Biology Final Exam

Three fixed practice papers in course order, full year or one semester, with every answer explained.

Which sugar is the chief source of energy for living organisms?

Pick an answer, then press Check answer. Then you see Correct or Not quite, with the reason. Keys: A to D pick, Enter checks.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with any school, district or state. Bank checked October 7, 2026.

Next step Drill one topic: biology questions by topic

Full year: all 40 questions

The chemistry of life 4

  • A solution has a pH of 3. How is it described? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "pH". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • DNA and RNA belong to which group of large biological molecules? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Nucleic Acids". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • Lactase is an enzyme that breaks down lactose, a sugar in milk. To which group of molecules does lactase belong? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entries "enzyme" and "lactase". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
Show all 40 questions (37 more)

The chemistry of life, continued

  • Which sugar is the chief source of energy for living organisms? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "glucose". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6

Cells 6

  • Plants and animals are made of numerous cells. What do many microbes, such as bacteria, consist of? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Cell". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • What is the diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane called? NCI SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology, page "Cell Function". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • When blood glucose rises, the pancreas releases insulin, and glucose falls back toward its normal level. What is this an example of? NCI SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology, pages "Characteristics of Hormones" and "Pancreas: Islets of Langerhans"; NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms, entry "insulin". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • Which list runs from the simplest level of organization to the most complex? NCI SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology, page "Introduction to the Human Body". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Which organelle is enclosed by a membrane with pores and contains the cell's chromosomes? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Nucleus". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Which structure is found in all cells and separates the inside of the cell from its surroundings? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Cell Membrane". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2

Energy in cells 5

  • An animal loses heat to its surroundings all the time. Cellular respiration releases the energy it needs to keep which of these steady? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS1.C (Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-7
  • In cellular respiration, the bonds of food molecules and of which gas are broken? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS1.C (Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-7
  • Where does chemosynthesis get the energy to make food? NOAA Ocean Exploration, "What is the difference between photosynthesis and chemosynthesis?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-3
  • Which process is the main way that solar energy is captured and stored on Earth? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea PS3.D (Energy in Chemical Processes). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-5
  • Which statement correctly compares photosynthesis and cellular respiration? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS1.C (Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-5

Cell division 5

  • A fertilized egg becomes an organism of many cells mainly through which process? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS1.B (Growth and Development of Organisms). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • The body cells of a species have 16 chromosomes. How many chromosomes are in each of its gametes? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Gamete". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • One diploid cell goes through meiosis. What is produced? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Meiosis". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • What is the job of the checkpoints in the cell cycle? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "How do genes control the growth and division of cells?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • Young, unspecialized cells take on a mature form and a special function. What is this process called? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "cell differentiation". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4

Heredity 5

  • Height is influenced by many genes. What is such a characteristic called? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Polygenic Trait". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-3
  • Two heterozygous parents (Aa × Aa) have offspring. What fraction of the offspring is expected to be heterozygous? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "If a genetic disorder runs in my family, what are the chances that my children will have the condition?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-3
  • What is the basic unit of inheritance, which holds the information needed to specify a trait? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Gene". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • Which chart diagrams the inheritance of a trait through the generations of a family? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Pedigree". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • Which sex chromosomes does a human male typically have? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Sex Chromosome". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1

DNA and proteins 5

  • One base is inserted into a gene, so every codon after it is read incorrectly. What kind of mutation is this? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Frameshift Mutation". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • What does a stop codon signal? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Stop Codon". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • Which of these is a mutagen, an agent able to cause changes in DNA? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Mutagen". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • Which sequence shows the usual flow of genetic information in a cell? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Central Dogma". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • Why can a DNA molecule be copied exactly? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "What is DNA?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1

Evolution 5

  • A few individuals leave a large population and start a new one that has less genetic variation. What is this called? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Founder Effect". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-3
  • Most fossils are the remains of which organisms? U.S. Geological Survey, "Fossils, Rocks, and Time", section "Fossil Succession". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-1
  • Natural selection can occur in a population only if its members do what? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS4.B (Natural Selection). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-2
  • Populations of one species live under different conditions and diverge until they are distinct. What is the result? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS4.C (Adaptation). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-5
  • Which two scientists proposed in the mid-1800s that older species of life give rise to younger ones? U.S. Geological Survey, "Fossils, Rocks, and Time", section "Fossil Succession". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-2

