104+ Free DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5 Practice Questions

Prepare for the District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education (DC CAPE) 2.0 Science — Grade 5 exam with instant access — no signup required.

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Key Facts: DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5 Exam

Grade 5

Official DC CAPE 2.0 tested grade/course (OSSE FAQ Q4)

osse.dc.gov CAPE 2.0 FAQ

58 items

Items per science form: two units of 29; 40 operational items / 58 points

DC CAPE 2.0 Science Blueprint

Free

No student exam fee for standard school administration

OSSE Assessments policy

SY 2026–27

First DC CAPE 2.0 administration (spring 2027)

OSSE CAPE 2.0 page / FAQ

OSSE

State education agency administering DC CAPE 2.0

osse.dc.gov

Pearson

Administration platforms ADAM / TestNav; science content vendor

OSSE CAPE 2.0 FAQ Q3

NGSS

Content standards alignment

OSSE CAPE 2.0 FAQ Q5

4 levels

Performance levels; Level 3 = met expectations

OSSE CAPE 2.0 page

Untimed

Official tests designed as untimed with estimated session lengths

OSSE System Overview Feb 2026

DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5 is DC's free OSSE CAPE 2.0 statewide science summative for Grade 5 (first admin spring 2027); practice here is English MCQ study only.

Sample DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 104+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A student stirs a spoonful of powdered drink mix into a glass of water until the powder can no longer be seen. The water turns red and tastes sweet. What is the best evidence that the powder is still present as matter?

A.The water’s color and taste changed even though the powder disappeared from view

B.The glass became warmer after the powder was added

C.The powder must have turned into light energy

D.Matter always disappears when it mixes with water

Explanation: The color and taste changes show that particles of the powder are still in the water, just too small to see. This supports the NGSS Grade 5 idea that matter is made of particles too small to be seen (5-PS1-1).

2Students measure the mass of a sealed plastic bag that contains baking soda and vinegar in separate compartments. They tip the bag so the materials mix, the bag puffs up, and they measure the mass again. If no gas escaped, what should they observe?

A.The total mass stays about the same because matter is conserved

B.The total mass increases because a gas was created

C.The total mass decreases because the solid disappeared

D.The total mass doubles because two materials combined

Explanation: In a closed system, the total mass before and after a chemical change is the same. Gas production puffs the bag but does not create mass from nothing (5-PS1-2).

3A class sorts four unknown white solids using property tests. Which set of observations best helps identify which solid is table salt rather than sugar, chalk dust, or baking soda?

A.How loudly each powder sounds when poured

B.Only the color of each powder, because all white solids are the same

C.Solubility in water, crystal shape under a hand lens, and reaction with vinegar

D.Whether the solid was stored in a plastic or paper bag

Explanation: Materials can be identified by measurable properties such as solubility, particle shape, and how they react with other substances (5-PS1-3). Color alone is not enough for similar-looking powders.

4Two students have 50 g of iron filings mixed with 50 g of sand. They use a magnet to pull out the iron. If they carefully collect all the iron and all the sand, about how much total mass should they have?

A.About 200 g, because separation creates extra material

B.About 50 g, because half the mixture is removed by the magnet

C.About 0 g, because mixtures cannot be measured after separation

D.About 100 g, because separating a mixture does not destroy matter

Explanation: A mixture can be separated by physical means, but the total mass of the components remains the same when all pieces are collected. Matter is conserved (5-PS1-2 / mixture ideas).

5A teacher places an ice cube in a dry, sealed plastic container on a balance. After the ice melts completely into liquid water, the mass reading is the same. What does this investigation best support?

A.Changing state from solid to liquid does not change the amount of matter

B.Melting destroys water particles

C.Liquid water always has less mass than ice

D.Balances cannot measure liquids

Explanation: Phase change rearranges how particles are arranged and move, but the number of water particles—and therefore the mass—stays the same in a closed container.

