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Teacher Certification · 5005

Praxis Elementary Education: Science Subtest Practice Test

Praxis Elementary Education: Science Subtest (5005) addresses elementary-level life, Earth, and physical science. Its practice-bank examples involve plant needs, habitats and populations, rock formation and weathering, properties of air, light and sound, magnetism, and heat transfer. These topics connect observable phenomena with scientific explanations and elementary classroom investigations.

Exam overview

Exam providerETS Praxis
Exam code5005
CategoryTeacher Certification

About the Praxis Elementary Education: Science Subtest Exam

Science questions can require identifying a relevant variable, predicting an outcome from evidence, or choosing an explanation consistent with an observation. Life science examples include plant growth, decomposition, and how population changes relate to available resources. Earth science reasoning distinguishes weathering, which breaks rock apart, from transport and deposition, and considers how sediment features form. Physical science examples apply particle behavior to heated air, compare sound and light travel, and use magnetic field patterns or thermal conductivity to explain observations. For elementary teaching, these ideas support selecting demonstrations, helping students distinguish evidence from a claim, and connecting familiar materials or events to scientific models. When reviewing a question, identify what is being compared, note which conditions remain constant, and check whether the explanation accounts for the observed result.

Sample Practice Questions

Review a selection from this exam's published US Practice Tests practice bank.

Question 1

A student compares two identical seedlings. One is watered regularly, while the other receives no water. Which outcome is most likely over time?

  1. AThe unwatered seedling will wilt because water supports plant cells and life processes.
  2. BThe unwatered seedling will grow faster because it has less mass to support.
  3. CBoth seedlings will grow equally because plants obtain all needed water from air.
  4. DThe watered seedling will stop taking in minerals from the soil.
Show answerCorrect answer: A

Plants need water for processes including maintaining cell firmness and transporting dissolved substances. Without adequate water, a seedling commonly wilts and its growth is impaired.

Question 2

A student mixes sand and iron filings. Which method is most suitable for separating the iron filings from the sand?

  1. AUse a magnet to attract the iron filings.
  2. BAdd water so the sand turns into a gas.
  3. CFreeze the mixture so the iron disappears.
  4. DUse a sieve because iron filings are always larger than sand grains.
Show answerCorrect answer: A

Iron is attracted to a magnet, while sand is not. Moving a magnet through or over the mixture can separate the iron filings from the sand.

Question 3

In a habitat, decomposers such as fungi and many bacteria break down dead organisms. What is an important result of this process?

  1. ANutrients are returned to the environment for reuse
  2. BAll energy from the organisms is recycled into sunlight
  3. CThe habitat permanently loses its mineral nutrients
  4. DDead material is converted directly into new predators
Show answerCorrect answer: A

Decomposers break down organic matter and release nutrients back into soil or water. These nutrients can then be used by plants and other organisms.

Question 4

In a meadow, a population of rabbits becomes much larger while the amount of available grass stays about the same. Which outcome is most likely if this continues?

  1. ACompetition among rabbits for food will increase.
  2. BEach rabbit will require less food because there are more rabbits.
  3. CThe grass will become a consumer in the food web.
  4. DThe rabbits will no longer need energy.
Show answerCorrect answer: A

When a population grows while a necessary resource remains limited, individuals compete more for that resource. Competition can affect survival and population size.

Question 5

A student observes that a rock layer containing many small, rounded pebbles lies beneath a layer of fine mudstone. What process most likely formed the pebbles before they were deposited?

  1. AFragments were worn down and rounded as they were transported by moving water.
  2. BMolten rock cooled quickly at Earth's surface.
  3. CMinerals crystallized from water in a cave.
  4. DThe rock was changed by intense heat and pressure deep underground.
Show answerCorrect answer: A

Pebbles that are rounded and occur together in a sedimentary layer commonly result when moving water transports and abrades rock fragments before deposition.

Question 6

Which process is primarily responsible for breaking exposed rock into smaller pieces without moving those pieces to a new location?

  1. AWeathering
  2. BErosion
  3. CDeposition
  4. DCompaction
Show answerCorrect answer: A

Weathering breaks rock down in place through physical or chemical processes. Erosion is the transport of weathered material, while deposition is its settling.

Question 7

A student places a sealed syringe containing air in warm water. The plunger moves outward slightly. Which explanation best accounts for this observation?

  1. AWarming makes the gas particles move faster and exert greater pressure, pushing the plunger outward.
  2. BWarming changes the gas into a solid that expands.
  3. CThe air particles stop moving and pull the plunger outward.
  4. DThe warm water enters the sealed syringe and pushes the plunger.
Show answerCorrect answer: A

Heating a gas increases the average kinetic energy of its particles. In a movable, sealed syringe, the gas can expand and push the plunger outward.

How to use this practice test

The free practice bank contains 50 published questions. Each session presents up to 20 random questions and shows results afterward. Use a session to identify which science explanations need further attention, then revisit missed concepts such as weathering versus erosion, resource limits, or heat transfer.

Preparation tips

  • For plant-growth scenarios, track the changed condition and predict its effect on growth while holding other conditions constant.
  • Sort Earth science processes by whether they break down, move, or deposit material; apply the distinctions to rock and sediment observations.
  • Review how heating affects gas particles, and distinguish heat transfer through materials from temperature itself.
  • Compare how light and sound travel to explain why a lightning flash is seen before thunder is heard.
  • Practice interpreting simple diagrams of magnetic field patterns and explaining what iron filings reveal about a magnet.
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