100+ Free New Mexico NM-ASR Science Grade 5 Practice Questions

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NM-ASR Science — Grade 8

Practice Questions100 questions

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: New Mexico NM-ASR Science Grade 5 Exam

NMPED

State Agency

New Mexico Public Education Department, Assessment Bureau

AAI / Kite (Univ. of Kansas)

Test Provider

NMPED NM-ASR Resources; Kite Educator Portal

NM STEM Ready! Science

Standards

NMPED College & Career Readiness Bureau

Physical 40% / Life 30% / Earth & Space 30%

Domains

NM-ASR Summative Test Specifications, Table 4

3 sessions, ~50 min each (untimed)

Sessions & Time

NM-ASR Kite Test Administrator Manual, Table 4

54-55 questions per form

Questions

NM-ASR Kite Test Administrator Manual, Table 4

English & Spanish

Languages

NMPED NM-ASR Resources

100 practice questions

Practice Bank Size

OpenExamPrep

Prepare for the NM-ASR Science Grade 5 assessment with 100 MCQs covering physical, life, and earth & space science aligned to the NM STEM Ready! Science Standards, with full explanations.

Sample New Mexico NM-ASR Science Grade 5 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your New Mexico NM-ASR 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 student puts a drop of food coloring in a beaker of water. Over time, the color spreads evenly throughout the water. What does this observation best show about matter?

A.Matter is made of particles too small to be seen that move and mix with one another

B.Matter always changes color whenever two substances are placed together

C.Water can only exist as a liquid

D.Food coloring is heavier than water and sinks to the bottom permanently

Explanation: The spreading color is evidence that water and food coloring are made of tiny moving particles too small to see. As the particles move and bump into one another, they mix evenly (5-PS1-1).

2A sealed balloon is gently squeezed at one end. The air moves to the other end and the balloon bulges there. What does this demonstrate about the air inside?

A.The air is made of particles that move and fill the available space

B.The air particles are destroyed when the balloon is squeezed

C.The air becomes a solid when it is pressed

D.The air particles stick together and cannot move at all

Explanation: Gas particles move freely and spread to fill their container. Squeezing one end pushes the particles to the other end, which is why the balloon bulges (5-PS1-1).

3A student observes that a sugar cube dissolves in warm water much faster than in cold water. Using the particle model of matter, which statement best explains this result?

A.The faster-moving water particles in warm water bump into the sugar more often, breaking it apart faster

B.Warm water contains more particles than the same amount of cold water

C.Sugar particles are larger in warm water than in cold water

D.Cold water particles are too big to dissolve any sugar

Explanation: In warm water the particles move faster, so they collide with the sugar more frequently and carry it away faster. The number of particles does not change with temperature (5-PS1-1).

4Which statement best describes why you cannot see the individual particles that make up a drop of water?

A.The particles are far too small to be seen, even with a common magnifying glass

B.The particles are transparent and therefore invisible to all tools

C.The particles do not exist when water is a liquid

D.The particles are the same color as water, so they blend in

Explanation: Particles of matter are extremely small, far smaller than anything a magnifying glass can show. They are still there even though we cannot see them directly (5-PS1-1).

5A student places a small piece of chalk in a sealed glass jar. No chalk is added or removed. After several weeks the chalk looks slightly smaller. What can you conclude about the total amount of matter in the sealed jar?

A.It has stayed the same because the system is closed and matter is conserved

B.It has decreased because the chalk got smaller

C.It has increased because new dust formed inside the jar

D.It cannot be measured without using a microscope

Explanation: Because the jar is sealed, no matter enters or leaves. The chalk may look smaller, but its particles are still inside the jar, so the total amount of matter is unchanged (5-PS1-2).

6A teacher shows a model in which dots represent particles of a gas in a container. The gas is then moved into a smaller container. Which model best represents the particles after the change?

A.The same number of dots, packed closer together, in a smaller space

B.Fewer dots because some particles were destroyed during the move

C.More dots because new particles formed in the smaller container

D.The same number of dots, spaced just as far apart as before

Explanation: The number of gas particles does not change when the gas is moved. In a smaller container the same particles are closer together, which models compression of a gas (5-PS1-1).

7When a solid block of ice melts into liquid water, what happens to the particles that make up the water?

A.They move more freely but remain the same kind of particles

B.They change into completely different substances

C.They disappear completely into the surrounding air

D.They stop moving entirely once the ice becomes liquid

Explanation: Melting is a change of state. The water particles are the same particles; they just move more freely in the liquid than when locked in place as a solid (5-PS1-1).

8A student measures the mass of a dry sponge, then soaks it in water and measures the mass again. The mass increases. Which explanation uses the particle model correctly?

A.Water particles filled spaces within the sponge, adding mass to the sponge-water system

B.The sponge particles themselves grew larger when wet

C.The sponge created brand-new particles inside itself

D.The water particles changed into sponge particles

Explanation: The added mass comes from water particles that enter the sponge. Measuring before and after shows that matter added to an object increases its mass (5-PS1-2).

9Which tool should a student use to measure the mass of a small rock?

