122+ Free USVI NGSS Science Grade 5 Practice Questions

Prepare for the U.S. Virgin Islands NGSS Science Summative Assessment, Grade 5 exam with instant access — no signup required.

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

122+ Questions

100% Free

Loading practice questions...

Same family resources

Explore More U.S. Virgin Islands NGSS Science Summative Assessments

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

U.S. Virgin Islands NGSS Science Summative Assessment — Grade 11

Practice Questions100 questions

U.S. Virgin Islands NGSS Science Summative Assessment — Grade 8

Practice Questions100 questions

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: USVI NGSS Science Grade 5 Exam

USVI NGSS Science Grade 5 is the territory's annual spring science assessment for fifth graders in the U.S. Virgin Islands, given in the March 16-April 24, 2026 window. Administered online by VIDE via Cambium Assessment, it samples the grades 3-5 NGSS band across Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth and Space Science, with engineering design embedded. Each student receives six scored item clusters plus 12 scored stand-alone items in a recommended 90 minutes or more, and results are reported as Below Standard, Near Standard, Met Standard, or Exceeded Standard.

Sample USVI NGSS Science Grade 5 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your USVI NGSS Science Grade 5 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 122+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which property of matter can be measured using a balance scale to find out how much matter is inside an object?

A.Volume

B.Mass

C.Temperature

D.Magnetism

Explanation: Mass measures the total amount of matter contained within an object. A balance scale compares an object's mass against known standard masses. This fundamental property remains constant regardless of the object's shape.

2A student tests four different metal paperclips by bringing a bar magnet near them. Which physical property is the student testing?

A.Electrical conductivity

B.Solubility

C.Magnetic attraction

D.Boiling point

Explanation: Magnetic attraction is a physical property that describes whether a material is pulled toward a magnet. Certain metals like iron, nickel, and cobalt exhibit magnetic properties. Testing objects with a magnet directly reveals this characteristic.

3Electrical wires in homes are made of copper metal wrapped in a plastic coating. Why is plastic used on the outside of the wires?

A.Plastic is an electrical conductor that helps electricity flow faster.

B.Plastic is an electrical insulator that stops electricity from escaping and prevents shocks.

C.Plastic increases the weight of the wire so it stays grounded.

D.Plastic dissolves in water to keep the inner copper clean.

Explanation: Plastic is a strong electrical insulator, meaning electric charges cannot flow through it easily. Wrapping copper wires in plastic prevents dangerous electric shocks and short circuits by keeping the current contained inside the conductor. This demonstrates how materials are chosen based on their electrical properties.

4A student adds 20 grams of sugar to a beaker of warm water and stirs until the sugar can no longer be seen. What happened to the sugar?

A.The sugar melted into a liquid state.

B.The sugar dissolved into particles too small to be seen by the naked eye.

C.The sugar was completely destroyed by stirring.

D.The sugar transformed into gas bubbles and evaporated.

Explanation: When sugar dissolves in water, it breaks down into individual molecules dispersed evenly throughout the liquid. These particles are far too tiny to see without specialized equipment, but the sugar is still present in the solution. This is a classic demonstration of solubility as a property of matter.

5When air is pumped into a bicycle tire, the tire expands and becomes firm. Which statement best explains this observation?

A.Air is made of matter that has mass and takes up space.

B.Air is weightless and expands without taking up space.

C.Air turns into liquid rubber when under pressure.

D.Air produces heat energy that melts the inner tire wall.

Explanation: Gas is a state of matter made up of tiny particles that move freely, take up space, and have mass. Pumping gas into a closed container increases the number of air particles inside, pushing outward on the container walls. This confirms that air is matter even though it is invisible.

6A scientist has two unlabelled bottles filled with clear, colorless liquids. Which test would best help determine whether the two liquids are different substances?

A.Comparing the volume of liquid in each bottle

B.Measuring and comparing their boiling points and densities

C.Counting how many drops each liquid forms on a coin

D.Shining a flashlight through both bottles to check for clarity

Explanation: Boiling point and density are characteristic physical properties unique to pure substances regardless of sample size. Even if two liquids look identical, having different boiling points or densities proves they are composed of different chemical substances. Volume and appearance are non-characteristic properties.

7Which model or evidence best supports the idea that matter is composed of particles too small to be seen?

A.A solid block of wood feeling heavy and smooth to the touch

B.Food coloring spreading throughout a beaker of still water without stirring

C.A metal spoon getting hot when left in warm soup

D.A rock breaking into smaller pebbles when dropped

Explanation: When food coloring diffuses evenly through still water, tiny invisible water and dye particles are constantly moving and colliding. This observation provides direct evidence that liquids are made of sub-microscopic particles in continuous motion. The macroscopic mixing reflects microscopic particle behavior.

8An ice cube with a mass of 10 grams melts inside a sealed zip-top plastic bag. What will be the mass of the liquid water inside the bag?

A.5 grams

B.10 grams

C.12 grams

D.0 grams

Explanation: The law of conservation of mass states that mass cannot be created or destroyed during a phase change in a closed system. Melting changes solid water to liquid water without losing or gaining any particles. Therefore, the mass remains exactly 10 grams.

9A student dissolves 15 grams of salt into 100 grams of pure water. What is the total mass of the resulting salt water solution?

A.85 grams

B.100 grams

C.115 grams

D.150 grams

Explanation: When solute (15 g salt) is mixed with solvent (100 g water), the total mass of the solution is the sum of the masses of both components (15 g + 100 g = 115 g). Mass is conserved during dissolving because all the original matter is still present in the container.

