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100+ Free MTLE Life Science (Grades 9-12) Practice Questions

Pass your MTLE Life Science (Grades 9-12) Subtests 062 and 063 exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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A student designs an experiment but changes both the light intensity and the water amount given to plants at the same time. What is the main flaw in this design?

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: MTLE Life Science (Grades 9-12) Exam

240

Passing Scaled Score (per subtest)

MTLE Life Science test page

$78.50

Fee Per Subtest (2026)

MTLE fee schedule

100 selected-response

Total Questions (50 per subtest)

MTLE Life Science test page

2 subtests

Test Codes 062 and 063

MTLE Life Science test page

6 subareas

Content Domains

MTLE Life Science test framework

1 hour

Testing Time Per Subtest

MTLE Life Science test page

Both required

Subtests Needed to Pass

MTLE Life Science test page

MTLE Life Science (Grades 9-12) is Minnesota's biology content licensure test, delivered by Pearson as two computer-based subtests. Subtest 1 (test code 062) and Subtest 2 (test code 063) each contain 50 selected-response questions, for 100 total, and each requires a scaled score of 240 to pass. Subtest 1 covers research and applications, molecular and cellular life processes, and molecular reproduction and heredity; Subtest 2 covers structural and functional relationships, diversity and biological evolution, and interdependence and behavior of organisms. Each subtest appointment runs about 1 hour 15 minutes, and the public fee is $78.50 per subtest. This free 100-question bank mirrors the official six-subarea framework so candidates can practice across every subarea of both subtests.

