Year 10 Science practice tests with worked solutions

What the course asks of you

Genetics and evolution

Inheritance, DNA, and the evidence that populations change over time.

Chemistry

Atomic structure, the periodic table, and what happens in a reaction.

Earth and space

The universe, and the global systems that connect the atmosphere and oceans.

Physics

Motion, forces, and reading a motion graph.

Sample questions

Written for this site, in the style of the exam. Answer first, then see the model response and what the marks were for.

1. Question 1

   1 mark

   Which statement correctly describes an isotope?
   A. An atom with the same number of protons but a different number of neutronsB. An atom with the same number of neutrons but a different number of protonsC. An atom that has gained or lost electronsD. An atom with a different number of electrons in its outer shell
   Check answer

2. Question 2

   4 marks

   A car travels at a constant 20 m/s for 5 seconds, then brakes uniformly to rest over the next 4 seconds. a. Calculate the total distance travelled. b. Describe how the shape of a velocity–time graph shows the braking phase.
   Show the model answer

3. Question 3

   3 marks

   In pea plants, the allele for tall (T) is dominant over the allele for short (t). Two heterozygous tall plants are crossed. State the expected ratio of tall to short offspring and explain how you obtained it.
   Show the model answer

4. Question 4

   3 marks

   Explain why the reaction between marble chips and hydrochloric acid speeds up when the marble is crushed into a powder.
   Show the model answer

The habits Year 11 science assumes

Year 10 science is where the reasoning is built. The content is revisited later; the habits are not taught again.

Reading data before explaining it

Senior science questions hand you a graph or a table and ask what follows. An answer written from memory, without quoting the data, is marked as not having used it.

Naming a mechanism, not a result

"It gets hotter" is an observation. Saying why it gets hotter is the answer. This distinction decides most explanation marks from Year 11 onwards.

Variables, controls and fair tests

Knowing which variable was changed, which was measured and which was held still is assumed knowledge in every senior practical question.

Units and sensible figures

A number without a unit is an incomplete answer in senior science, and it is marked that way. The habit is easiest to build before the marks depend on it.

How to use these papers in Year 10

As a check on reasoning rather than recall. If an answer is right but could not be justified out loud, it is not yet secure.

Do them before Year 11 starts rather than during it. Finding a gap in how you read a graph is a small job in January and a distraction in June.

Write answers in full sentences, even when a phrase would do. Senior science is marked on what is written, and the habit of writing the mechanism has to start somewhere.

Common questions

Does Year 10 science count towards the HSC?

No. It matters because Year 11 Biology, Chemistry and Physics assume the reasoning built here — reading data, naming mechanisms, handling variables — from their first topic.

How is senior science marked differently?

By the command word. Describe, explain, assess and justify ask for different things and carry different marks, and answering the wrong one is the commonest way to lose marks you had the knowledge to earn.

Which senior science should I take?

Whichever you will keep working at. All three assume the same underlying habits, so being fluent at reading data and explaining mechanisms matters more to the outcome than which subject is chosen.