10A student measures a whole clay sculpture and finds its mass is 300 grams. If the student smashes the sculpture into six smaller clay pieces, what is the combined mass of all six pieces?

A.Less than 300 grams because pieces were lost

B.Exactly 300 grams because total mass is conserved

C.More than 300 grams because there are more individual pieces

D.50 grams total

Explanation: Changing the shape or dividing an object into smaller pieces is a physical change that does not alter the total amount of matter present. According to conservation of mass, the total mass of all smaller pieces equals the mass of the original whole object, which is 300 grams.

About the USVI NGSS Science Grade 5 Exam

The U.S. Virgin Islands Science Assessment for Grade 5 is the territory's NGSS science summative test, administered online territory-wide by VIDE through Cambium Assessment, Inc. The Grade 5 (elementary school) test samples the full grades 3-5 NGSS band, so grade 3 and grade 4 performance expectations are assessed alongside grade 5 ones. Items are organized as phenomenon-based clusters and stand-alone tasks that measure three-dimensional science learning, integrating Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs). This practice bank is an English-language four-option MCQ study adaptation for reinforcing science concepts, data interpretation, and scientific reasoning; it is not an official-format simulation.

Assessment

Question count not published by the exam provider

Time Limit

Recommended at least 90 minutes plus roughly 10 minutes for directions, administered on one day or across two consecutive days; students may take additional time, and a 20-minute pause rule applies.

Passing Score

No pass mark. Science results are reported in four performance levels: Below Standard, Near Standard, Met Standard, and Exceeded Standard.

Exam Fee

Free for eligible U.S. Virgin Islands public school students. (Virgin Islands Department of Education (VIDE), delivered via Cambium Assessment, Inc.)

USVI NGSS Science Grade 5 Exam Content Outline

discipline result (no published percentage)

Physical Science

Grades 3-5 band: balanced and unbalanced forces, patterns of motion, magnetic and electric forces at a distance, energy and speed, energy transfer and collisions, waves and light, the particle model of matter, conservation of matter, and chemical vs. physical changes.

discipline result (no published percentage)

Life Science

Grades 3-5 band: life cycles, inherited and environmentally influenced traits, group behavior, fossils as evidence of past environments, internal and external structures, plant requirements (air and water), food web energy flow, decomposers, and movement of matter.

discipline result (no published percentage)

Earth and Space Science

Grades 3-5 band: seasonal weather data and world climates, weather hazards, rock layers and landscape change, weathering and erosion, maps of Earth features, energy and fuel resources, Earth's four interacting spheres, freshwater/saltwater distribution, shadow and constellation patterns, and apparent star brightness.

embedded, not separately reported

Engineering Design (embedded)

Defining design problems with criteria and constraints, comparing solution options, and testing and improving prototypes; engineering design appears inside science clusters rather than as its own reported discipline.

How to Pass the USVI NGSS Science Grade 5 Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: No pass mark. Science results are reported in four performance levels: Below Standard, Near Standard, Met Standard, and Exceeded Standard.
Assessment: Question count not published by the exam provider
Time limit: Recommended at least 90 minutes plus roughly 10 minutes for directions, administered on one day or across two consecutive days; students may take additional time, and a 20-minute pause rule applies.
Exam fee: Free for eligible U.S. Virgin Islands public school students.

Keys to Passing

Work through all 122 available questions
Review every answer and explanation
Track weak areas and revisit them
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

USVI NGSS Science Grade 5 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Review grade 3 and grade 4 science too — the Grade 5 test samples the whole grades 3-5 band, not just fifth-grade topics.

2Remember that plants build their body structures primarily using air (carbon dioxide) and water, not soil nutrients.

3Understand that mass is always conserved in physical changes (melting, dissolving) and chemical reactions.

4Analyze food web diagrams to trace how energy flows from the sun to producers, consumers, and decomposers.

5Study how Earth's geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere interact in weather, erosion, and climate phenomena.

6Practice interpreting shadow length variations and seasonal constellation movements caused by Earth's rotation and orbit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who takes the USVI NGSS Grade 5 Science test?

All public school fifth grade students in the U.S. Virgin Islands take the NGSS Science Summative Test annually; the 2026 window ran March 16 to April 24, 2026.

What standards are tested on the USVI Grade 5 Science test?

The Grade 5 test is the elementary school form and samples the whole grades 3-5 NGSS band, so grade 3 and grade 4 performance expectations appear alongside grade 5 ones across Physical, Life, and Earth and Space Science.

How many questions are on the USVI Grade 5 Science test?

VIDE does not publish a single total, because clusters carry several linked interactions. Each student receives six scored item clusters plus 12 scored stand-alone items, and some additional field-test items that do not count toward the score.

How long does the USVI Grade 5 Science test take?

At least 90 minutes is recommended, plus about 10 minutes to read directions. It can be given on one day or across two consecutive days, and students who need more time are given it.

What languages is the USVI Science Assessment offered in?

The test is administered in English, and an online Spanish version plus a Spanish translation designated support are available to eligible students. This OpenExamPrep bank is English-only and is not an official translation.

How are scores reported for the USVI NGSS Science test?

There is no pass mark. Results are reported in four performance levels — Below Standard, Near Standard, Met Standard, and Exceeded Standard — and VIDE publishes the combined Met & Exceeded figure as the school proficiency rate.

Is this OpenExamPrep practice bank an official test replacement?

No. This bank is an independent English-language four-option MCQ study adaptation designed for concept practice and review. It does not replace official interactive clusters or VIDE testing software.