100+ Free RISE Science Biology Practice Questions

Prepare for the RISE Science — Biology exam with instant access — no signup required.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card✓ No hidden fees✓ Start practicing immediately

100+ Questions

100% Free

Loading practice questions...

Same family resources

Explore More Utah RISE Assessments

Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: RISE Science Biology Exam

BIO.1-BIO.4

Utah SEEd High School Biology strands assessed

Utah SEEd Standards, USBE

4 levels

Proficiency levels reported; no pass/fail cut score

USBE, Making Sense of RISE Scores

Untimed

RISE summative tests are not timed

USBE, RISE Testing: A Guide for Utah Families (June 2026)

Cost to the student for statewide RISE testing

USBE

100

Practice questions in this free OpenExamPrep bank

OpenExamPrep question bank

Utah RISE Biology is a course-based summative assessment covering the Utah SEEd High School Biology standards (Strands BIO.1-BIO.4). It is computer adaptive, untimed, and free; there is no pass mark, and results report a scale score plus one of four proficiency levels: Level 1 (Below Proficient), Level 2 (Approaching Proficient), Level 3 (Proficient), and Level 4 (Highly Proficient). This bank is an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation. It supports core knowledge and phenomena analysis, but it does not replicate the official adaptive delivery, multi-item phenomena clusters, or technology-enhanced modelling tasks.

Sample RISE Science Biology Practice Questions

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

1In a Utah forest ecosystem, lodgepole pine trees photosynthesize to convert radiant solar energy into chemical energy. Which balanced chemical equation accurately represents the primary inputs and products of photosynthesis?

A.6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light energy -> C6H12O6 + 6 O2

B.C6H12O6 + 6 O2 -> 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + ATP

C.6 CO2 + 6 O2 + light energy -> C6H12O6 + 6 H2O

D.C6H12O6 + 6 H2O -> 6 CO2 + 6 O2 + light energy

Explanation: Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide, water, and radiant light energy to synthesize glucose (C6H12O6) and release molecular oxygen (6 O2) as a byproduct.

2During the light-dependent reactions in a plant thylakoid membrane, water molecules are split (photolysis). What are the immediate products of this water-splitting event?

A.Oxygen gas, hydrogen ions (protons), and electrons

B.Carbon dioxide gas, glucose, and ATP

C.NADPH, G3P, and ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP)

D.Lactic acid, NAD+, and pyruvate

Explanation: Photolysis of water splits H2O into oxygen gas (released into the atmosphere), protons (H+ that contribute to the thylakoid proton gradient), and electrons that replace those lost by Photosystem II.

3The Calvin cycle takes place in the stroma of chloroplasts. Which enzyme catalyzes the initial carbon fixation step by combining CO2 with a 5-carbon sugar?

A.Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (RuBisCO)

B.ATP synthase

C.DNA polymerase III

D.Phosphofructokinase

Explanation: RuBisCO is the abundant chloroplast enzyme that fixes inorganic CO2 by attaching it to ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) to initiate the Calvin cycle.

4A bioenergetics researcher measures gas exchange in plant tissue in the dark. Which process explains why the tissue consumes O2 and releases CO2?

A.Aerobic cellular respiration

B.Light-dependent photosynthetic reactions

C.Photophosphorylation

D.Nitrogen fixation

Explanation: In the dark, photosynthesis ceases while aerobic cellular respiration continues continuously, consuming oxygen to oxidize organic molecules and releasing carbon dioxide as a metabolic waste product.

5Glycolysis is the initial pathway of cellular respiration occurring in the cytoplasm. What is the net yield of ATP and electron carriers per molecule of glucose oxidized in glycolysis?

A.2 ATP and 2 NADH

B.32 ATP and 6 FADH2

C.4 ATP and 2 FADH2

D.0 ATP and 4 NADH

Explanation: Glycolysis consumes 2 ATP during investment and produces 4 ATP during payoff, yielding a net 2 ATP and 2 NADH per glucose molecule converted into 2 pyruvate.