Ecology 5

  • A top predator is removed from a food web. What usually happens first to the animals it ate? NOAA Education, "Aquatic food webs". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-6
  • After a modest disturbance, what does a resilient ecosystem tend to do? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS2.C (Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-6
  • How does burning fossil fuels affect the carbon cycle? NOAA Education, "Carbon cycle". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-7
  • Why are there generally fewer organisms at the higher levels of a food web? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS2.B (Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-4
  • Why is there so little oxygen in the water of a coastal "dead zone"? NOAA National Ocean Service, "What is a dead zone?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-7

How this list was compiled: Outline: the high school life science performance expectations of the Next Generation Science Standards (HS-LS1 to HS-LS4), https://www.nextgenscience.org/dci-arrangement/hs-ls1-molecules-organisms-structures-and-processes and the HS-LS2, HS-LS3 and HS-LS4 pages, read 2026-10-07. Facts: the NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (genome.gov), MedlinePlus Genetics, the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms and SEER Training Modules (cancer.gov), NOAA education and ocean facts pages, U.S. Geological Survey "Fossils, Rocks, and Time" and the core idea text of the standards; the page each fact was read on is named under its question. All read 2026-10-07. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from public documents. Nothing is copied from a school, district or state exam, a released item, a textbook or another practice test.

First semester: all 40 questions

The chemistry of life 9

  • A nucleotide is made of a sugar, a phosphate group and what else? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Nucleotide". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • How many different amino acids are used to build proteins? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Amino Acids". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • On the pH scale, which value is neutral? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "pH". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
Show all 40 questions (37 more)

The chemistry of life, continued

  • Starch and cellulose are both examples of which kind of molecule? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "carbohydrate". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • What does the sequence of amino acids in a protein determine? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "What are proteins and what do they do?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • What happens to an enzyme once the reaction it speeds up is over? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Enzyme". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • Which molecules are the building blocks of proteins? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entries "Amino Acids" and "Nucleotide". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • Which of these best describes an enzyme? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Enzyme". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • Which three elements are found in every sugar molecule? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS1.C (Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6

Cells 11

  • All cells can be sorted into two groups. Which group has a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Cell". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Particles spread from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration. What is this movement called? NCI SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology, page "Cell Function". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • What do lysosomes contain? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Lysosome". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • What is the cell membrane mainly made of? NCI SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology, page "Cell Structure". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • What is the main job of the large vacuole in a plant cell? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Vacuole". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Where in a cell are proteins assembled? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Ribosome". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • Which organelle generates most of the chemical energy that powers the cell's reactions? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Mitochondria". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Which organelle processes and packages proteins for export from the cell? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Golgi Body". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Which process moves a substance against its concentration gradient and uses energy? NCI SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology, page "Cell Function". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • Which term names the state of balance in which body levels such as temperature and blood sugar are kept within a normal range? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "homeostasis". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • Why does rough endoplasmic reticulum look rough? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Endoplasmic Reticulum (Rough)". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2

Energy in cells 10

  • A green plant is sealed in a clear jar and kept in the dark overnight. What happens to the amount of oxygen in the jar? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS1.C (Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-7
  • Glycolysis is the partial breakdown of which molecule? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "glycolysis". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-7
  • In which small molecule is the chemical energy produced by mitochondria stored? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Mitochondria". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-7
  • Photosynthesis converts light energy into which form of energy? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS1.C (Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-5
  • Phytoplankton and land plants both contain which pigment and need sunlight to live and grow? NOAA National Ocean Service, "What are phytoplankton?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-5
  • Which gas is given off during photosynthesis? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "photosynthesis". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-5
  • Which organisms carry out photosynthesis? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "photosynthesis". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-5
  • Which process uses oxygen to release energy from sugars? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "aerobic respiration". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-7
  • Which statement about glycolysis is true? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "glycolysis". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-3
  • Which two substances does a plant take in to carry out photosynthesis? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS1.C (Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-5

