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Georgia GACE Science (6-12) Assessment Practice Test

The Georgia GACE Science (6-12) Assessment practice page samples concepts across physical, life, and Earth science. Question topics include energy transfer, chemical reactions and properties, motion and electricity, cell structures, photosynthesis, ecosystem interactions, and water-cycle processes. Problems often ask you to interpret an observation or apply a scientific relationship to a classroom-style scenario.

Exam overview

Exam providerGeorgia Professional Standards Commission
Exam code717
CategoryTeacher Certification

About the Georgia GACE Science (6-12) Assessment Exam

Science teaching requires connecting observable evidence to models and principles. Practice scenarios ask you to reason about heat flow in a closed system, distinguish a catalyst’s effect on reaction rate from its consumption, and use relationships such as distance = speed × time or Ohm’s law. Biology examples involve cell structures, energy capture, and contaminant movement through food webs; Earth science examples connect plant transpiration with atmospheric water. Build accuracy by identifying what is given, selecting the relevant principle, and checking whether the conclusion follows from the evidence. For quantitative items, track units through each calculation. For conceptual items, compare the claim with the stated conditions, such as whether heat can escape or a substance is chemically changed.

Sample Practice Questions

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

Question 1

In a food web, a pesticide accumulates in the tissues of organisms and is not readily broken down. Which organisms are most likely to have the highest pesticide concentration?

  1. AProducers at the base of the food web
  2. BPrimary consumers that eat producers
  3. CTop predators that eat other consumers
  4. DDecomposers that break down dead material
Show answerCorrect answer: C

For a persistent substance that is not readily eliminated, concentration can increase at higher trophic levels through biomagnification. Top predators consume many contaminated organisms and are therefore often most affected.

Question 2

A student places equal volumes of warm and cool water in identical insulated containers and then mixes them. Assuming no heat is exchanged with the surroundings, which statement describes the final temperature?

  1. AIt is between the initial temperatures because energy transfers from warm water to cool water.
  2. BIt is higher than both initial temperatures because mixing creates heat.
  3. CIt is lower than both initial temperatures because mixing destroys heat.
  4. DIt always equals the arithmetic mean, regardless of the amounts of water.
Show answerCorrect answer: A

Thermal energy transfers from the warmer water to the cooler water until they reach thermal equilibrium. With equal amounts of the same substance and no heat loss, the final temperature lies between the initial temperatures; in this special case it is their mean.

Question 3

Which structure in a typical plant cell contains chlorophyll and captures light energy for photosynthesis?

  1. ARibosome
  2. BChloroplast
  3. CLysosome
  4. DGolgi apparatus
Show answerCorrect answer: B

Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll and are the main sites of photosynthesis in plant cells. Chlorophyll absorbs light energy that supports the production of sugars.

Question 4

A student adds a catalyst to a reaction mixture. Which change is expected if the catalyst is not consumed by the reaction?

  1. AThe reaction reaches its products faster because the activation energy is lower.
  2. BThe reaction produces a different set of atoms because the catalyst adds matter.
  3. CThe reaction releases energy even if it originally absorbed energy.
  4. DThe reaction can no longer occur in the reverse direction.
Show answerCorrect answer: A

A catalyst provides an alternative reaction pathway with lower activation energy, increasing the reaction rate. It does not change the overall identities of reactants and products or the reaction's net energy change.

Question 5

A cart moves at a constant speed of 3 meters per second for 8 seconds. How far does it travel?

  1. A11 meters
  2. B24 meters
  3. C5 meters
  4. D2.7 meters
Show answerCorrect answer: B

For constant speed, distance equals speed multiplied by time: 3 m/s × 8 s = 24 m.

Question 6

A student dissolves a solid in water and observes that the temperature of the solution decreases. Which conclusion is best supported by this observation?

  1. AThe dissolving process absorbed thermal energy from its surroundings.
  2. BThe solid underwent combustion in the water.
  3. CThe solution released thermal energy to its surroundings.
  4. DThe solid's atoms were converted into a different element.
Show answerCorrect answer: A

A temperature decrease indicates that the dissolving process took in thermal energy from the solution and nearby surroundings. This is an endothermic process; the observation alone does not imply combustion or a change in elements.

Question 7

A solution has a pH of 3. Which statement about the solution is correct?

  1. AIt is acidic and has a greater hydrogen-ion concentration than a solution at pH 5
  2. BIt is basic and has a lower hydrogen-ion concentration than a solution at pH 5
  3. CIt is neutral because its pH is above zero
  4. DIt is acidic but has the same hydrogen-ion concentration as a solution at pH 5
Show answerCorrect answer: A

A pH below 7 indicates an acidic solution. Each one-unit decrease in pH corresponds to a tenfold increase in hydrogen-ion concentration, so pH 3 has more hydrogen ions than pH 5.

How to use this practice test

The free US Practice Tests practice session draws up to 20 random questions from the published bank of 50. Answer each item before moving on, then use the results shown at the end to identify concepts that need another pass, such as energy transfer, reaction behavior, or basic circuit calculations.

Preparation tips

  • Practice calculating distance, current, and related quantities from stated values; write units beside each number and verify the final unit.
  • Compare endothermic and exothermic observations by tracking heat transfer between a process and its surroundings.
  • Review how chloroplasts capture light energy, how transpiration moves water from leaves, and how persistent contaminants can concentrate along food webs.
  • For physical-change scenarios such as thermal expansion, distinguish reversible changes in dimensions from changes in a material’s chemical identity.
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