NES Profile: Middle Grades General Science (205)
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Overview
The resources below provide information about this test, including the approximate percentage of the total test score derived from each content domain. The complete set of the content domains, the test framework, is provided here and contains all of the competencies and descriptive statements that define the content of the test.
Select from the links below to view:
- the test competencies associated with the content domain,
- a set of descriptive statements that further explain each competency,
- a sample test question aligned to each competency.
Hover over chart or review table below for details.
Chart is defined in table below.
table outlining test content and subject weighting by test question format and competencies
| Key |
Approximate
Percentage of Test Score |
Content Domain |
Range of
Competencies |
| IDomain 1 |
40% |
Physical Science |
0001– to 0004 |
| IIDomain 2 |
30% |
Life Science |
0005– to 0006 |
| IIIDomain 3 |
30% |
Earth and Space Science |
0007– to 0008 |
Content Domain I: Physical Science
Competencies 0001–0004
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Descriptive Statements:
- Identify historical and contemporary theories of atomic structure.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of matter (e.g., reactivity, polarization, electronegativity).
- Recognize the characteristics of different types of chemical bonds and their effects on the properties of matter.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the organization of the periodic table and its relationship to the structure and behavior of elements.
- Apply knowledge of the characteristics of elements, compounds, and mixtures, including solutions, suspensions, and colloids.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the nature of radioactive materials (e.g., real-world examples, various forms of atoms, isotopes, radioactive vs. nonradioactive atoms).
- Apply knowledge of the principles and procedures of designing and carrying out scientific investigations, including appropriate safety procedures; apply mathematical and computational skills to scientific investigations; and analyze scientific data related to understanding the properties and characteristics of matter.
- Apply knowledge of engineering design practices related to understanding the properties and characteristics of matter, including identifying criteria and constraints for a given problem, using iterative design, and evaluating an engineering/technical solution.
Sample Item:
During an investigation on rocks and minerals, a student takes a sample and scratches it on a glass plate. This test is primarily performed to determine which of the following properties of the mineral?
- conductivity
- magnetism
- solubility
- hardness
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. The student will determine if the mineral scratches the surface of the glass. The result of the test is then compared to the Mohs hardness scale to determine a number, making scratching a mineral against a glass plate a primary method of determining hardness of a mineral.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the conservation of matter in chemical reactions and in balancing chemical equations.
- Analyze physical and chemical changes.
- Apply knowledge of chemical formulas, the mole concept, and chemical equations to solve problems.
- Analyze phase changes and the characteristics of the different states of matter.
- Recognize the characteristics of different types of chemical reactions and factors that affect rates of reaction and chemical equilibrium.
- Apply knowledge of the ideal gas law and kinetic molecular theory.
- Apply knowledge of the principles and procedures of designing and carrying out scientific investigations, including appropriate safety procedures; apply mathematical and computational skills to scientific investigations; and analyze scientific data related to understanding the physical and chemical changes in matter.
- Apply knowledge of engineering design practices related to understanding the physical and chemical changes in matter, including identifying criteria and constraints for a given problem, using iterative design, and evaluating an engineering/technical solution.
Sample Item:
Which of the following products is primarily created by using processes of physical change?
- blending fruit to make a smoothie
- burning wood to produce a fire
- baking a birthday cake
- cooking an omelet
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. Blending fruit to make a smoothie is the best example of a physical change because the fruit only undergoes a change in size, but the chemical make-up of the smoothie's matter remains the same.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the law of conservation of energy, the laws of thermodynamics, and the concepts of entropy and enthalpy.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics of different forms of energy and their transformations.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the transfer of energy through conduction, convection, and radiation, including using models.
- Analyze characteristics of electrical charge and static electricity, problems involving Ohm's law, and series and parallel circuits.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between magnetism and electricity as well as the properties of permanent magnets and electromagnets.
- Recognize the characteristics of the electromagnetic spectrum.
- Analyze the effects of mirrors, lenses, and prisms on the behavior of light.
- Apply knowledge of the characteristics of waves (e.g., sound, mechanical, electromagnetic) and their behavior as they pass through different media, including the relationship between wave characteristics and their properties.
- Apply knowledge of the principles and procedures of designing and carrying out scientific investigations, including appropriate safety procedures; apply mathematical and computational skills to scientific investigations; and analyze scientific data related to understanding the characteristics of different forms of energy and of mechanical and electromagnetic waves.
- Apply knowledge of engineering design practices related to understanding the characteristics of different forms of energy and of mechanical and electromagnetic waves, including identifying criteria and constraints for a given problem, using iterative design, and evaluating an engineering/technical solution.