Cell division 10

  • A body cell of an animal has 20 chromosomes. After mitosis, how many chromosomes are in each daughter cell? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Mitosis". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • After mitosis and division of the cell, how do the two daughter cells compare? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Mitosis". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • In which part of the cell cycle does a cell spend most of its time, growing and copying its chromosomes? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Cell Cycle". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • What are the two identical halves of a replicated chromosome called? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Chromatid". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • What goes wrong with the cell cycle when cancer develops? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Cancer". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • What is programmed cell death called? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Apoptosis". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • What is the division of the cytoplasm called? NCI SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology, page "Cell Function". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • What must a cell do before it divides so that each daughter cell gets a complete genome? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "DNA Replication". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • Where on a chromosome do spindle fibers attach during cell division? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Centromere". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • Which list gives the stages of mitosis in order? NCI SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology, page "Cell Function". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4

How this list was compiled: Outline: the high school life science performance expectations of the Next Generation Science Standards (HS-LS1 to HS-LS4), https://www.nextgenscience.org/dci-arrangement/hs-ls1-molecules-organisms-structures-and-processes and the HS-LS2, HS-LS3 and HS-LS4 pages, read 2026-10-07. Facts: the NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (genome.gov), MedlinePlus Genetics, the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms and SEER Training Modules (cancer.gov), NOAA education and ocean facts pages, U.S. Geological Survey "Fossils, Rocks, and Time" and the core idea text of the standards; the page each fact was read on is named under its question. All read 2026-10-07. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from public documents. Nothing is copied from a school, district or state exam, a released item, a textbook or another practice test.

Second semester: all 40 questions

Heredity 10

  • A heterozygous parent (Bb) is crossed with a homozygous recessive parent (bb). What is the chance that an offspring shows the recessive trait? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Recessive". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-3
  • An individual has two different alleles of a gene. Which term describes that individual? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Heterozygous". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • How many chromosomes are in a human egg or sperm cell? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "How do cells divide?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
Show all 40 questions (37 more)

Heredity, continued

  • In a heterozygous individual, one allele is expressed and the effect of the other is masked. What is the masked allele called? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Dominant". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • Observable traits such as height, eye color and blood type make up an individual's what? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Phenotype". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-3
  • Two parents are both heterozygous (Bb) for a trait in which B is dominant. What is the chance that an offspring shows the recessive trait? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "If a genetic disorder runs in my family, what are the chances that my children will have the condition?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-3
  • What are different versions of the same gene called? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Allele". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • What does crossing over during meiosis produce? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Crossing Over". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • Which type of cell division produces gametes? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Meiosis". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • Who is affected more often by an X-linked recessive condition, and why? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "What are the different ways a genetic condition can be inherited?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-3

DNA and proteins 10

  • A DNA template strand reads TAC GGA. Which mRNA is transcribed from it? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Transcription". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • How many nucleotides make up one codon? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Codon". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • In DNA, which base pairs with adenine? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "ACGT". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • One strand of DNA reads ATGCCA. What is the sequence of the complementary strand? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "ACGT". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • What is a change in the DNA sequence of an organism called? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Mutation". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • Where does translation take place? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Translation". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • Which base is found in RNA but not in DNA? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Uracil". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • Which molecule pairs its anticodon with a codon on mRNA so that the right amino acid is added to a protein? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Anticodon". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • Which process makes a messenger RNA copy of a gene? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Transcription". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • Which term describes the shape of a DNA molecule? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Double Helix". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1

