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100+ Free Alaska Science Grade 5 Practice Questions

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Key Facts: Alaska Science Grade 5 Exam

Alaska Science Grade 5 is the statewide spring science summative (40 items worth 40 points across three parts, ~40 min each) covering Life Science, Physical Science, and Earth and Space Science at roughly 30–35% each, scored Needs Support to Advanced.

Sample Alaska Science Grade 5 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Alaska Science Grade 5 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A moose eats willow plants in an Alaskan forest. What role does the moose play in this food chain?
A.Consumer that eats plants
B.Producer that makes its own food
C.Decomposer that breaks down dead matter
D.Abiotic factor like sunlight
Explanation: The moose eats plants, so it is a consumer (an herbivore). Producers make their own food; decomposers break down dead material; abiotic factors are nonliving.
2Which of these is a living part of a pond ecosystem?
A.Sunlight warming the water
B.A frog sitting on a lily pad
C.Rocks on the pond bottom
D.The temperature of the water
Explanation: A frog is a living organism (biotic). Sunlight, rocks, and temperature are nonliving (abiotic) parts of the ecosystem.
3Plants need sunlight mainly to do which job?
A.Breathe like animals do with lungs
B.Hunt for insects
C.Make food using energy from light
D.Move from place to place to find water
Explanation: Plants use light energy in photosynthesis to make food. They do not hunt, have lungs like animals, or move about like animals to find water.
4A rabbit has thick fur in winter and thinner fur in summer. This is an example of how living things can:
A.Develop a brand-new trait that its parents never had
B.Keep exactly the same appearance all year long
C.Grow thicker fur because it practices staying warm
D.Change traits to match their environment over seasons
Explanation: Many animals grow thicker coats in cold seasons. That seasonal change helps them survive. It is not creating a new species overnight or stopping the need for food.
5In a food web, what do arrows usually show?
A.The direction energy moves when one organism is eaten by another
B.Which animal is the biggest
C.How far animals travel each day
D.Which organisms are the oldest
Explanation: Arrows in food webs show energy flow from the organism that is eaten toward the organism that eats it.
6Which statement best describes a decomposer?
A.It only eats living plants
B.It breaks down dead plants and animals and returns materials to the soil
C.It makes food from sunlight
D.It is always a large predator
Explanation: Decomposers such as fungi and many bacteria break down dead matter and recycle nutrients. They are not plant-only consumers or producers.
7A bird builds a nest high in a tree. How does this behavior most help the bird survive?
A.It keeps the eggs warm without a parent sitting on them
B.It shortens the distance the bird must fly to find food
C.It can better protect eggs and young from some predators
D.It makes the nest impossible for any animal to reach
Explanation: Nesting high can reduce risk from ground predators, helping eggs and chicks survive. Behavior does not remove the need for food or water.
8Which is the best example of an inherited trait?
A.A scar from falling off a bike
B.Speaking a language learned at school
C.Knowing how to ride a bicycle
D.Eye color that a child gets from parents
Explanation: Inherited traits are passed from parents to offspring through genes, such as eye color. Scars and learned skills are acquired, not inherited.
9Why do animals need plants in most ecosystems?
A.Plants produce food that starts many food chains
B.Plants remove all water from the soil
C.Animals do not need oxygen
D.Plants eat animals for energy
Explanation: Plants and other producers make food that supports consumers. Animals depend on that energy base, even if they eat other animals that ate plants.
10A salmon swims from the ocean into a river to lay eggs. What is this journey mainly an example of?
A.A physical change of water into ice
B.A life-cycle behavior that helps the species reproduce
C.A force that pulls objects toward Earth
D.Weather forming from the Sun heating land
Explanation: Migration to spawn is part of the salmon life cycle and helps reproduction. It is not a physical change of water, gravity, or weather formation.

About the Alaska Science Grade 5 Exam

The Alaska Science Assessment Grade 5 is the state's required spring science summative for grade 5, aligned to the K–12 Science Standards for Alaska (2019). Reporting categories are Life Science, Physical Science, and Earth and Space Science. The test emphasizes three-dimensional learning: science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts. OpenExamPrep provides free English multiple-choice study questions on concepts, evidence, and data reasoning; it does not replace investigations, modeling, or the official multi-part assessment.

Questions

40 scored questions

Time Limit

Three parts at about 40 minutes each (~120 minutes total estimated); the assessment is untimed.

Passing Score

Reported in four achievement levels: Needs Support, Approaching Proficient, Proficient, and Advanced (Alaska DEED AK STAR / Science score reports).

Exam Fee

Free for eligible Alaska public school students; AK STAR and the Alaska Science Assessment are state-required summative assessments administered by districts at no cost to families. (Alaska DEED; delivered via DRC INSIGHT)

Alaska Science Grade 5 Exam Content Outline

~33%

Life Science

Structure/function, ecosystems, and life cycles/traits.

~33%

Physical Science

Matter, forces/interactions, energy and waves.

~33%

Earth and Space Science

Earth systems, weather/climate, space systems.

How to Pass the Alaska Science Grade 5 Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Reported in four achievement levels: Needs Support, Approaching Proficient, Proficient, and Advanced (Alaska DEED AK STAR / Science score reports).
  • Exam length: 40 questions
  • Time limit: Three parts at about 40 minutes each (~120 minutes total estimated); the assessment is untimed.
  • Exam fee: Free for eligible Alaska public school students; AK STAR and the Alaska Science Assessment are state-required summative assessments administered by districts at no cost to families.

Keys to Passing

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

Alaska Science Grade 5 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Practice claims-evidence-reasoning with short phenomena and data tables.
2Connect vocabulary (force, energy, ecosystem, scale) to models and examples, not definitions alone.
3Review grade-band core ideas in life, physical, and (for grades 5/8) Earth/space science.
4Use DEED Online Tools Training to learn the official platform item types.
5When reading graphs, check axes, units, and what question is actually asked before choosing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who takes Alaska Science Grade 5?

Alaska students in grade 5 take the statewide Alaska Science Assessment in the spring window.

What content is assessed?

Reporting categories are Life Science, Physical Science, and Earth and Space Science, based on the K–12 Science Standards for Alaska.

How is the test structured?

Three parts, computer-based (DRC INSIGHT), with mixed item types; calculators are available throughout.

How long does it take?

About 40 minutes per part, roughly 120 minutes total estimated, though the assessment is untimed.

How are scores reported?

Four achievement levels: Needs Support, Approaching Proficient, Proficient, and Advanced, with reporting-category performance.

Is there a fee?

No family fee for eligible Alaska public school students.