Sample Item:
A teacher supplies groups of students with a given number of magnets, enamel-coated coiled wires, batteries, plastic containers, sandpaper, and electrical tape. The goal of the engineering project is to create a functional speaker using an electromagnetic circuit. The speakers will be tested using a classroom radio. Which of the following modifications to the homemade speaker will increase the strength of sound output?
- adding more electrical tape within the circuit
- decreasing the numbers of batteries attached to the circuit
- increasing the number of coils in the circuit
- removing enamel from coated wires throughout the circuit
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
C. Since sound in the speakers relies on magnetic fields to interact to produce mechanical waves and create vibrations to produce sound, strengthening the magnetic field will increase the sound output. Increasing the number of coils in a circuit will increase the strength of the sound output from the speaker because more turns in the wire will produce a stronger net magnetic field.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of Newton's three laws of motion in a variety of situations.
- Apply knowledge of scalar and vector quantities and solve related problems.
- Apply knowledge of separate forces that act on a system (e.g., gravity, friction, pressure, buoyancy) in a variety of situations, including determining the stability or net force on a system.
- Analyze the motion of an object, including through graphs and diagrams.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of work and power, including as applied to simple machines.
- Apply knowledge of the principles and procedures of designing and carrying out scientific investigations, including appropriate safety procedures; apply mathematical and computational skills to scientific investigations; and analyze scientific data related to understanding the relationships between force, mass, and motion.
- Apply knowledge of engineering design practices related to understanding the relationships between force, mass, and motion, including identifying criteria and constraints for a given problem, using iterative design, and evaluating an engineering/technical solution.
Sample Item:
A marble with a volume of 2 cm3 and a mass of 6 g has the potential energy of 0.06 J as it sits at the top of a ramp. Once released, the ball rolls down a 1-meter ramp at a velocity of 5.25 m/s. Which of the following magnitudes is a vector quantity in this scenario?
A marble with a volume of 2 centimeters cubed and a mass of 6 grams has the potential energy of 0.06 Joules as it sits at the top of a ramp. Once released, the ball rolls down a 1 meter ramp at a velocity of 5.25 meters per second. Which of the following magnitudes is a vector quantity in this scenario?
- mass
- volume
- energy
- velocity
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. A vector quantity consists of magnitude and direction. Since the velocity of the ball is that it is moving down at 5.25 meters per second, velocity is the vector quantity in this scenario.
Content Domain II: Life Science
Competencies 0005–0006
Descriptive Statements:
- Recognize how the structure of specialized cells relates to their various functions.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the structure and function of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, including cell organelles.
- Demonstrate knowledge of mitosis and meiosis.
- Analyze the reproduction, development, and life cycles of representative organisms.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the structures and functions of plant and animal systems, including the different levels of biological organization.
- Analyze how organisms obtain, use, and store matter and energy.
- Analyze the processes of respiration and photosynthesis at the cellular level.
- Analyze how organisms maintain homeostasis, fight diseases, and repair injuries.
- Apply knowledge of the principles and procedures of designing and carrying out scientific investigations, including appropriate safety procedures; apply mathematical and computational skills to scientific investigations; and analyze scientific data related to understanding the characteristics and processes of cells and living organisms.
- Apply knowledge of engineering design practices related to understanding the characteristics and processes of cells and living organisms, including identifying criteria and constraints for a given problem, using iterative design, and evaluating an engineering/technical solution.
Sample Item:
The folding of the internal membrane of the mitochondria serves which of the following purposes?
- increasing the number of separate compartments in which proteins can be assembled
- increasing the capacity to filter waste products produced during the process of cellular respiration
- increasing the capacity to absorb enzymes needed to regulate cell division
- increasing the surface area over which energy-releasing chemical reactions take place
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. Many of the reactions involved in cellular respiration occur on the membranes of mitochondria. The folding of the internal membrane serves to increase its surface area, thereby providing more surface on which reactions can take place.
Descriptive Statements:
- Recognize the basic principles of heredity, the nature of the genetic code, the basic processes of DNA replication and protein synthesis, and the methods and uses of genetic engineering.
- Apply knowledge of the source and importance of variation of traits in a given species.
- Apply knowledge of the principles of and evidence for biological evolution.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the major events in the history of life on Earth, including mass extinctions and the evolution of organisms that characterize specific periods in Earth's history.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics of terrestrial and aquatic biomes, including representative species of plants and animals that inhabit them.
- Analyze the relationships between organisms in a variety of ecosystems and strategies used by different organisms to obtain the basic needs for life, including group behavior.
- Demonstrate knowledge of biotic and abiotic factors that affect population dynamics in ecosystems, including competition, resource availability, and niche and habitat requirements.
- Recognize the principles of biological classification.
- Analyze the cycling of matter and the flow of energy through different types of ecosystems.