Sample MTLE Life Science (Grades 9-12) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your MTLE Life Science (Grades 9-12) exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In a controlled experiment testing whether a fertilizer increases plant growth, a researcher grows plants with the fertilizer and a second group without it. What is the purpose of the group grown without fertilizer?
A.To serve as a control that establishes a baseline for comparison
B.To increase the sample size of the treatment group
C.To act as the independent variable in the experiment
D.To eliminate the need for repeated trials
Explanation: The group without fertilizer is the control group. It is kept identical to the treatment group except for the variable being tested, providing a baseline so any difference in growth can be attributed to the fertilizer. Without a control, the experimenter cannot determine whether the fertilizer caused the observed effect.
2A student measures the resting heart rate of 30 classmates and reports the value that occurs most frequently in the data set. Which measure of central tendency is the student reporting?
A.The mode
B.The mean
C.The median
D.The standard deviation
Explanation: The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a data set. Reporting the most commonly occurring heart rate is, by definition, reporting the mode. The mode is useful for identifying the most typical value, especially with repeated discrete measurements.
3A geneticist crosses two pea plants and expects a 3:1 ratio of tall to short offspring but observes a different ratio. Which statistical test is most appropriate for determining whether the observed deviation from the expected ratio is statistically significant?
A.Chi-square goodness-of-fit test
B.Standard deviation
C.Linear regression
D.Correlation coefficient
Explanation: A chi-square goodness-of-fit test compares observed categorical counts to expected counts and indicates whether deviations are likely due to chance. It is the standard test for analyzing whether Mendelian phenotype ratios match expected ratios. A significant chi-square value suggests the observed data differ from expectations more than chance alone would predict.
4Which of the following sources of biological information generally undergoes peer review before publication, making it the most reliable for scientific evidence?
A.A peer-reviewed scientific journal article
B.A personal blog post about a science topic
C.A commercial product advertisement
D.A social media post citing no sources
Explanation: Peer-reviewed journal articles are evaluated by independent experts before publication, which helps ensure methodological rigor and accuracy. This review process makes them the most reliable source among the options for scientific evidence. Teachers should model evaluating sources by checking for peer review and credible authorship.
5When handling live cultures of bacteria in a high school laboratory, which practice best ensures a safe environment and proper disposal of biological materials?
A.Autoclaving or disinfecting cultures before disposal and using aseptic technique
B.Pouring used cultures directly down the sink without treatment
C.Allowing students to open culture plates and smell the contents
D.Storing cultures uncovered at room temperature on lab benches
Explanation: Sterilizing cultures by autoclaving or chemical disinfection before disposal prevents the release of live microorganisms, and aseptic technique reduces contamination and exposure. These are standard biosafety practices required when working with living cultures. Teachers are responsible for modeling and enforcing safe acquisition, handling, and disposal of organisms.
6A teacher wants students to estimate the number of organelles in a field of view using a light microscope. Which tool is most appropriate for measuring the actual size of structures viewed under the microscope?
A.A calibrated ocular micrometer
B.A meter stick held against the eyepiece
C.A standard classroom ruler placed on the slide
D.A graduated cylinder
Explanation: An ocular micrometer is a scale placed in the eyepiece that, once calibrated against a stage micrometer, allows accurate measurement of microscopic structures. It is the standard instrument for measuring cell and organelle dimensions under a light microscope. Calibration ensures the scale corresponds to actual distances at each magnification.
7A biology teacher is helping students comprehend a dense textbook passage about cellular respiration. Which instructional strategy best supports content-area reading comprehension before students begin reading?
A.Activating prior knowledge and previewing key vocabulary
B.Having students read the passage silently with no preparation
C.Assigning the passage as homework without discussion
D.Asking students to memorize the passage word for word
Explanation: Activating prior knowledge and pre-teaching domain-specific vocabulary prepares students to connect new information to what they already know, improving comprehension of complex science texts. These before-reading strategies are emphasized in content-area literacy instruction. They reduce cognitive load when students encounter unfamiliar terms during reading.
8A teacher asks students to interpret a graph showing population size over time in a biology text. Helping students relate the graph to the surrounding written explanation primarily develops which content-area reading skill?
A.Integrating visual representations with text to construct meaning
B.Decoding multisyllabic phonetic words
C.Improving handwriting legibility
D.Increasing silent reading speed
Explanation: Science texts frequently combine written explanation with graphs, diagrams, and data tables, and skilled readers integrate these visual elements with the text to build understanding. Teaching students to connect a graph with its written description develops this disciplinary literacy skill. This integration is essential for interpreting scientific content accurately.
9A researcher plots the relationship between temperature and enzyme reaction rate and fits a line to describe how rate changes with temperature within a limited range. Which mathematical tool is being used?
A.Linear regression
B.Chi-square analysis
C.Calculation of the mode
D.A pie chart
Explanation: Linear regression fits a straight line to data to model and quantify the relationship between two continuous variables, such as temperature and reaction rate. It allows prediction and description of how one variable changes with another. This is a common quantitative technique in biological data analysis.
10Which statement best describes the role of a hypothesis in a scientific investigation?
A.It is a testable, falsifiable proposed explanation that predicts an outcome
B.It is a proven fact that cannot be tested further
C.It is a summary of conclusions written after data collection
D.It is a question that has no possible answer
Explanation: A hypothesis is a testable and falsifiable proposed explanation for an observation, often stated so that it predicts a measurable outcome. It guides experimental design and can be supported or refuted by data. The ability to be tested and potentially disproven distinguishes a scientific hypothesis from an untestable claim.

About the MTLE Life Science (Grades 9-12) Exam

The MTLE Life Science (Grades 9-12) test is the subject-matter assessment for the Minnesota Life Science teaching license, administered by Pearson for the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB). It consists of two computer-based subtests of 50 selected-response questions each. Subtest 1 (062) covers Life Science Research and Applications, Molecular and Cellular Life Processes, and Molecular Reproduction and Heredity. Subtest 2 (063) covers Structural and Functional Relationships, Diversity and Biological Evolution, and Interdependence and Behavior of Organisms. Candidates must pass both subtests.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

1 hour 15 minutes per subtest appointment (1 hour of testing each)

Passing Score

240 scaled score per subtest

Exam Fee

$78.50 per subtest (Minnesota PELSB / Pearson)

MTLE Life Science (Grades 9-12) Exam Content Outline

Subtest 1 subarea

Life Science Research and Applications (Subtest 1, Subarea I)

Principles and processes of scientific inquiry, designing and carrying out life science investigations, collecting and analyzing data, lab and field safety, ethics of handling and disposing of organisms, applications of mathematics, statistics, and computers in life science, and strategies for developing students' content-area reading skills.

Subtest 1 subarea

Molecular and Cellular Life Processes (Subtest 1, Subarea II)

Cellular structures and organelles and their functions, methods for measuring cellular structures, homeostasis and membrane transport, photosynthesis including the Calvin cycle and electron transport, cellular respiration including glycolysis and the Krebs cycle, and protein structure, transcription, translation, and enzyme function.

