A class mixes baking soda and vinegar inside two bags on a scale. The sealed bag reads 86 grams before and 86 grams after. The open bag reads 86 grams before and 84 grams after. What best explains the open bag?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.1.2, evidence outcome a
A jar holds 200 grams of ice and is closed with a tight lid. The ice melts completely. What is the mass of the water in the jar?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.1.2, evidence outcome a
A spoonful of sugar is stirred into water until no sugar can be seen. The water tastes sweet. Which model explains this?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.1.1, evidence outcome a
Show all 24 questions (21 more)
Physical science, continued
A student in Colorado and a student in Australia each drop a ball. Which statement describes both balls?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.1.3, evidence outcome a
A student mixes two clear liquids. Which observation is the best evidence that a new substance formed?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.1.2, evidence outcome b
A student pushes the plunger of a sealed syringe full of air. The plunger moves in partway and then springs back. What does this show about air?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.1.1, evidence outcome a
Powder A is white, dissolves in water and does not fizz in vinegar. Powder B is white, dissolves in water and fizzes in vinegar. A mystery powder is white, dissolves in water and fizzes in vinegar. What is the best conclusion?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.1.1, evidence outcome b
Two shiny gray cubes are the same size and look alike. A magnet picks up cube X. The same magnet does not pick up cube Y. What does this test show?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.1.1, evidence outcome b
Physical and life science 6
A hawk eats a snake. The snake ate a mouse, and the mouse ate seeds. Where did the energy in the hawk's food first come from?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.1.4, evidence outcome a
A model shows arrows from plants to a rabbit, from the rabbit to a fox, from the fox to decomposers, from decomposers to soil, and from soil back to plants. What do the arrows show?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.2.2, evidence outcome a
A student plants a seedling in a pot with 500 grams of dry soil and adds only water. A year later the plant has gained 900 grams, and the dried soil has a mass of 498 grams. Which claim do the measurements support?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.2.1, evidence outcome a
In a model of a forest, which organisms return the matter in dead leaves to the soil?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.2.2, evidence outcome a
Which of these does an elk use the energy in its food for?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.1.4, evidence outcome a
Which two things supply most of the material a plant uses to build its body?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.2.1, evidence outcome a
Earth and space science 10
A mountain range forces moving air upward. The air cools and clouds form. Which two Earth systems are interacting?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.3.3, evidence outcome a
A student measures the shadow of a flagpole. At 9 a.m. it is 4.0 meters long and points west. At noon it is 1.2 meters long. At 3 p.m. it is 3.8 meters long and points east. Which pattern do the data show?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.3.2, evidence outcome a
A town sent 900 tons of trash to its landfill in the year before it started a recycling program and 640 tons in the year after. What do the data show?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.3.5, evidence outcome a
Beavers build a dam across a creek, and a pond forms behind it. Which interaction does this show?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.3.3, evidence outcome a
Some groups of stars can be seen in the evening sky in winter but not in summer. What causes this pattern?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.3.2, evidence outcome a
Two streetlights are equally bright. One is 10 meters from a student and the other is 200 meters away. The far one looks dimmer. What does this model show about stars?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.3.1, evidence outcome a
What causes day and night on Earth?NASA Science, Earth: Facts; practices Grade Level Expectation 5.3.2, evidence outcome a, of the CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5
Where is most of Earth's fresh water found?U.S. Geological Survey, How Much Water is There on Earth?; practices Grade Level Expectation 5.3.4, evidence outcome a, of the CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5
Where is most of Earth's water found?U.S. Geological Survey, How Much Water is There on Earth?; practices Grade Level Expectation 5.3.4, evidence outcome a, of the CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5
Why does the sun look so much brighter than the other stars?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation 5.3.1, evidence outcome a
How this list was compiled: Outline and standards: CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 5 (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), https://ed.cde.state.co.us/fs/resource-manager/view/fe677db6-fb1e-4211-8351-6d4633afbf9c, linked from CMAS Test Design, https://ed.cde.state.co.us/assessment/cmas-testdesign, read 2026-10-08. The framework lists the Grade Level Expectations and evidence outcomes of the 2020 Colorado Academic Standards that the test may ask; each question names the one it practices, and most answers rest on the wording of that outcome or on the numbers given in the question. Facts the framework does not state were read on 2026-10-08 at: NASA Science, Earth: Facts, https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/; U.S. Geological Survey, How Much Water is There on Earth?, https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/how-much-water-there-earth. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices, short texts, data tables and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from a CMAS test, a released or sample item, a Colorado Practice Resource or another practice test.