6Before entering the Krebs cycle, pyruvate produced in glycolysis is transported into the mitochondrial matrix. What chemical transformation converts pyruvate into acetyl-CoA?

A.Decarboxylation releasing CO2 and reduction of NAD+ to NADH

B.Phosphorylation consuming 2 ATP molecules

C.Condensation with oxaloacetate to form citric acid

D.Photolysis releasing molecular oxygen

Explanation: Pyruvate oxidation (link reaction) removes a carboxyl group from 3-carbon pyruvate as CO2, oxidizes the remaining 2-carbon acetyl group to reduce NAD+ to NADH, and attaches Coenzyme A to form acetyl-CoA.

7In oxidative phosphorylation, high-energy electrons from NADH and FADH2 pass down the inner mitochondrial electron transport chain. What is the direct source of energy that drives ATP synthesis by ATP synthase?

A.The electrochemical proton (H+) gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane

B.Direct transfer of a phosphate group from glucose to ADP

C.Light photon absorption by cytochrome oxidase

D.Hydrolysis of GTP into GMP in the matrix

Explanation: Electron flow pumps H+ into the intermembrane space. The return flow of H+ down its electrochemical gradient through ATP synthase provides the proton-motive force for chemiosmotic ATP synthesis.

8Under hypoxic (low oxygen) conditions in yeast, pyruvate undergoes ethanol fermentation. Why is fermentation essential for cell survival when oxygen is absent?

A.It regenerates NAD+ so glycolysis can continue producing ATP

B.It yields 36 additional ATP per glucose molecule

C.It pumps protons into the mitochondrial intermembrane space

D.It fixes inorganic atmospheric carbon into glucose

Explanation: Without oxygen as a terminal electron acceptor, the electron transport chain stops. Fermentation converts NADH back to NAD+, allowing glycolysis to continue producing a net 2 ATP per glucose under anaerobic conditions.

9In the global carbon cycle, which biological process directly removes carbon dioxide gas from the atmosphere and incorporates it into organic biological macromolecules?

A.Photosynthesis by autotrophs

B.Cellular respiration by heterotrophs

C.Decomposition by saprophytes

D.Volcanic outgassing

Explanation: Photosynthetic autotrophs (plants, algae, cyanobacteria) assimilate inorganic atmospheric CO2 into organic carbon compounds like sugars, removing carbon from the abiotic atmosphere.

10Atmospheric nitrogen (N2) cannot be used directly by plants. Which organism type converts N2 into usable ammonium (NH4+) in soil and legume root nodules?

A.Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (such as Rhizobium)

B.Mycorrhizal fungi

C.Denitrifying bacteria

D.Herbivorous insects

Explanation: Nitrogen-fixing bacteria possess the nitrogenase enzyme complex to break the triple bond of N2 gas and reduce it to ammonium (NH4+), a form accessible to plants.

About the RISE Science Biology Exam

Prepare for the Utah RISE High School Biology assessment with 100 phenomena-based questions covering Interactions with Organisms and the Environment (BIO.1), Structure and Function of Life (BIO.2), Genetic Patterns (BIO.3), and Evolutionary Change (BIO.4).

Assessment

Phenomena-based item clusters, selected-response, and technology-enhanced tasks delivered online through the RISE portal.

Time Limit

Untimed

Passing Score

No pass/fail cut score; results report a scale score plus one of four proficiency levels (Level 3 = Proficient)

Exam Fee

$0 (state-funded; free for Utah public school students) (Utah State Board of Education)

RISE Science Biology Exam Content Outline

30% of this practice bank

SEEd Strand BIO.1: Interactions with Organisms and the Environment

Matter cycling and energy flow through ecosystems, food webs and energy pyramids, trophic transfer efficiency, carbon reservoirs and the carbon cycle, carrying capacity and biodiversity, ecosystem stability, invasive species, habitat fragmentation, biomagnification, and solutions that reduce human impact.

25% of this practice bank

SEEd Strand BIO.2: Structure and Function of Life

Macromolecules and enzyme kinetics, organelle roles and specialized cell structure, photosynthesis and cellular respiration as coupled processes, membrane transport and osmosis, homeostatic feedback loops, and mitosis in growth and maintenance.