- Apply knowledge of the principles and procedures of designing and carrying out scientific investigations, including appropriate safety procedures; apply mathematical and computational skills to scientific investigations; and analyze scientific data related to understanding the concepts and principles related to heredity, evolution, and ecosystems.
- Apply knowledge of engineering design practices related to understanding the concepts and principles related to heredity, evolution, and ecosystems, including identifying criteria and constraints for a given problem, using iterative design, and evaluating an engineering/technical solution.
Sample Item:
Many island organisms have evolved to occupy specific ecological niches. As a result of being exposed to such a limited number of selective forces, these organisms are particularly vulnerable to extinction caused by:
- neutral mutations that spread among the population.
- the emergence of an invasive species among the population.
- interbreeding with another species population found on the island.
- the sudden behavioral changes to create an isolated habitat for the population.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. The organisms on any island are isolated and have specific niches. This makes the population vulnerable to the emergence of an invasive species due to the lack of a predator within the community to control the spread of the invasive species. Therefore, the delicate relationship of the prey and predator becomes disproportionately unstable after the invasive species is introduced, leading to the extinctions of local species on the island.
Content Domain III: Earth and Space Science
Competencies 0007–0008
Descriptive Statements:
- Recognize the characteristics and evolution of stars and galaxies, including theories about the origin and nature of the universe and supporting evidence.
- Analyze the interactions of the sun, the moon, and Earth and the effects of these interactions on Earth.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the role of gravity in the solar system and the universe.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics of objects in the solar system (e.g., formation, history, structure, distance, size).
- Apply knowledge of geologic evidence (e.g., rock strata, fossils, plate tectonics) to support the timeline of Earth's geologic history.
- Analyze tectonic processes, the mechanisms driving plate movements, and the landforms and geologic phenomena produced by movement at plate boundaries.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the processes involved in the rock cycle and of the characteristics of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, including the characteristics and origins of common rocks, minerals, and fossils.
- Analyze the constructive and destructive processes that shape Earth's surface, including weathering, erosion, transportation, and deposition.
- Recognize the characteristics and origins of mineral, geothermal, and fossil fuel resources.
- Apply knowledge of the principles and procedures of designing and carrying out scientific investigations, including appropriate safety procedures; apply mathematical and computational skills to scientific investigations; and analyze scientific data related to understanding the characteristics of Earth, the solar system, and the universe.
- Apply knowledge of engineering design practices related to understanding the characteristics of Earth, the solar system, and the universe, including identifying criteria and constraints for a given problem, using iterative design, and evaluating an engineering/technical solution.
Sample Item:
Which of the following geologic landforms are produced primarily by plates moving away from each other at a divergent plate boundary?
- island chains
- deep trenches
- ocean basins
- accretionary wedges
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
C. Ocean basins are primarily produced from divergent zones where tectonic plates move away from each other. The plates begin to stretch and split as the continental crust rifts apart while new crust forms and cools to form ridges along the oceanic floor.
Descriptive Statements:
- Analyze the physical processes and interactions of the hydrologic cycle with Earth's atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.
- Identify the processes and characteristics of marine and freshwater systems, including oceans, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems, and glaciers.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the structure, functions, and characteristics of the different layers of Earth's atmosphere.
- Analyze atmospheric conditions and geographic factors that produce weather and natural hazards in different parts of the world, and use weather maps and data to predict and explain weather events.
- Recognize factors controlling regional and global climate conditions and the role of humans in causing changes in climate, including the greenhouse effect and the roles of Earth systems in regulating change.
- Recognize how current changes in global climate are affecting Earth systems (e.g., ecosystems, the hydrosphere, coastal processes, agriculture).
- Analyze the positive and negative impacts on the environment that result from the extraction, development, use, and/or disposal of natural and synthetic materials (e.g., antibiotics, pesticides, plastics, nitrates, fossil fuels).
- Demonstrate knowledge of the ways in which science, engineering practices, and technology can be used to reduce humans' impact on the environment.
- Apply knowledge of the principles and procedures of designing and carrying out scientific investigations, including appropriate safety procedures; apply mathematical and computational skills to scientific investigations; and analyze scientific data related to understanding Earth's hydrosphere, atmosphere, weather, and climate.
- Apply knowledge of engineering design practices related to understanding Earth's hydrosphere, atmosphere, weather, and climate, including identifying criteria and constraints for a given problem, using iterative design, and evaluating an engineering/technical solution.
Sample Item:
Which of the following processes in the water cycle can increase the probability of erosion on the ground?
- evaporation
- surface runoff
- condensation
- plant transpiration
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. Within the water cycle, surface runoff will increase the probability of erosion on the ground because water is one of the primary agents of erosion. As the water flows and moves along the surface, it removes particles of soil, sediment, and dissolved material away from the ground, and the loose earth material transports as runoff into local bodies of water.
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