6Students weigh a pad of steel wool, heat it in open air until it turns dark, and weigh it again. The heated solid has a greater mass than the original steel wool. Which model best explains this mass change?

A.Oxygen disappears and is no longer matter

B.Heat creates iron particles from nothing

C.Rusting removes all matter from the steel wool

D.Iron particles join with oxygen particles from the air to form a new substance

Explanation: When iron combines with oxygen, a new substance forms. Apparent mass gain of the solid product comes from oxygen that was previously in the air joining the iron (conservation and chemical change, 5-PS1-2/5-PS1-4).

7A student claims, “When water boils away from a pan, the water is gone forever.” Which investigation result would best challenge that claim?

A.Seeing steam rise and then deciding water turned into heat only

B.Noticing that the empty pan feels hot

C.Capturing the vapor with a cool lid and finding liquid water droplets form again

D.Weighing the empty pan and finding it is lighter without explaining where the water went

Explanation: Condensing vapor back into liquid shows water particles still exist after boiling; they changed state and moved into the air, not vanished (matter particles / conservation).

8Four clear liquids look the same. Which plan is the best scientific way to figure out whether they are the same substance?

A.Compare several properties such as boiling behavior, density (mass per volume), and how they react with the same test chemicals

B.Choose the liquid that smells nicest

C.Pick the one poured from the largest bottle

D.Assume all clear liquids are water

Explanation: Identification relies on multiple measurable properties and how materials interact with other substances, not on appearance alone (5-PS1-3).

9A ball is thrown upward and then falls back down. Ignoring air resistance, which statement best describes the force of gravity on the ball while it is in the air?

A.Gravity acts only when the ball is moving downward

B.Gravity pushes the ball upward until it stops, then pulls it down

C.Gravity pulls the ball toward Earth’s center the whole time it is in the air

D.Gravity turns off at the highest point of the throw

Explanation: Earth’s gravity pulls objects toward Earth’s center continuously. The upward motion is due to the throw; gravity still acts at the top and on the way down (5-PS2-1).

10Why do objects fall toward Earth rather than floating away into space when released near Earth’s surface?

A.Earth’s gravity pulls on the objects with a force directed toward Earth’s center

B.Objects have no mass near the ground

C.Air always pushes everything downward harder than upward

D.The Sun’s light presses objects to the ground

Explanation: Gravity is an attractive force that pulls objects toward Earth’s center, explaining downward free fall near the surface (5-PS2-1).

About the DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5 Exam

District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education (DC CAPE) 2.0 Science — Grade 5 is the District of Columbia's grade/course-level DC CAPE 2.0 statewide summative assessment administered by OSSE beginning SY 2026–27 (first operational window spring 2027). It is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) adopted by DC; science content is provided by Pearson with a redesigned two-section cluster/standalone design. Students test on Pearson TestNav (ADAM management). Official forms mix selected-response, technology-enabled, and constructed-response/performance tasks. OpenExamPrep free practice is an English-language four-option MCQ study adaptation aligned to public OSSE/Smarter Balanced/NGSS frameworks—not official secure items, not a full TE/CR/PT simulation, and not a substitute for classroom instruction or the official assessment.

Questions

58 scored questions

Time Limit

Official unit timing for DC CAPE 2.0 science was listed as forthcoming in OSSE System Overview materials (Feb 2026); the redesigned science form has two sections with reduced constructed-response load (OSSE FAQ Q6). Do not treat local practice session length as official timing.

Passing Score

DC CAPE 2.0 reports four performance levels for ELA, math, and science; Level 3 indicates the student met grade-level (or course-level) expectations (OSSE CAPE 2.0 page). After the first 2026–27 administration, OSSE will conduct a summer 2027 standard-setting event for high school ELA and math end-of-course assessments and redesigned science assessments before cut scores are finalized for those forms (OSSE CAPE 2.0 FAQ, Dec 2025).