A.A balance or scale

B.A ruler

C.A thermometer

D.A graduated cylinder by itself

Explanation: Mass is measured with a balance or scale. A ruler measures length, a thermometer measures temperature, and a graduated cylinder measures volume (5-PS1-2).

10A student wants to compare the volumes of two irregularly shaped rocks. Which method would work best?

A.Drop each rock into a graduated cylinder of water and measure how much the water level rises

B.Weigh each rock on a balance and compare the masses

C.Hold the rocks side by side and estimate by looking

D.Measure only the longest side of each rock with a ruler

Explanation: For irregular objects, the water-displacement method gives the volume: the rise in water level equals the volume of the rock. This is a standard way to measure and graph quantities of matter (5-PS1-2).

About the New Mexico NM-ASR Science Grade 5 Exam

The New Mexico Assessment of Science Readiness (NM-ASR) at Grade 5 measures student proficiency on the NM STEM Ready! Science Standards, the state's NGSS-based science standards, across Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth & Space Science. It is administered online each spring through the Kite platform (Achievement & Assessment Institute, University of Kansas). This 100-question practice bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation aligned to the Grade 5 performance expectations, with detailed explanations.

Assessment

Three online sessions through the Kite platform with selected-response, technology-enhanced, and open-ended items across three reporting categories: Practices and Crosscutting Concepts in Physical Science (about 40% of core points), Life Science (about 30%), and Earth & Space Science (about 30%). Many items are grouped into phenomenon-based clusters. Paper, large-print, Braille and Spanish forms are available for eligible students. This local bank contains 100 English-language four-option practice MCQs aligned to the Grade 5 NM STEM Ready! Science Standards.

Time Limit

Three sessions of about 50 minutes each (roughly 150 minutes total); the test is untimed and the durations are suggested times

Passing Score

No pass/fail mark. Four performance levels are reported: Level 1 Novice, Level 2 Nearing Proficiency, Level 3 Proficient, and Level 4 Advanced. Proficient or Advanced indicates mastery of grade-level expectations.

Exam Fee

No fee to students (New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED))

New Mexico NM-ASR Science Grade 5 Exam Content Outline

NM STEM Ready! Grade 5 Physical Science

Physical Science

Particles of matter, measuring and graphing matter, properties of materials, conservation of matter, gravity directed down, and energy from the Sun in animals' food.

NM STEM Ready! Grade 5 Life Science

Life Science

Plant growth from air and water, matter movement in ecosystems, environmentally influenced traits, grouping organisms by characteristics, and evidence from fossils.

NM STEM Ready! Grade 5 Earth & Space Science

Earth & Space Science

Apparent brightness and star distances, patterns in shadows and day/night, sphere interactions, water reservoirs, and protecting Earth's resources.

How to Pass the New Mexico NM-ASR Science Grade 5 Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: No pass/fail mark. Four performance levels are reported: Level 1 Novice, Level 2 Nearing Proficiency, Level 3 Proficient, and Level 4 Advanced. Proficient or Advanced indicates mastery of grade-level expectations.
Assessment: Three online sessions through the Kite platform with selected-response, technology-enhanced, and open-ended items across three reporting categories: Practices and Crosscutting Concepts in Physical Science (about 40% of core points), Life Science (about 30%), and Earth & Space Science (about 30%). Many items are grouped into phenomenon-based clusters. Paper, large-print, Braille and Spanish forms are available for eligible students. This local bank contains 100 English-language four-option practice MCQs aligned to the Grade 5 NM STEM Ready! Science Standards.
Time limit: Three sessions of about 50 minutes each (roughly 150 minutes total); the test is untimed and the durations are suggested times
Exam fee: No fee to students

Keys to Passing

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

New Mexico NM-ASR Science Grade 5 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Connect each science idea to a real phenomenon or investigation you can describe.

2Practice describing matter at the particle scale and tracking conservation in changes.

3Trace energy and matter through an ecosystem (Sun -> producers -> consumers -> decomposers).

4Use the three dimensions: a Disciplinary Core Idea, a Science and Engineering Practice, and a Crosscutting Concept together.

5Read data tables and graphs carefully; many items ask you to interpret evidence, not recall facts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NM-ASR Science Grade 5 test?

It is the New Mexico Assessment of Science Readiness for Grade 5, a computer-based science assessment administered online each spring through the Kite platform (AAI, University of Kansas) covering Physical, Life, and Earth & Space Science.

What standards does the NM-ASR test cover?

The NM-ASR is aligned to the NM STEM Ready! Science Standards, New Mexico's NGSS-based science standards, organized into Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth & Space Science reporting categories.

Is there a Spanish version of the NM-ASR?

Yes. A Spanish-language version of the NM-ASR Science assessment is available for eligible students. This practice bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation and is not an official Spanish-format simulation.

Who takes the NM-ASR Science assessment?

Grade 5, Grade 8, and Grade 11 students in New Mexico public schools each take the NM-ASR Science assessment for their grade band.

Is this practice bank affiliated with NMPED?

No. This is an independent study resource aligned to the public NM STEM Ready! Science Standards; it is not an official NM-ASR product or format simulation.