Grade 8: all 24 questions
Physical science 8
A ball has 1 joule of kinetic energy at 1 meter per second, 4 joules at 2 meters per second and 9 joules at 3 meters per second. Which pattern do the data show?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.1.5, evidence outcome a
A silver-colored solid is dropped into a clear liquid. Afterward the cup holds a brown, flaky solid, and gas bubbles rise. Did a chemical reaction occur?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.1.1, evidence outcome b
A skater pushes on a wall with a force of 50 newtons. What force does the wall exert on the skater?NASA Glenn Research Center, Newton's Laws of Motion; practices Grade Level Expectation MS.1.3, evidence outcome a, of the CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test
Show all 24 questions (21 more)
Physical science, continued
A solid is heated until it melts. How does the motion of its particles change?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.1.1, evidence outcome d
A student winds a wire around a nail 10, 20 and 30 times and connects it to a battery each time. The nail lifts 4, 8 and 12 paper clips. Which question do these data answer?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.1.4, evidence outcome a
In a model of a reaction, 2 molecules of H₂ and 1 molecule of O₂ become 2 molecules of H₂O. How many hydrogen atoms are there before and after?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.1.2, evidence outcome b
The same push is given to a 2-kilogram cart and to an 8-kilogram cart. The 2-kilogram cart speeds up 4 times as much. What do the data show?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.1.3, evidence outcome b
Two waves on a rope have the same wavelength. The amplitude of wave A is twice the amplitude of wave B. Which wave carries more energy?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.1.8, evidence outcome a
Life science 9
A mutation changes a gene, and the protein made from that gene changes. What effect can this have on the organism?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.2.8, evidence outcome a
A strawberry plant sends out a runner that grows into a new plant with no seed and no second parent. How does the new plant compare genetically with its parent?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.2.8, evidence outcome b
In a valley, deer had 310 fawns in a year with plenty of plants to eat and 140 fawns in a dry year with few plants. What do the data suggest?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.2.5, evidence outcome a
In photosynthesis, what does a plant combine, using energy from the sun, to make sugar?NOAA Education, Carbon cycle; practices Grade Level Expectation MS.2.3, evidence outcome a, of the CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test
Mice live on dark lava rock. In one season owls catch 20 of 50 light-furred mice and 5 of 50 dark-furred mice. Fur color is inherited. What is likely over many generations?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.2.10, evidence outcome a
Two plants grown from cuttings of one parent plant have the same genes. One grows in shade and reaches 12 centimeters. The other grows in full sun and reaches 30 centimeters. What does this show?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.2.2, evidence outcome b
Under a microscope, one pond organism is a single cell, and a piece of onion skin is many cells side by side. Which statement do these observations support?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.2.1, evidence outcome a
Where does the energy that flows through most ecosystems first come from?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.2.6, evidence outcome a
Which part of a cell controls what enters and leaves the cell?National Human Genome Research Institute, Cell Membrane (Plasma Membrane); practices Grade Level Expectation MS.2.1, evidence outcome b, of the CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test
Earth and space science 7
How are the sun, Earth and the moon arranged during a lunar eclipse?NASA Science, The Moon and Eclipses; practices Grade Level Expectation MS.3.1, evidence outcome a, of the CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test
In a scale model of the solar system, 1 centimeter stands for 10,000 kilometers. How wide is the model of a planet that is 120,000 kilometers across?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.3.2, evidence outcome b
The same land-animal fossils and the same rock types are found on the facing coasts of two continents that an ocean now separates. What is this evidence of?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.3.5, evidence outcome a
Scientists use rock layers and the fossil record to organize the geologic time scale. About how much history does that scale cover?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.3.3, evidence outcome a
What causes the seasons on Earth?NASA Science, Earth: Facts; practices Grade Level Expectation MS.3.1, evidence outcome a, of the CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test
What drives water's cycling through Earth's systems?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test (Colorado Department of Education, starting in 2023), Grade Level Expectation MS.3.6, evidence outcome b
What forms where two air masses meet?NOAA JetStream, Air Masses; practices Grade Level Expectation MS.3.7, evidence outcome a, of the CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Middle School, the grade 8 test
A 2-kilogram cart moving at 3 meters per second hits a 1-kilogram cart at rest, and the two stick together. No outside force acts. How fast do they move afterward?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.1.4, evidence outcome b