Exam Fee

Free for District of Columbia public and public charter school students; DC CAPE 2.0 is the required statewide summative assessment administered through LEAs at no student exam fee (OSSE Assessments Participation & Performance Policy; OSSE CAPE 2.0 materials). (District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE); ELA and math content from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium; science content and ADAM/TestNav administration platforms via Pearson)

DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5 Exam Content Outline

35%-45% of Grade 5 items (DC CAPE 2.0 Science Blueprint reporting domain)

Physical Science

Structure and properties of matter, conservation of matter in physical and chemical changes, energy transfer, and gravitational force, assessed three-dimensionally with NGSS science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts.

25%-35% of Grade 5 items (DC CAPE 2.0 Science Blueprint reporting domain)

Life Science

Matter and energy in organisms and ecosystems: photosynthesis and plant matter, food webs, decomposers, and matter cycling, assessed three-dimensionally.

25%-35% of Grade 5 items (DC CAPE 2.0 Science Blueprint reporting domain)

Earth and Space Science

Space systems and apparent brightness, Earth's major systems and their interactions, the distribution of Earth's water, and human impacts on Earth's resources.

How to Pass the DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5 Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: DC CAPE 2.0 reports four performance levels for ELA, math, and science; Level 3 indicates the student met grade-level (or course-level) expectations (OSSE CAPE 2.0 page). After the first 2026–27 administration, OSSE will conduct a summer 2027 standard-setting event for high school ELA and math end-of-course assessments and redesigned science assessments before cut scores are finalized for those forms (OSSE CAPE 2.0 FAQ, Dec 2025).
Exam length: 58 questions
Time limit: Official unit timing for DC CAPE 2.0 science was listed as forthcoming in OSSE System Overview materials (Feb 2026); the redesigned science form has two sections with reduced constructed-response load (OSSE FAQ Q6). Do not treat local practice session length as official timing.
Exam fee: Free for District of Columbia public and public charter school students; DC CAPE 2.0 is the required statewide summative assessment administered through LEAs at no student exam fee (OSSE Assessments Participation & Performance Policy; OSSE CAPE 2.0 materials).

Keys to Passing

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

DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Use OSSE-linked practice/sample resources and Smarter Balanced sample items so students learn digital tools and item interactions.

2Align review to grade-level Common Core (ELA/math) or NGSS (science) expectations named in OSSE CAPE 2.0 materials—not only generic worksheets.

3Review wrong answers by claim or science domain (reading/writing/research; concepts/procedures; life/physical/Earth) to target instruction.

4Use short, frequent practice sessions across the year rather than cramming only in the spring window.

5For performance-task and constructed-response skills, practice evidence selection, planning, modeling, and revision even when using MCQ study items.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5 assessment?

DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5 is part of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education (DC CAPE) 2.0 general statewide assessment system administered by OSSE beginning in school year 2026–27 (first spring 2027 administration). It measures student progress relative to DC educational standards (NGSS).

Is DC CAPE 2.0 free for students?

Yes. DC CAPE 2.0 is the District’s required statewide summative assessment for eligible public and public charter school students and is administered through LEAs without a student exam fee.

How long is the official test?

What item types appear on the official assessment?

Official science forms use phenomena-based item clusters, selected-response, technology-enabled, and constructed-response items in a redesigned two-section design (OSSE FAQ). OpenExamPrep provides English four-option MCQ study adaptations only—not an official-format simulation.

How are results reported?

Are these practice questions official OSSE or Smarter Balanced items?

No. These free practice questions are original study aids aligned to DC standards and publicly described CAPE 2.0 / Smarter Balanced / NGSS frameworks. They are not secure official items and do not replace OSSE/Pearson practice resources, classroom instruction, or the official spring assessment.

Does this bank replace constructed-response or performance tasks?

No. Official DC CAPE 2.0 includes performance tasks and (for science) constructed-response items. This bank adapts the underlying knowledge and judgment into multiple-choice study items only.

104+ Free DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5 Practice Questions

DC CAPE 2.0 Science — Grade 5

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