Evolution 10

  • A trait helps the individuals that have it to survive and reproduce. What happens to that trait over many generations? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "How are gene variants involved in evolution?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-3
  • Besides the fossil record, which evidence do scientists compare to infer how species branched from common ancestors? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS4.A (Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-1
  • Evolution is the process by which what changes over generations? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "How are gene variants involved in evolution?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-2
  • The fossil Archaeopteryx had the skeleton of a reptile and was covered with feathers. Which two groups does it link? U.S. Geological Survey, "Fossils, Rocks, and Time", section "Fossil Succession". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-1
  • Green and brown beetles of one species live on dark soil, and birds find and eat the green beetles more easily. What is expected over many generations? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS4.C (Adaptation). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-4
  • In a stack of undisturbed sedimentary rock layers, where are the oldest fossils found? U.S. Geological Survey, "Fossils, Rocks, and Time", section "Rocks and Layers". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-1
  • Random changes in allele frequencies, strongest in small isolated populations, are called what? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Genetic Drift". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-3
  • When does a species become extinct? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS4.C (Adaptation). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-5
  • Which gene variants can be passed to future generations and so contribute to evolution? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "How are gene variants involved in evolution?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-2
  • Which of these is NOT one of the four factors that together cause evolution? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS4.C (Adaptation). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-2

Ecology 10

  • An animal eats only plants. Which kind of consumer is it? NOAA Education, "Aquatic food webs". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-4
  • An organism causes ecological or economic harm in a new environment where it is not native. What is it called? NOAA National Ocean Service, "What is an invasive species?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-7
  • Eutrophication of a bay begins when the water receives too much of what? NOAA National Ocean Service, "What is eutrophication?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-7
  • In which relationship do both organisms benefit from living together? NOAA Ocean Exploration, "What is symbiosis?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-6
  • Suppose 10 percent of the energy at one level of a food chain passes to the next level. Producers hold 5,000 units. How much reaches the secondary consumers? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS2.B (Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-4
  • What do the arrows in a food web show? NOAA Education, "Aquatic food webs". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-4
  • What is the limit to the number of organisms that an ecosystem can support called? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS2.A (Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-1
  • Where is most of Earth's carbon stored? NOAA Education, "Carbon cycle". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-5
  • Which organisms make their own food and form the base of a food web? NOAA Education, "Aquatic food webs". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-4
  • Which process moves carbon from the atmosphere into living things? NOAA Education, "Carbon cycle". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-5

How this list was compiled: Outline: the high school life science performance expectations of the Next Generation Science Standards (HS-LS1 to HS-LS4), https://www.nextgenscience.org/dci-arrangement/hs-ls1-molecules-organisms-structures-and-processes and the HS-LS2, HS-LS3 and HS-LS4 pages, read 2026-10-07. Facts: the NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (genome.gov), MedlinePlus Genetics, the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms and SEER Training Modules (cancer.gov), NOAA education and ocean facts pages, U.S. Geological Survey "Fossils, Rocks, and Time" and the core idea text of the standards; the page each fact was read on is named under its question. All read 2026-10-07. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from public documents. Nothing is copied from a school, district or state exam, a released item, a textbook or another practice test.

How it works

This biology final exam practice test is unofficial: three fixed papers of our own questions for a high school course, in the order the course runs. Each teacher writes their own final, so no paper here is your school's exam.

Read the full guide

Three papers

Full year has 40 questions across eight units. First semester covers the chemistry of life, cells, energy in cells and cell division. Second semester covers heredity, DNA and proteins, evolution and ecology. No question appears on two papers.

What the papers follow

The units follow the high school life science standards of the Next Generation Science Standards, HS-LS1 to HS-LS4, read October 7, 2026. Each explanation names the public page its fact was checked on: NIH glossaries, NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey or the standards themselves.

A printed final

Each paper prints in the same order on every copy, so a whole class can sit the same biology final test.

  • Sit the whole paper before you look anything up. Your misses show which unit to reread.
  • Ask your teacher whether your final covers one semester or the whole year, then choose that paper.

Questions and answers

Is there a high school biology final exam PDF?

Yes. Print the question sheet puts the paper you chose on paper, with the answer key if you tick it. Choose Save as PDF in the print window to keep it as a file.

What is on a biology final exam?

Your teacher or district decides, and a school final has no public outline. These papers cover eight units drawn from the Next Generation Science Standards for high school life science. Your own study guide is the final word.

How many questions are on this biology final practice test?

Forty on each paper, with no time limit. That length is ours: schools set their own, and a real final may be longer, shorter or timed.

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