A net force of 12 newtons acts on a cart with a mass of 3 kilograms. What is the acceleration of the cart?NASA Glenn Research Center, Newton's Laws of Motion; practices Grade Level Expectation HS.1.4, evidence outcome a, of the CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11
A reaction in a beaker goes faster when the liquid is warmed. Which explanation fits the collision model?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.1.2, evidence outcome c
Show all 18 questions (15 more)
Physical science, continued
In a model of a system, 500 joules of energy flow in as heat and 200 joules flow out as work. What is the change in the energy of the system?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.1.6, evidence outcome a
In an insulated cup, 100 grams of water at 80°C is mixed with 100 grams of water at 20°C. What is the temperature once the mixture settles?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.1.7, evidence outcome b
Two elements are in the same group (column) of the periodic table. What does the table predict about them?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.1.1, evidence outcome a
Life science 6
A fish population in a pond is counted each year: 50, 120, 260, 390, 400, 398, 401. What is the best estimate of the carrying capacity of the pond for this fish?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.2.4, evidence outcome a
A skin cell divides by mitosis. How do the two new cells compare with each other?National Human Genome Research Institute, Mitosis; practices Grade Level Expectation HS.2.2, evidence outcome a, of the CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11
In a field, plants store 10,000 kilojoules of energy, the insects that eat them store 1,000, and the birds that eat the insects store 100. Which pattern do the data show?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.2.5, evidence outcome b
What does photosynthesis do with light energy?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.2.3, evidence outcome a
What does the sequence of DNA in a gene determine?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.2.1, evidence outcome a
Which of these is a source of genetic variation that can be inherited?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.2.9, evidence outcome b
Earth and space science 6
A model shows this loop: less ice, a darker surface, more sunlight absorbed, more warming, less ice. What kind of loop is it?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.3.4, evidence outcome b
A town compares two energy projects. Project A costs $600,000 and supplies 2,000 megawatt-hours a year. Project B costs $900,000 and supplies 4,500 megawatt-hours a year. Which has the lower cost for each megawatt-hour of yearly supply?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.3.9, evidence outcome b
In the model of Earth's interior, what moves matter in the mantle and shows at the surface as plate tectonics?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.3.5, evidence outcome b
Rock at a mid-ocean ridge is 0 million years old. Rock 200 kilometers from the ridge on each side is 10 million years old, and rock 400 kilometers away on each side is 20 million years old. What do the data support?CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11 (Colorado Department of Education, as of 2024), Grade Level Expectation HS.3.3, evidence outcome a
Which process in the core of the sun releases the energy that reaches Earth as radiation?NASA Science, Our Sun: Facts; practices Grade Level Expectation HS.3.1, evidence outcome a, of the CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11
Which process moves carbon from the atmosphere into the biosphere?NOAA Education, Carbon cycle; practices Grade Level Expectation HS.3.7, evidence outcome c, of the CMAS Science Assessment Framework, Grade 11
Unofficial practice for Colorado's CMAS science test, given in grades 5, 8 and 11. Our own questions, built on short investigations and data. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Colorado Department of Education.
Read the full guide
What is in each grade's set
Grade 5 has 24 questions: 8 on physical science, 6 on energy and matter in living things, 10 on Earth and space. Grade 8 has 24: 8 physical, 9 life, 7 Earth and space. Grade 11 has 18, six in each area. The split follows the percentages in the state's frameworks.
How the real test differs
On the real test most questions come in sets about one phenomenon: a simulation, or a cluster with pictures, graphs and tables. Nearly half of the points come from written answers. Here each question stands alone with four choices, and many give you a small set of data to read.
Read the numbers before the choices. In a data question the answer is the pattern the measurements show, not a fact to remember.
Questions and answers
What grades take CMAS science?
Grades 5, 8 and 11. The grade 8 test follows the middle school science standards, and the grade 11 test follows the high school standards.
What is on the CMAS science test?
Physical science, life science, and Earth and space science. In grade 5 they carry 35, 24 and 41 percent of the points, where the middle share mixes physical and life science; in grade 8, 34, 36 and 30 percent.
Is this the official CMAS science practice test?
No. This page is free and unofficial, and its questions were written for it. The Colorado Department of Education has its own practice resources built from released CMAS content; the button under the questions opens them.
How is CMAS science scored?
Scale scores run from 650 to 850, and Met Expectations starts at 750. Reports also compare a student with the state average in physical science, life science, Earth and space science, and science practices.