25% of this practice bank

SEEd Strand BIO.3: Genetic Patterns

DNA structure and replication enzymes, transcription and translation, mitosis versus meiosis, monohybrid and dihybrid crosses, codominance, incomplete dominance and sex-linked traits, pedigree charts, mutation types, and biotechnology (PCR, gel electrophoresis, CRISPR).

20% of this practice bank

SEEd Strand BIO.4: Evolutionary Change

Evidence for evolution (homologies, embryology, molecular sequence data, transitional fossils), directional, stabilizing and disruptive selection, genetic drift and founder effects, speciation via geographic and reproductive isolation, and Hardy-Weinberg calculations ($p^2+2pq+q^2=1$).

How to Pass the RISE Science Biology Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: No pass/fail cut score; results report a scale score plus one of four proficiency levels (Level 3 = Proficient)
Assessment: Phenomena-based item clusters, selected-response, and technology-enhanced tasks delivered online through the RISE portal.
Time limit: Untimed
Exam fee: $0 (state-funded; free for Utah public school 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

RISE Science Biology Study Tips from Top Performers

1Focus on explaining scientific phenomena by linking molecular mechanisms (such as enzyme kinetics or ATP synthesis) to organismal homeostasis and ecosystem energy flow.

2Practice interpreting biological data representations, including enzyme activity curves, pedigree charts, gel electrophoresis bands, and carrying capacity population graphs.

3Master genetics calculations: review monohybrid and dihybrid Punnett squares, sex-linked trait probabilities, and Hardy-Weinberg allele/genotype frequency equations ($p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1$).

4Distinguish clearly between cellular processes: contrast light-dependent reactions vs. Calvin cycle in photosynthesis, glycolysis vs. oxidative phosphorylation in respiration, and mitosis vs. meiosis.

5Evaluate human ecological footprints by analyzing trade-offs in biodiversity conservation, habitat corridors, invasive species management, and bioaccumulation dynamics.

6Run the official RISE training tests on utahrise.org so the adaptive interface, tools, and technology-enhanced item types are familiar before test day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Utah RISE High School Biology assessment?

RISE Biology is Utah's course-based summative science assessment, administered by the Utah State Board of Education to students enrolled in a RISE-rostered Biology course. It measures mastery of the Utah SEEd High School Biology standards and is reported independently from the other RISE science course tests.

How are results reported for RISE High School Biology?

There is no pass or fail mark. Students receive a scale score plus one of four proficiency levels: Level 1 (Below Proficient), Level 2 (Approaching Proficient), Level 3 (Proficient), and Level 4 (Highly Proficient). Reports also break performance down by reporting category.

How long is the RISE Biology test and what does it cost?

RISE assessments are not timed, and there is no fee. RISE is state-funded testing for Utah public and charter school students. For 2026-27, the grades 9-10 science summative window runs March 9 to May 14, 2027.

How do these multiple-choice practice questions relate to the official RISE test format?

This is an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation, not an official practice test. The official assessment is computer adaptive and uses phenomena-based item clusters and technology-enhanced tasks. Standalone multiple-choice items build the underlying standards knowledge and data-interpretation skill, but they do not reproduce the official format. Use the free training tests on the Utah RISE portal to practise the real interface.

Which Utah SEEd standards are assessed on the Biology test?

The four Utah SEEd High School Biology strands: BIO.1 Interactions with Organisms and the Environment, BIO.2 Structure and Function of Life, BIO.3 Genetic Patterns, and BIO.4 Evolutionary Change. The SEEd science assessment is matrix designed, so an individual student is assessed on a subset of standards within each strand.

100+ Free RISE Science Biology Practice Questions

RISE Science — Biology

Explore More Utah RISE Assessments

RISE Science — Grade 7

RISE Science — Grade 6

RISE English Language Arts — Grade 10

RISE English Language Arts — Grade 3

RISE English Language Arts — Grade 4

RISE English Language Arts — Grade 5