dominance, linkage and epistasis.
8Give ecology its full 11%. The guide lists habitat and niche, trophic chains and pyramids, symbiosis, amensalism, competition, predation and the ecotype concept by name.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Pruebas Específicas does FAUSAC require?

Two. FAUSAC's published 2026 calendar for 2027 applicants lists both Biología and Matemática as the específica papers at each of the four opportunities, and the faculty publishes a separate guía de estudio for each. The central USAC portal page still lists Biología alone, so check nuevos.fausac.gt for the current requirement. This practice bank covers the Biología paper only.

What is the USAC Agronomía Prueba Específica de Biología?

It is the faculty-level entrance examination set by the Facultad de Agronomía (FAUSAC) of the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. Its official guía de estudio covers nine ejes temáticos with a plant-centred emphasis, from the auxiliary sciences of agronomy through plant cytology, the cell wall, plant histology, metabolism, genetics, ecology and evolution.

Do Agronomía applicants need to take the USAC PCB in Biology?

No. Under USAC's admission matrix, applicants to FAUSAC sit the basic test (PCB) in Lenguaje, and a satisfactory result in that paper is the prerequisite for registering for the específicas. The faculty-level Prueba Específica in Biología is therefore the only biology assessment in the FAUSAC admission route.

What score is required to pass the FAUSAC específica?

FAUSAC publishes the outcome as Satisfactorio or Insatisfactorio and does not publish a numeric pass mark for the Prueba Específica. The 61-out-of-100 minimum that is often quoted comes from artículo 35 of the Reglamento del SUN, which governs the Pruebas de Conocimientos Básicos; the chapter on the Pruebas Específicas (artículos 38 to 43) sets no numeric threshold.

How long is a satisfactory result on the Prueba Específica valid?

Two years from the date of publication of the result, under artículo 43 of the Reglamento del Sistema de Ubicación y Nivelación (SUN). This is a key difference from the Pruebas de Conocimientos Básicos, whose satisfactory results do not expire.

How much does the FAUSAC Prueba Específica cost?

FAUSAC does not publish a fee for it. USAC's published admissions FAQ states that the Pruebas de Conocimientos Básicos and the Prueba Específica carry no cost, and that the only charge in the admission process is a one-time Q70.00 fee for the Orientación Vocacional test. Confirm current arrangements on nuevos.fausac.gt before each sitting.

How many questions are on the exam and how long does it last?

FAUSAC does not publish either figure. Its guía de estudio sets out the syllabus and a percentage blueprint and includes a sample paper of four-option single-best-answer items, but it states neither the length of the live paper nor the time allowed. Our 100-question bank is a study aid and is not an indication of the official item count.

Is this practice question bank an official FAUSAC examination?

No. The official exam is set and sat in Spanish by FAUSAC. This bank is an original English-language MCQ study adaptation built by OpenExamPrep from the official FAUSAC guía de estudio and distributed across its nine ejes temáticos in the published proportions. It preserves Spanish botanical and agronomic terms, but it is not an official translation, an official paper, or a simulation of the exam's language environment.