TIMSS Sample
Middle School
Science Test (Grades 7 and 8)


Instructions
  • Please enter an identity code using the following information:
    username (or code name), grade, city, state, country

    Example: cooljr/grade7/utica/ny/usa


  • Click on the circle to answer each multiple choice question.
  • To answer the free form questions type in your answer
  • Use the scroll down bar to advance to the next question.
  • When you have completed all the questions press the "Submit" button at the bottom of the test.
  • Your test results and links for assessing your results will appear within seconds.

    The bullets in the bottom corner of each problem indicate the question has not been answered. Questions left unaswered will be given a value of nr(no response).

    1) The diagram below shows an example of interdependence among aquatic organisms. During the day the organisms either use up or give off (a) or (b) as shown by the arrows.

    Choose the right answer for (a) and (b) from the alternatives given.

    A)(a) is oxygen and (b) is carbon dioxide.
    B) (a) is oxygen and (b) is carbohydrate.
    C) (a) nitrogen and (b) is carbon dioxide.
    D)(a) is carbon dioxide and (b) is oxygen.
    E)(a) is carbon dioxide and (b) is carbohydrate.

    _______________________________________________________________________________

    2) What is the best reason for including fruits and leafy vegetables in a healthy diet?

    A) They have a high water content.
    B)They are the best source of protein.
    C) They are rich in minerals and vitamins.
    D) They are the best source of carbohydrates.

    _______________________________________________________________________________

    3) On cold days, snakes usually lie very still and eat little or nothing, while birds usually move around and eat a lot of food. Which statement best explains this?

    A) Both animals are cold-blooded, but without feathers to keep warm snakes get too cold to move..
    B) Unlike birds, snakes are warm-blooded; they must hibernate during cold weather.
    C) Unlike snakes, birds are cold-blooded; they are less affected by the cold than snakes
    D) Unlike snakes, birds are warm-blooded; they must eat food to maintain a constant temperature.

    _______________________________________________________________________________

    4)

    Which statement is consistent with the data in the table?

    A) More oxygen production occurs near the surface because there is more light there.
    B)More oxygen production occurs near the bottom because there are more plants there.
    C)The greater the water pressure, the more oxygen production occurs.
    D)The rate of oxygen production is not related to depth.

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    5) What features do all insects have?

    A) 2 legs and 4 body parts
    B) 4 legs and 2 body parts
    C) 6 legs and 3 body parts
    D) 8 legs and 3 body parts _______________________________________________________________________________

    6) Which is an example of a chemical reaction?

    A) The melting of ice.
    B) The grinding of salt crystals to powder.
    C) The burning of wood.
    D) The evaporation of water from a puddle. _______________________________________________________________________________

    7) If a neutral atom loses an electron, what is formed?

    A) A gas.
    B) An ion.
    C) An acid.
    D) A molecule.

    _______________________________________________________________________________

    8) Animals are made up of many atoms. What happens to the atoms after an animal has died?

    A) The atoms stop moving.
    B) The atoms recycle back into the environment.
    C) The atoms split into simpler parts and then combine to form other atoms.
    D) The atoms no longer exist once the animal has decomposed.

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    9)

    Filtration using the equipment shown can be used to separate which materials?

    A) A solution of copper sulfate and water.
    B) A solution of sodium chloride and water.
    C) A mixture of alcohol and water.
    D)A mixture of mud and water
    E) A mixture of sand and sawdust.

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    10) Which gas could cause a glowing splint to burst into flame?

    A) Neon
    B) Oxygen
    C) Nitrogen
    D)Carbon dioxide

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    11) A uniform rod is pivoted at its center. It is acted on by two forces in the plane. Each force has the same size, equal to 10N (newtons). In which case is there a turning effect?

    A)

    B)

    C)

    D)

    E)

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    12) A tight metal lid on a jar of pickles may loosen when it has been held in hot water. This is because the hot water causes the

    A) glass jar to contract.
    B) metal lid to contract.
    C) glass jar to expand more than the metal lid expands.
    D)metal lid to expand more than the glass jar expands.

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    13)A student put 100ml. of water in each of these open containers and let them stand for a day. Which container probably lost most water due to evaporation?

    A)

    B)

    C)

    D)

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    14) 14) When white light shines on Peter's shirt, the shirt looks blue. Why does the shirt look blue?


    A) It absorbs all the white light and turns most of it into blue light.
    B)It reflects the blue part of the light and absorbs most of the rest.
    C) It absorbs only the blue part of the light.
    D)It gives off its own blue light.

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    15) The drawing shows an apple falling to the ground. In which of the three positions does gravity act on the apple?

    A) 2 only
    B) 1 and 2 only
    C) 1 and 3 only
    D) 1,2, and 3

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    16) Which BEST describes the surface of the Earth over billions of Years?

    A) A flat surface is gradually pushed up into higher and higher mountains until the Earth is covered with mountains.
    B) High mountains gradually wear down until most of the Earth is at sea level.
    C) High mountains gradually wear down as new mountains are continuously being formed, over and over again.
    D) High mountains and flat plains stay side by side for billions of years with little change.

    _______________________________________________________________________________

    17) Fossil fuels were formed from?

    A) Uranium
    B) Sea water
    C) Sand and gravel
    D) Dead plants and animals

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    18) Air is made up of many gases. Which gas is found in the greatest amount?

    A) Nitrogen
    B) Oxygen
    C) Carbon Dioxide
    D) Hydrogen

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    19) Which statement explains why daylight and darkness occur on Earth?

    A) The Earth rotates on its axis.
    B) The Sun rotates on its axis.
    C) The Earth's axis is tilted.
    D) The Earth revolves around the Sun.

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    20) How long does it take light from the nearest star other than the Sun to reach Earth?

    A) Less than 1 second
    B) About 1 hour
    C) About 1 month
    D) About 4 years

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    21) The diagrams show different trials Abdul carried out with carts having different-sized wheels. He started them from different heights and the blocks he put in them were of equal mass.

    He wants to test this idea: The heavier a cart is, the greater its speed at the bottom of a ramp. Which three trials should he compare?

    A) G, T, and X
    B) O, T, and Z
    C) R, U, and Z
    D) S, T, and U
    E) S,W, and X

    _______________________________________________________________________________

    22) Maria collected the gas given off by a glowing piece of charcoal. The Gas was then bubbled through a small amount of colorless limewater. Part of Maria's report stated, "After the gas was put into the jar, the limewater gradually changed to a milky white color." This statement is

    A) An observation
    B) A conclusion
    C) A generalization
    D) An assumption of the investigation
    E) A hypothesis

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    23) One of the principal causes of acid rain is

    A) Waste acid from chemical factories being pumped into rivers.
    B) Acid from chemical laboratories evaporating into the air.
    C) Gases from burning coal and oil dissolving in water in the atmosphere
    D) Gases from air conditioners and refrigerators escaping into the atmosphere.

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    24) The diagram shows five different Celsius Thermometers. The body temperature of sick people ranges from 36 degrees Celsius to 42 degrees Celsius. Which thermometer would be most suited for accurately measuring body temperature?

    A) thermometer A
    B) thermometer B
    C) thermometer C
    D) thermometer D
    E) thermometer E

    _______________________________________________________________________________
    25) Whenever scientists carefully measure any quantity many times, they expect that

    A) All of the measurements will be exactly the same.
    B) Only two of the measurements will be exactly the same.
    C) All but one of the measurements will be exactly the same.
    D) Most of the measurements will be close but not exactly the same.

    _______________________________________________________________________________

    Did you check the right side bullets to make sure all questions have been answered? All bullets should be clear.


  • Return to the Edinformatics Homepage