Subtest 1 subarea

Molecular Reproduction and Heredity (Subtest 1, Subarea III)

Mitosis, meiosis, and the cell cycle, chromosome behavior and sex determination, principles of heredity and probability including dominant-recessive, incomplete and codominant, polygenic, and sex-linked traits, genetic mutations and control of gene expression, and applications of genetic technology such as recombinant DNA, gene therapy, and agricultural biotechnology.

Subtest 2 subarea

Structural and Functional Relationships (Subtest 2, Subarea I)

Characteristics that distinguish living from nonliving things, structures of organisms from major taxonomic groups, structure-function relationships in basic life processes, the major systems of plants and animals, and the human immune system, common human diseases, and principles of disease prevention.

Subtest 2 subarea

Diversity and Biological Evolution (Subtest 2, Subarea II)

Development of physical, behavioral, and biochemical adaptations in response to environmental stress, sources of genetic variation, factors that change allele and genotype frequencies, natural selection and speciation, and fossil, morphological, genetic, and biochemical evidence of evolutionary relationships between species.

Subtest 2 subarea

Interdependence and Behavior of Organisms (Subtest 2, Subarea III)

Niche and habitat and interrelationships among organisms such as competition, mutualism, and parasitism, population dynamics and species diversity, succession, cycling of matter such as carbon and nitrogen and the flow of energy through trophic levels, and the behavior of organisms and methods for observing and measuring it.

How to Pass the MTLE Life Science (Grades 9-12) Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 240 scaled score per subtest
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: 1 hour 15 minutes per subtest appointment (1 hour of testing each)
  • Exam fee: $78.50 per subtest

Keys to Passing

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

MTLE Life Science (Grades 9-12) Study Tips from Top Performers

1Treat the exam as two separate subtests: focus Subtest 1 study on cells, energy processes, and genetics, and Subtest 2 study on organisms, evolution, and ecology
2Practice genetics problems with Punnett squares, including dominant-recessive, incomplete dominance, codominance, polygenic, and sex-linked traits
3Review photosynthesis and cellular respiration pathways, including where each stage occurs and what it produces
4Connect structure to function in plant and animal systems, since the framework emphasizes structure-function relationships
5Study mechanisms of evolution such as mutation, genetic drift, gene flow, and natural selection, and the types of evidence for evolutionary relationships
6Strengthen scientific inquiry, data analysis, and content-area reading skills, which appear in the research and applications subarea of Subtest 1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is on the MTLE Life Science (Grades 9-12) test?

The test has two subtests covering six subareas. Subtest 1 (062) covers Life Science Research and Applications, Molecular and Cellular Life Processes, and Molecular Reproduction and Heredity. Subtest 2 (063) covers Structural and Functional Relationships, Diversity and Biological Evolution, and Interdependence and Behavior of Organisms. Both are assessed with selected-response questions.

How many questions are on the MTLE Life Science test and what is the format?

Each subtest is a computer-based test with 50 selected-response (multiple-choice) questions, for 100 questions total across Subtest 1 (062) and Subtest 2 (063). You must take and pass both subtests to qualify for the Minnesota Life Science (9-12) license.

What is the passing score for MTLE Life Science?

You need a scaled score of 240 to pass each subtest of the MTLE Life Science test, the standard passing score Minnesota PELSB uses for content-area subtests. Both Subtest 1 and Subtest 2 must be passed separately.

How much does the MTLE Life Science test cost in 2026?

The current public registration fee is $78.50 per subtest, so taking both Life Science subtests costs about $157. Always confirm the exact amount in your Pearson registration portal, since fees can change and service fees may apply.

How long is each MTLE Life Science subtest?

Each subtest appointment is about 1 hour and 15 minutes, which includes roughly 15 minutes for the tutorial and nondisclosure agreement plus 1 hour of actual testing for the 50 selected-response questions. The two subtests are scheduled and taken separately.

Who administers the MTLE Life Science test?

The MTLE is administered by Pearson (Evaluation Systems) on behalf of the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB). PELSB sets the licensure requirements and passing scores, while Pearson handles registration, scheduling, and test delivery.